And gives an Account also of every one of their Sons and of some of their Grand-Sons Cush Gave Name to a Country very often mention'd in Scripture which most of the Ancients take for Aethiopia and so we commonly translate the word Cush But if by Aethiopia they meant that Country South of Egypt and not an Eastern Country which may be a question Jonathan is rather to be followed who here Paraphrases it Arabia For Cush is the same with Chusan only this latter is a diminutive which is made the same with Midian Habak III. 7. And so Moses his Wife is called a Chushite we render it Aethiopian for she was a Midianite Exod. II. 16 21. and therefore was of Arabia not of Aethiopia And so we should translate it Numb XII 2. an Arabian Woman And there is a Demonstration of it in Ezek. XXIX 10. that Cush cannot be Aethiopia for when God saith he will make Egypt desolate from the tower of Syene to the border of Cush if we should understand by Cush the Country of Aethiopia it will be as if he had said from Aethiopia to Aethiopia For every one knows Syene was the Border of Egypt towards Aethiopia And therefore here being two opposite Borders it is manifest that Cush which is the opposite term to Syene cannot be Aethiopia but Arabia Which bounded that part of Egypt which is most remote from Aethiopia A great number of other Arguments out of the Scriptures evince this Which Bochartus hath collected L. IV. Phaleg c. 2. and Philip. Beroaldus asserted the same thing before him Mizraim The Father of them who inhabited Egypt whose Metropolis Alcairo the Arabians at this Day call Meser and the first Month among the ancient Egyptians was called Mesori And Cedrenus calls the Country it self Mestra as Grotius observes in his Annot. in L. I. De V. R. C. and Lud. Capellus in his Chronol Sacra p. 109. And this word Mizraim being of the Dual Number which shows it to be the Name of the Country rather than of a Person denotes two Egypts as Bochart observes For so there were the higher and the lower All that Country was called the higher where Nile runs in one Stream The lower was that where it is divided into many Which the Greeks call Delta from its triangular form Phut All Africa was divided between Mizraim and Phut as Bochartus observes For all Egypt and several other parts of Africa as far as the Lake Trilonides which divides Africa into two almost equal parts fell to Mizraim The rest beyond that Lake to the Atlantick Ocean was the Portion of Phut Of which Name there are some footsteps in the City Putea which Ptolomy L. III. c. 1. calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the River called Phut mentioned by Pliny as Grotius notes and a Country which St. Hierom in his time says was called Regio Phutensis Which lies not far from Fez. Another Name of Africa is Lub which we often meet withall in Scripture Whence the Name of Lybia Concerning which and a great many other Proofs that Phut was planted in Africa see the famous Bochartus L. IV. Phaleg c. 33. Canaan The youngest Son of Ham every one knows gave Name to that Country which God gave afterwards to the Israelites Which the Phoenicians who descended from the Canaanites called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by a contraction of the word Canaan as many have observed out of Eusebius L. I. Praepar c. 10. who quotes Sanchuniathon and Philo-Byblius for it It is so certain that the Phoenicians had their Original from the Canaanites that the LXX use their Names promiscuously For example Shaul is called Gen. XLVI 10. the Son of a Canaanitish Woman Whom in Exod. VI. 15. they call the Son of a Phoenician Woman And so in the New Testament the Woman whom St. Matthew calls a Woman of Canaan XV. 22. St. Mark calls a Syrophoenician VII 26. We never indeed find the Phoenicians called Canaanites by the Greeks For their Posterity being ashamed as we may suppose of that Name because of the Curse pronounced upon Canaan chose to be called rather Syrians or Assyrians or Sidonians or Phoenicians For Syria which was a common Name to a great many People round about was at first proper to them from the Metropolis of Phoenicia which was Tyre in Hebrew Sor or Sur from whence Surim and thence the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They that would see more of this may read the fore-named Author L. IV. Phaleg c. 34. Ver. 7. In this Verse Moses acquaints us what People descended from the eldest Son of Ham viz. Cush who had five Sons And the fourth of them had two Seba. There were four Nations that had the Name of Seba or Shebah as Bochart observes L. II. c. 25. Three of them are mentioned here in this Chapter The first of them this Son of Cush is written with Samech all the rest with Schin viz. The Grand-Son of Cush who was the Son of Raamah or Rhegma in the end of this Verse The third was the Son of Jocktan the Son of Shem verse 28. And the fourth was a Grand-Child of Abraham by his Son Jokshan XXV 3. They that descended from the three first of these were a People given to Trade from the fourth came a People addicted to Robbery The first the second and the fourth were seated near the Persian Sea the third near the Arabian Whence Pliny saith the Sabaeans stretched themselves to both Seas L. V. c. 28. For all these four People were comprehended under the Name of Sabaeans though very different one from another But it may be doubted whether the Sabaeans who descended from Jokshan the Grand-Child of Abraham did live near the Persian Sea And I shall show upon XXV 3. that Bochart himself thought otherwise upon further Consideration And as for this Seba he was the Father of a People in Arabia called Jemamites as Alcamus an Arabian Writer tells us Whose words are A certain Man called Saba gathered together the Tribes of the Jemamites i. e. He was the Founder of the People called by that Name from a famous Queen of that Country called Jemama See Bochartus L. IV. c. 8. where he shows where they were situated And that they are the Sabaeans who are said by Agatharcides to have been a very tall proper People mentioned Isai XLV 14. Havilah Or Chavilah There were two Havilahs also One the Son of Cush here mentioned another the Son of Jocktan verse 29. From this Havilah seem to have come the People called Chanlothaei by Eratosthenes Who were seated in Arabia Foelix as Strabo tells us between the Nabataei and the Agraei i. e. the Hagerens By Pliny they are called Chavelaei which comes nearest to the Hebrew Name who were feated in that part of the Country which lay towards Babylon As appears by this that in the Scripture the Wilderness of Shur nigh Egypt and Havilah are opposed as the most remote opposite Bounds of Arabia Thus the
of his Favours which he frequently bestowed upon the Younger Children As he did upon Jacob and in after-times upon David who was the youngest and meanest of all his Father's Children Even unto him were Children born Perhaps he was the last of his Brethren that married and then Moses shews in the following Verses had Five Sons the Progeny of two of which are mentioned but the rest passed over in silence Ver. 22. Elam Was his First-born from whom came the Elamites mentioned Acts II. 9. Whose Metropolis was the famous City of Elymais They lay between the Medes and Mesopotamians as Bochartus shows L. II. Phaleg c. 2. and were a very Warlike and Fierce People as Isaiah Jeremiah and Ezekiel testifie The Susians were a neighbouring People but different from them And therefore when Daniel says Sushan was in the Province of Elam he takes Elam in a large sence as Pliny and Ptolomy also do who mention Elamites at the mouth of the River Eulaeus Vlai in Daniel which was below Susiana See Salmasius Exerc. in Solin p. 1193 1194. And thus Josephus may be allowed to say the Elamites were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Founders of the Persians who were a distinct People from them Though often comprehended under this Name of Elam Ashur From whom came the People called at first Assyres and afterward Assyrians Which was a Name as large as their Empire comprehending even Syria it self which in several Authors is the same with Assyria But in proper speaking it was only that Country whose head was Niniveh called sometimes Adiabene and Aturia or Assyria Arphaxad Many following Josephus make him the Father of the Chaldees But I find no good reason for it and it seems more probable that the Chaldees in Hebrew Chasdim came from Chesed one of Abraham's Brother's Sons Gen. XXII 22. which St. Hierom positively affirms Therefore it is more reasonable to think Arphaxad gave Name to that Country which Ptolomy calls Arraphachitis Which was a part of Assyria Lud. Seems to have given Name to the Country of Lydia which lay about Maeander and included in it Mysia and Caria which lay on the South side of that River Which having the most Windings and Turnings in it of any River in the World for it returns sometimes towards its Fountain the Phoenicians call this Country and another viz. Aethiopia that lay upon the Nile which next to Maeander is the most crooked of all Rivers by the Name of Lud Which in their Language signified bending or crooked See Bochart L. II. Phaleg c. 12. Aram. From whom sprung the Syrians whose Name anciently was Aramai the Children of Aram. A Name not unknown to the ancient Graecians for Homer mentions the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in his second Book of Iliads and so doth Hesiod and Strabo also saith that many understood by the Arimi the Syrians And the Syrians at this day call themselves Aramaeans But Syria being so large a Name that Ancient Authors extend it to all those Countries that lay between Tyre and Babylon we must not take all the People of them to have been the posterity of Aram. For it is evident some of them descended from Canaan others from Ashur others from Arphaxad Therefore those are to be thought to have come from him to whom the Name of Aram is praefixt or subjoined as Aram-Naharajim and Padan-Aram i. e. the Mesopotamians Aram-Soba the People of Palmyra and the Neighbouring Cities Aram-Damasek situated between Libanus and Anti-Libanus whose chief City was Damascus and perhaps Aram-Maacha and Aram-Bethrehob which were places beyond Jordan one of which fell to the share of Manasseh the other of Asser Ver. 23. And the Children of Aram c. The Four Persons that follow in this Verse are called the Sons of Shem 1 Chron. I. 17. Nothing being more ordinary in scripture than to call those the Sons of any Person who were his Grandsons XXIX 5 c. Vz Or Vtz the First-born of Aram is generally said to have been the builder of Damascus The Valley belonging to which is by the Arabians at this day called Gaut and Gauta which differs from Vtz in the Letters but not in the Pronunciation it being common to pronounce the Letter Ajin by our G. as in the Words Gaza and Gomorrha Accordingly the Arabick Paraphrast for Vtz hath here Algauta There were two other Vz's besides this one the Son of Nahor Abraham's Brother Gen. XXII 21. whose Country was Ausitis in Arabia Deserta The other was of the posterity of Edom Gen. XXXVI 28. Hull Or Chul Grotius observes out of Ptolomy that there was a City in Syria called Chollae which he thinks might be founded by this second Son of Aram. But Bochart more probably conjectures that his posterity possessed the Country called Cholobetene which was a part of Armenia For the Armenians and Arabians and Syrians were much alike as Strabo saith in their Shape of Body Speech and manner of Life And there are divers Cities which Ptolomy places in this Country that begin with Hol or Chol as Cholus Choluata Cholana And Cholobetene the Name of the Country which in their Language is Gholbeth signifies as much as the House or Seat of Chol. Gether It is hard to give any account of the Country where his posterity-setled unless they gave the River Getri its Name which the Greeks call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which runs between the Carduchi and the Armenians as Xenophon tells us This is Bochart's Conjecture which is a little nearer than that of Grotius Annot. in L. I. de V. R. C. who explains this by the City Gindarus in Ptolomy and the People called by Pliny Gindareni in Coelo-Syria But after all it may seem as probable that Gadara the chief City of Peraea which Ptolomy places in the Decapolis of Coelo-Syria had its Name and Original from this Gether Mash Who is called Mesech in 1 Chron. I. 17. seated himself as Bochart thinks in Mesopotamia about the Mountain Masius which is Grotius's conjecture also from whence there flowed a River which Xenophon calls Masca The Inhabitants of which Mountain Stephanus calls Masiaeni and perhaps the Moscheni whom Pliny speaks of between Adiabene and Armenia the greater were descended from this Mash or Mesech Ver. 24. And Arphaxad begat Salah Having given an account of the posterity of Shem's youngest Son he now tells us what People descended from his third Son Salah In Hebrew Shelah His Father being born but two Years after the Flood XI 10. seems to have given this Name to his Son to preserve the Memory of that dreadful Punishment That his Posterity might not incur the like by their Sins For Sela signifies the letting forth of Waters Job V. 10. He is thought to have been the Father of the Susiani The chief City of their Country next to Susa being called Sela as we find in Ammian Marcellinus Either because he was the Founder of it or in Memory of him And Salah begat Eber. The Father of those
Thus part of Galilee being inhabited by a mixed People of divers Countries was thence called Galilee of the Nations or Gentiles Matth. IV. 15. There were also as Sir W. Raleigh observes several petty Countries which adjoyned to Phoenicia viz. Palmyrena Batanea Apamena Laodicene c. which lay towards Mesopotamia on the North and Arabia on the East over which we may suppose Tidal reigned Eupolemus an ancient Greek Writer relating this Story calls them Armenians who made this inrode upon the Phoenicians as Eusebius tells us out of Alexander Polyhistor L. IX Praepar Evang. c. 17. Ver. 2. These made war with Bera king of Sodom c. They were Lords of the Country called Pentapolis or five Cities Which were so small that there was no need to bring a great King from beyond Tigris with such a mighty Monarch as he of Babylon is thought now to have been and several other Nations between these Kings and Euphrates to subdue their petty Province It had been madness also for these Kings to resist such powerful Armies as the Eastern Kings are commonly supposed to have brought against them And therefore I think it reasonable by the Kings in the first Verse to understand some such petty Princes as these mentioned in the second Ver. 3. Valley of Siddim The five Cities stood in this goodly Valley which now is the Salt-Sea or Lake Since the overthrow of these Cities by Fire and Brimstone from Heaven Some will not have Siddim a proper Name but translate it ploughed Lands in which this Valley was very rich Ver. 4 Twelve Years they served Chedorlaomer c. This shows he was the Principal in this War And if he had been King of all that Country called Elam we cannot think he would have passed through so great a part of the World as Assyria Mesopotamia and part of Arabia to conquer five Towns All whose Riches could not countervail the Charge though he had sent only one of his Lieutenants with a small Force to bring them under Ver. 5. Smote the Rephaims In their way to Sodom they subdued these Warlike People who it is likely opposed their Passage into Pentapolis And these Rephaims it appears by XV. 20. were a part of Canaan's Posterity situate as one may gather from Josh XII 4. XIII 12. on the other side Jordan in Bashan or Batanea They were of a Giant-like Stature And therefore the LXX here and in other places instead of Rephaim have Giants Ashtaroth-Karnaim It is plain from the fore-named place and from Deut. I. 4. that Ashtaroth was a place in Bashan Whether so called because the Goddess Astarte i. e. Diana or Juno was here worshipped no Body can resolve They that are of this Opinion fansie that Karnaim which in Hebrew signifies two horned denotes the New Moon But this word may as well note that Ashtaroth was a City in the form of a half Moon And the Zuzims Another Warlike People thereabouts Who some think are the same with the Zamzummims Deut. II. 10. The Emims It appears from Deut. II. 9 10 c. that these were also a Gigantick People and near Neighbours to the Horites mentioned in the next Verse For the Emims possessed Ar and the Field of Kirjath-Jearim and the Horites possessed Mount Seir till the former were driven out by the Moabites and the latter by the Children of Esau And then the Country of the Emims was called Moab and the Country of the Horites was called Edom. Ver. 7. And they returned From the Conquest of the fore-named People And came to En-mishpat Fell upon this Country which was called afterward by this Name because God here judged the Israelites for their Murmurings and Contention with Moses From whence also it was called Kadesh because here the Lord was sanctified among them Numb XX. 13. All the Country of the Amalekites The Country which was afterwards possessed by the Amalekites who were not yet in being For they were the Descendants of Esau as Moses shows Gen. XXXVI 16. And also the Amorites who dwelt in Hazezon-Tamar Which is the same with En-Gaddi near the dead Sea 2 Chron. XX. 2. Ver. 10. Full of Slime-pits Into which they hoped their Enemies might fall and so be broken Which made them draw up their Army and wait for them in this place And the Kings of Sodom and Gomorrha fled Were routed as we now speak Of the word Slime see XI 3. And fell there i. e. A great slaughter was made of their Armies For they themselves escaped it appears by the following part of the Story Some will have it that many of them fell into those Slime-pits in which they hoped to have seen their Enemies plunged But the simplest Sence is many of them were slain and the rest as it follows escaped to the Mountain But made such ill use of their Preservation from being killed with their Fellows that they only lived to suffer a greater Vengeance Ver. 11. And they took all the Goods c. This is a further proof that Chedorlaomer and the rest of his Confederates in this War were but petty Princes like the Kings of Sodom and Gomorrha c. for having broken the Army of the Five Kings they rested contented and march'd away with the Prisoners and Booty but took not one of their Cities Which if they had been such great Kings as is imagined they would have certainly sack'd and perhaps burnt if they had not thought fit to keep them But we read Verse 17. the King of Sodom still reigned after this Victory and went out of his City to meet Abram Ver. 12. And they took Lot c. Who is here called his Brother's Son and Verse 14 and 16. Abram's Brother This was the Foundation of Abram's Quarrel with the Four Kings whose War was just against the King of Sodom and his Confederates But they unjustly seized upon Lot and his Goods who was but a Sojourner in that Country and had no hand in their Revolt Who dwelt in Sodom In the Country of Sodom where he hired some Ground for his Cattle but it is not likely he yet dwelt in the City for then he had not been taken Captive but afterwards for more security betook himself thither Ver. 13. Told Abram the Hebrew So called from his Ancestor Heber as was before observed To which may be added That if he had been called by this Name as many think only from his passing over Euphrates which the LXX took to be the reason when they translated it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it would not have descended to all his Posterity who did not come from beyond the River So little a thing as that would not have given a Name to a whole and eminent Nation who are usually denominated from some eminent Progenitor And these were confederate with Abram The three forenamed Families were near Neighbours to Abram who it is likely farmed as we now speak some Ground of them And so entred into a League of Mutual Defence having the
A COMMENTARY UPON GENESIS Imprimatur JO. CANT Lambethae Maii 26 o. 1694. A COMMENTARY UPON THE First Book of MOSES CALLED GENESIS BY The Right Reverend Father in God SYMON Lord Bishop of ELY LONDON Printed for Ri. Chiswell at the Rose and Crown in St. Paul's Church-Yard MDCXCV THE PREFACE HAving been persuaded to put together some scattered Notes which I long ago made upon several Places of Holy Scripture I began the last Year to consider some Texts in the Book of GENESIS Where I soon found there would be a necessity of making an entire Commentary upon a good part of it And therefore I resolved to go through the whole in the same manner as I had done the Three first Chapters After I had finished the better half of my Work I was informed that Mons l'Clerk had published a Critical Commentary upon the same Book But whether I have concurred in any thing with him or contradicted him I am not able to say having wanted leisure to peruse his Work by reason of the Publick Business which came upon me in the end of the Year When I likewise understood that a very Learned Friend and Brother had put into the Press Annotations upon all the Five Books of Moses But by communicating some of our Papers to each other we found there would be no reason that either of us should lay aside our Design but go on in our several ways to make the Scriptures better understood by all sorts of Persons For all helps are little enough in this Age which seems to take pleasure in being ignorant of the most important Truths In which we are so particularly instructed by Moses as by no other Author nor by all the Authors that are or have been known to be extant in the World For to him we owe the Knowledge of the beginning of the World of the first Parents of Mankind the Inventors of Arts the Original of Nations the Founders of Kingdoms and Empires the Institution of Laws the Fountain of Religious Rites Yea of all the ancient Mythology and which is most considerable the means of propagating that Sense of God and of Religion which Mankind brought into the World with them and how it came to be corrupted There have been those who have taken the liberty to say That it is impossible to give any tolerable Account of the Creation of the World in Six Days of the Situation of Paradise the Fall of our first Parents by the seduction of a Serpent c. But I hope I have made it appear there is no ground for such presumptuous Words But very good reason to believe every thing that Moses hath related without forsaking the literal Sence and betaking our selves to I do not know what Allegorical Interpretations Particularly I find the Truth of what I have noted concerning Paradise very much confirmed by a Learned and Judicious Discourse of Mons Huetius which I did not meet withal till I had made an end of these Commentaries But then took a review of what I had written and found cause to correct what I had noted out of Mr. Carver concerning the Spring of Tigris and Euphrates I might also have given a clearer Account of the Deluge if I had observed some things which are come to my notice since these Papers went to the Press But I hope I have said enough to evince that it is not so incredible as some have pretended For having made the largest Concessions concerning the heighth of the highest Mountains which according to the old Opinion I have allowed may be thirty Miles high Gen. VII 19. whereas if instead of thirty I had said not above three perpendicular I had had the best of the Modern Philosophers to defend me it appears there might be Water enough to cover the loftiest of them as Moses hath related Whose account of the Families by whom the Earth was Peopled after the Flood is so surprisingly agreeable to all the Records that remain in any Language of the several Nations of the Earth that it carries with it an uncontroulable Evidence of his Sincerity and Truth as well as of his admirable Universal Knowledge For as there is no Writer that hath given us an Account of so many Nations and so remote as he hath done So he hath not satisfied himself with naming them but acquainted us with their original and told us at what time and from what place and on what occasion they were dispersed into far distant Countries And this with such brevity that he hath informed us of more in one Chapter than we can find in the great Volumes of ill other Authors Having shown us from whom all â—hose People descended who are spread over the Face of the Earth from the Caspian and Persian Sea to Hercules his Pillars as the Ancients speak that is all the World over In short whatsoever is most ancient in those Countries which are furthest from all Commerce with his own is clearly explained by Moses Whose Writings therefore cannot but be highly valued by all those who will apply their Minds seriously to the study of them For if they who now have no regard to him would but compare what he hath written on the fore named Subject with what they find in those Heathen Writers whom they have in the greatest veneration they would be forced to confess him to be a Man of wonderful Understanding and could not reasonably doubt he had an exact knowledge of the Truth of those things whereof he wrote To this purpose I remember the famous Bochartus speaks who hath given the greatest light to the Tenth of Genesis wherein these things are delivered And truly it is some wonder That they who so much cry up the Egyptian Learning should not easily grant unless they will believe all Historians but only those whom we account Sacred that Moses must needs be qualified even without the help of Divine Revelation which he certainly had to write both of their Original and of all those who were related to them Being bred up in their Country nay in their Court till he was XL Years old and well versed in all the Wisdom that was to be found among them Acts VII 22. Which Wisdom of theirs I doubt not was much augmented by Abraham's living among them as I have observed upon XIII 2. but especially by Joseph's long Government of that Country for the space of LXXX Years Who was indued with such an incomparable Spirit that the wisest Men among them learnt of him for he taught their Senators Wisdom Psalm CV 22. And in like manner Moses lived XL Years more among the Midianites where it appears by Jethro there wanted not Persons of great Knowledge And from thence he might easily be instructed in all that the Arabians knew Who were no mean People it appears by the Story of Job and his three Friends and Elihu who is supposed by some to have wrote that admirable Book and were near Neighbours to the most famous Nations
Moses could not have said there was no Man to till the Earth Ver. 6. But there went up a Mist c. Many think this will best cohere with what went before by translating it nor did there taking the Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not from the foregoing Verse as is usual a Mist go up from the Earth See Drusius Levit. X. 6. and Hottinger in Hexapl. Paris p. 89. But I see no necessity of this and think it more likely there did go up a Vapour or Steam out of the Earth when it came reeking out of the Waters as was said upon Verse 9. of the 1. Chap. to moisten the superficies of it before any Clouds were raised by the Power of the Sun to give Rain Ver. 7. Out of the Dust of the Ground Not dry but moist Dust as the LXX have it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 From whence the Apostle calls him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Corinth XV. 47. which teaches us this Dust was mixt with Water For so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies Limus as the vulgar Latin hath it Which agrees with the Hebrew jatzar formed which is used concerning Potters who make their Vessels of Clay not of dry Earth Diodorus Siculus seems to have had some Notion of this when he saith Man was made out of the Slime or Mud of Nile Upon which Original of Man's Body the ancient Fathers make many Pious Reflections But none better or shorter than that of Nazianzen's who says it is to teach us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that when we are apt to be lifted up because we are made after God's Image the thoughts of the Dirt out of which we were taken may humble and lay us low And God breathed into his Nostrils the breath of life This being said of no other Creature leads us to conceive not only that the Soul of Man is a distinct thing of a different Original from his Body but that a more excellent Spirit was put into him by God as appears by its Operations than into other Animals For though the simple Speech of inspiring him with the breath of Life would not prove this yet Moses speaking in the Plural Number that God breathed into him Nischmath chajim the Breath or Spirit of Lifes it plainly denotes not only that Spirit which makes Man breathe and move but think also reason and discourse And he became a living Soul This is the immediate result of the Union of the Soul with the Body Which Eusebius thus explains L. VII Praepar Evang. cap. 10. Moses having laid the Foundations of Religion before-mentioned viz. The Knowledge of God and of the Creation of the World proceeds to another Point of Doctrine most necessary to be understood which is the Knowledge of a Man's self to which he leads him by showing the difference between his Soul and his Body His Soul being an Intelligent Substance made after the Image of God his Body only an Earthly Covering of the Soul To which Moses adds a third 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. A certain Vital Breath whereby the other two are united and linked together by a powerful Bond or strong Tie His Soul it is manifest did not come out of the Earth or any Power of Matter but from the Power of God who infused it into him by his Divine Inspiration And this was the Original of Eve's Soul also though it be not mentioned For if her Soul had been made out of Adam as her Body was he would have said not only She is Bone of my Bone but Soul of my Soul which would have mightily strengthned the Bond of Marriage and exceedingly heightned Conjugal Affection Ver. 8. And the LORD God planted Or had planted for it doth not seem to be a new thing A Garden A most pleasant part of the Earth Eastward Or as others translate it before in the beginning viz. On the Third Day when he made all Vegetables And it cannot be denied that mikkedem may signifie time as well as place But as the greatest part of Interpreters Ancient and Modern take it here to signifie place so Moses himself uses it in the following part of this Book III. 24. XI 2. XII 8. XIII 11. In Eden A Country as most understand it so called perhaps from its Pleasure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Theophilus ad Autolyc speaks L. II. Where Eden was there are two or three places of Scripture that give some direction to our search 2 Kings XIX 12. Isa XXXVII 12. Ezek. XXVII 23. which show there was a Country that for many Ages after this retained the Name of Eden And that Eastward as Moses here tells us it was situated That is Eastward of Judaea or of the Desart of the Amorites where he wrote these Books For the Scripture calls those People the Children of the East who dwelt in Arabia Mesopotamia and Persia But in what Country of the East Eden was will be best understood from ver 10. And there he put the Man whom he had formed He was formed we must suppose in some other place and conducted hither by God in Token of his singular Kindness to him Where he declared him saith a Syriac Writer mentioned by Hottinger in his Dissert de Hexaplis Paris p. 115. an Heir of Paradise and made him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a King a Priest and a Prophet Ver. 9. And out of the Ground Of that Garden before-mentioned Made the LORD God to grow every Tree c. The greatest variety of the choicest Plants Flowers and Fruit For Tree comprehends every thing that grows out of the Earth Pleasant to the sight He gratified Man's Eye as well as his Taste and his Smell The Tree of Life So called because there was a Virtue in it as several of the ancient Fathers think not only to repair the Animal Spirits as other Nourishment doth but also to preserve and maintain them and all the Organs of the Body in the same equal Temper and State wherein they were created without any decay Until Man should have been fit to be translated into another World To this purpose Irenaeus St. Chrysostom Theodoret but especially Greg. Nazianzen speak 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. If therefore we had continued what we were and kept the Commandment we should have been what we were not by coming to the Tree of Life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being made immortal and approaching nigh to God Orat. XLIII p. 699. D. And why we should think it impossible or unlikely that God should make such a Fruit I do not see Nay it seems necessary there should have been such a kind of Food unless we will suppose God would have preserved Adam had he continued Innocent from dying by a continual Miracle Which is a harder supposition than the other But this Garden being also a Type of Heaven perhaps God intended by this Tree to represent that immortal Life which he meant to bestow upon Man with himself Revel XXII 2. And so St.
word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is that which the Hebrews properly use in Divorces And therefore denotes they think that the Lord put him away from his Presence as a Man did his Wife to whom he gave a Bill of Divorce Or as a Prince banishes a Subject that hath rebelled against him whom he sends into Exile out of his own Country And he placed at the East of the Garden This shows the Entrance into Paradise was from the East At which Entrance Adam being cast out it is likely he afterward inhabited some of the Eastern Countries Eutychius Patriarch of Alexandria saith a Mountain in India which the Mahometans commonly call Sarandib as Mr. Selden observes L. I. De Synedr Cap. II. p. 452 c. But Aben Ezra's Conjecture seems more reasonable That he dwelt in some Country not far from Paradise Cherubims Some of the heavenly Ministers that waited upon the Divine Majesty Who were called by this Name in Moses his time when he wrote this History in the Wilderness after the giving of the Law For the Glory of the LORD I take it here appeared at the expulsion of Adam and Eve in a most dreadful manner to deterr them from attempting to come near this Place again for fear of being consumed And a flaming Sword Or flame of a Sword Concerning which Maimonides thus discourses P. I. More Nevoch cap. 4. Our wise Men understand by lahat flame an Angel According to that of the Psalmist He maketh his Angels Spirits His Ministers lohet a flaming Fire Psalm CIV 4. That is one of the Seraphims or a flaming Angel in the form of a flying fiery Saraph or Serpent whose Body moving in the Air resembled the vibrations of a Sword was appointed with the Cherubims to guard the Entrance of the Garden For the Cherubims and Seraphims are frequently mentioned in Scripture as Attendants upon the SCHECHINAH or Divine Majesty Which appeared here in great Glory at the Passage into the Garden of Eden as it did in after-times at the Door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation of Israel to their great astonishment Which turned every way Angels says Maimonides in the fore-named place can turn themselves into all forms and Shapes Some of which strike greater Terror into those that behold them than others do But I take this expression not to signifie mutation of Shapes but the motion of the Angel Which was so very swift and glittering that devouring Flames seemed to come streaming out on every side To keep the way of the Tree of Life To secure the Passage into the Garden of Eden where this Tree was that none should dare to attempt a re-entrance But Adam was so far from thinking of this that if the Eastern Traditions were to be credited I should add He plunged himself into the deepest Sorrow for a long time bewailing his Sin begging Pardon c. till God dispatcht an Angel to Comfort him and further assure him of his Favour Which being but probable Conjectures I say no more of such Matters Nor can I assert with any degree of Confidence what our great Primate of Ireland says in his Annals That it seems to have been the tenth Day of the World's Age when Adam was cast out of Paradise In Memory of which Calamity the Solemn Day of Expiation and the great Fast was instituted in after-times wherein all were to afflict their Souls Lev. XVI 29. This indeed is the Doctrine of the Jews who say The great Day of Expiation which was on the tenth of September was appointed and sanctified from the Creation of the World But there is no other Authority for it It will be more useful I think to observe what Footsteps there are of these things remaining in the Gentile World I will mention but two One of which is noted by Eusebius who shows L. XII Praepar Evang. cap. 11. that Plato in his Symposium hath preserved the Memory of Paradise His 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Garden of Jupiter being the same with this Garden of God in which Man was at first placed The other by St. Austin who says Therecydes the Scholar of Pythagoras called the Beginner of Evil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is a Daemon in the shape of a Serpent So Heideggerus observes out of him Exercit. IV. De Adamo Eva n. 82. CHAP. IV. Ver. 1. AND Adam knew Eve his Wife c. After they were thrown out of Paradise not before whatsoever some of the Jewish Doctors fansie to the contrary nay as some will have it after they had spent some time in Acts of Repentance which is not an improbable Opinion I have gotten a Man from the LORD i. e. The promised Messiah which she imagined would have been her first-born For the words of the Promise III. 15. might as well be expounded of the first Seed the Woman had as of any of his Posterity Ver. 2. She bare his Brother Abel But gives no reason of his Name which signifies Vanity as she did of Cain's which signifies Acquisition or Possession Nor is it said who gave this Second Son the Name of Abel But it seems they made no account of him in comparison with the First-born Quod non posuerunt in eo spem factae promissionis de Semine ut in Kain as Joh. Forsterus judiciously speaks in his Lexicon on the word Hevel because they did not place in him their hope of the promised Seed as they did in Cain And Abel was a keeper of Sheep c. The younger Son was a Shepherd and the elder an Husbandman and Planter For this last seems to have been Adam's chief Imployment both before and after his Fall Gen. II. 15. III. 23. and therefore either chosen by Cain in imitation of his Father or put upon him by his direction as the more noble of the two Whence the Eastern People gave him the Name of Abdalcariths which some mistook for another Son of Adam But in truth was another Name of Cain signifying a tiller of the Field as Mr. Selden shows L. V. De Jure N. G. cap. 8. The Patriarchs indeed after the Flood at least in Abraham's Family chose to feed Cattle But that was because it was less Laborious and more suitable to that unsetled Condition wherein they lived for many Years removing like the ancient Nomades from one Country to another Ver. 3. In process of time In the Hebrew the words are in the end of Days That is in the conclusion of the Year or after Harvest So Days signifie in many other places particularly Judg. XI 4. where after Days is after a Year This was a very seasonable time to make their grateful acknowledgments to God who had given them a fruitful Year and blessed them with increase Accordingly God ordained in future times that the Israelites should keep a solemn Feast in the Year's end to thank him for the ingathering of their Fruits Exod. XXIII 16. XXXIV 22. But in what Year of the World it was that
SHECHINAH which appeared from the beginning as I have often said before the sight of which Cain never after this enjoyed but was banished from it And God withdrawing his gracious Presence from him so St. Chrysostom he was also forsaken by him and put out of his special Protection If Cain after this turned a down-right Idolater as many think it is very likely he introduced the Worship of the Sun which was the most ancient sort of Idolatry as the best resemblance he could find of the Glory of the LORD Which was wont to appear in a flaming Light And in after-times they worshipped Fire in the Eastern Countries as the best Emblem of the Sun when it was absent And dwelt in the Land of Nod. At last he setled in a Country which had the Name of Nod from his wandring up and down like a Vagabond till he fixed here Where it seems he still continued restless moving from one part of the Country to another till in conclusion he built a City for his security some think as we read in the Verse following Some translate it in the Land of Vagabonds And R. Solomon fansies the very ground shaked under him and made People run away from him saying This is the cruel Man that killed his Brother On the East of Eden He still went Eastward from that Country where Adam setled after he was thrust out of Paradise See III. 24. Which Junius thinks was in that tract of Ground where the Nomades afterwards dwelt bordering upon Susiana Which is far more probable than the Conceit of the Author of the Book Cosri Par. II. § 14. who would have Cain's going from the presence of the LORD nothing else but his Expulsion out of the Land of Canaan where Adam dwelt after he was thrust out of Paradise And consequently the Land of Nod was not far from the Land of Canaan Nothing can be more ungrounded than this which overthrows also all that Moses saith of Eden and the Garden planted there from whence Adam went out on the East-side and therefore not toward Canaan which was Westward Ver. 17. And Cain knew his Wife There hath been no mention hitherto of any Woman in the World but Eve much less of Cain's having a Wife And therefore it is uncertain whether this were a Wife he took before he killed his Brother or after It is most probable before because we may well think all the World abhorred the thoughts of Marriage with such an impious Murderer whom God also had accursed But whether it were before or after I see no reason to conclude that this Wife was his Sister There being Women enough in the World beside before this time as was said before verse 15. For even in our Country in the Age before us there sprung from two Persons Three hundred sixty seven Children within the space of eighty Years And therefore the World being now when Cain slew Abel an Hundred and twenty eight or an Hundred and thirty Years old according to Arch-Bishop Vsher and Jac. Capellus's Chronology we cannot but conceive there were a great Number of People in it descended from all those Sons and Daughters which Adam begot Chap. V. 4. We are not told how many but some of the ancient Eastern Traditions in Cedrenus say he had thirty three Sons and twenty seven Daughters It is true indeed That at the first Cain could marry none but one of his Sisters Which was then Lawful because absolutely necessary But prohibited by God when that Necessity ceased Of which the Eastern People were so sensible that they took care to have it thought that Cain and Abel did not marry those who were nearest of kin to him but those that were at some distance For their Tradition is That Eve at her two first Births brought Twins a Son and a Daughter viz. Cain with his Sister Azron and Abel with his Sister Awin as Saidus Patricides Patriarch of Alexandria reports Now such was their Caution not to match with those that were nearest in Blood but with those further off as much as was then possible Cain was not suffered to marry his Twin-Sister nor Abel his But Adam gave Awin to Cain and Azron to Abel I cannot vouch the truth of this Story Which I mention only to show That Mankind have had a Sense that all possible Care should be used to avoid Marriages with the nearest Relations For though this Story was derived perhaps from the Jews yet it was believed by other People See Mr. Selden L. V. De Jure N. G. c. 8. Whence Diodorus Siculus says Lib. I. it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the common use of Mankind that Brothers and Sisters should not be joyned in Marriage And Plato L. VIII de Legib. calls such Marriages 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by no means holy but hateful to God For though they were not so in the beginning of things they became so afterwards That being natural in one state of things as Grotius well observes Lib. De Jure B. P. c. 10. which is unnatural in another state And he built a City Not as soon as the came into this Country but when he had a numerous Progeny able to people it And consequently in his old Age. His end in building it some think was to cross the Curse of wandring to and fro Others to defend himself against those whom his guilty Conscience made him fear or to secure the Spoils which by force and violence as Josephus relates L. I. Antiq c. 3. he had taken from others There are those who imagine that when he attempted to build this City he often broke off the Work out of a panick fear Such an one as Romulus felt after he had killed his Brother Remus And called the Name of the City after the Name of his Son Some think he declined his own Name because he knew it to be odious every where But it is more likely it was for that reason which moved Men in after-times to do the same For it hath been a very ancient Usage for great Men to call the Cities which they built by the Name of their Sons rather than their own Out of the great Love they bare to their Children Thus Nimrod called Nineveh after the Name of his Son Ninus Which the Psalmist notes as a piece of the Vanity of Mankind to call their Lands that is the Houses where they dwelt as R. Solomon Jarchi interprets it by their own Names to be a lasting Monument of them and of their Family Enoch There were an ancient People called by Pliny Heniochi by Mela Eniochi and by Lucan Enochii Some of which lived so far Eastward that Sir W. Raleigh fansies they might be the Posterity of this Enoch Ver. 18. And unto Enoch was born Irad c. It is remarkable that though Moses gives us some Account of the Descendants of Cain yet he saith not a word of the Years that they lived and carries their Genealogy but a little way Whereas he
Moses Ararat as by Pliny they are called Taurus And that Author thinks the Ark setled in some of the Eastern Parts of Taurus because Noah planted himself in the East after the Flood and it is likely did not travel far from the place where the Ark rested as appears he thinks from Gen. XI 2. where we read his Posterity when they began to spread went Westward and built Babel The common Opinion is That the Ark rested in some of the Mountains of Armenia as the vulgar Latin translates the word Ararat i. e. saith St. Hierom upon the highest part of Taurus But Epiphanius who was before him saith upon the Gordiaean Mountains and so Jonathan and Onkelos and the Nubiensian Geographer and many others mentioned by Bochartus Who is of this Opinion as having the most Authority Many of which say That some Relicks of the Ark were remaining upon those Mountains Which as Theodoret observes upon Isa XIV 13. were accounted the highest in the whole World V. Phaleg L. II. c. 3. and L. IV. c. 38. There were such Remainders of this History among the ancient Scythians that in their dispute with the Egyptians about their Antiquity they argue it partly from hence that if the Earth had ever been drown'd their Country must needs be first inhabited again because it was first clear'd from the Water being the highest of all other Countries in the World Thus their Argument runs in Justin L. II. c. 1. where he hath given us a brief relation of it if we had Trogus whom he Epitomizes it 's likely we should have understood their Tradition more perfectly in this manner If all Countries were anciently drown'd in the Deep profectò editissimam quamque partem we must needs grant the highest parts of the Earth were first uncovered of the Waters that ran down from them And the sooner any part was dry the sooner were Animals there generated Now Scythia is so much raised above all other Countries that all the Rivers which rise there run down into the Moeotis and so into the Pontick and Egyptian Sea c. Ver. 5. And the Waters decreased continually until the tenth Month. For the Summer's heat must needs very much dry them up when there was no Rain In the tenth Month were the tops of the Mountains seen This shows the Mountain on which the Ark rested was the highest at least in those Parts Because it setled there above two Months before the tops of other Mountains were seen And perhaps the Ark by its weight might settle there while the top of that Mountain was covered with Water Which it 's possible might not appear much before the rest Ver. 6. At the end of forty Days Forty Days after the tops of the Mountains appeared i. e. on the eleventh Day of the eleventh Month which was about the end of our July Ver. 7. He sent forth a Raven For the same End no doubt that the Dove was sent forth To make discovery whether the Earth were dry For if it were the smell of the dead Carcases he knew would allure it to fly far from the Ark Which it did not but only hover'd about it as it follows in the next Words Went forth to and fro In the Hebrew more plainly going forth and returning That is it often went from the Ark and as often returned to it For after many flights finding nothing but Water it still betook it self unto the Ark either entring into it or sitting upon it 'till at last the Waters being dried up it returned no more That is Fifty Days after its first going forth Verse 13. All which time it spent in going out and coming back Bochart indeed approves of the Greek Version which makes the Raven not to have returned For which he gives some specious Reasons L. II. c. 12. P. 2. Hierozoic and hath such of the Hebrews to countenance him as R. Elieser who saith Pirke c. 23. That the Raven found a Carcase of a Man upon a Mountain and so would return no more But the next words which in the Greek and Hebrew are both alike confute this Translation Vntil the Waters were dried up from the Earth Which make this plain and easie Sence in connexion with the foregoing as they run in the Hebrew that while the Earth continued covered with Water the Raven often flew from the Ark but finding no convenient place to rest in returned thither again Till the Ground was dry Whereas according to the Greek we must suppose the Raven to have returned to the Ark when the Waters were dried up from the Ground Which is very absurd For if it had some time sat upon a Carcase floating in the Waters before they were dried up or upon the top of some Mountain which already appeared what should make it return when all the Waters were gone every where and not rather while they remained upon the Ground Ver. 8. Also he sent forth a Dove As a proper Creature to make further Discoveries Being of a strong flight loving to seed upon the Ground and pick up Seeds and constantly returning to its rest from the remotest places These two Birds the Raven and the Dove some imagine were sent forth upon one and the same Day or but a Day between as Bochartus conjectures But this doth not agree with Verse 10. where it is said Noah stayed yet other seven Days and then sent out the Dove again Which relates to seven Days preceding which seem to have passed between the sending out of the Raven and of the Dove Ver. 9. The Dove found no rest c. For though the tops of the Mountains appeared yet they continued muddy as some conceive or they were so far off that the Dove could not easily reach them Ver. 10. And he staid yet other seven Days It appears by this that on the seventh Day Noah expected a Blessing rather than on another Day It being the Day devoted from the beginning to Religious Services Which he having it is likely performed thereupon sent out the Dove upon this Day as he had done before with hope of good Tidings Ver. 11. And lo in her Mouth was an Olive-Leaf or Branch the word signifies pluckt off Bochart thinks the Dove brought this out of Assyria which abounds with Olive-Trees and lay South of Ararat the Wind then blowing towards that Country from the North. See Hierozoic L. I. c. 6. p. 2. where he shows out of many Authors that not only Olive-Trees but some other also will live and be green under Water All the difficulty is how the Dove could break off a Branch as the Vulgar translates it from the Tree But it is easily solved if we allow as I have said before that now it was Summer-time which brought new Shoots out of the Trees that were easily cropt So he knew the Waters were abated The tops of Mountains were seen before verse 5. but now he understood the Waters had left the lower Grounds Yet not so left them that
took its Name Where he and his Children setled And it is the farthermost Country Eastward where any of the Posterity of Japhet inhabited What is the Name of this Country at present is not easie to tell the ancient name and limits of Countries so remote being quite worn out of memory But it is no improbable Conjecture of Bochartus L. III. c. 14. That the ancient Sarmatae took their Name from this Man Sear or Sar-Madai being in Chaldee as much as the Relicks of Madai or the Medes Dr. Jackson I think hath well observed Book I. c. 16. that Scythia or the North part of Asia-Minor and other parts adjacent were inhabited by the Sons of Japhet before they came into Greece where the next Son setled or the other parts of Europe Javan Planted himself in Greece under which word is comprehended not only Achaia and the rest of the Countries thereabout but even Macedonia and the Nations neighbouring to it towards the West The Sea that washes them being called the Ionian Sea And indeed the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taking away the Vowels may be either read Javan or Ion. From whence the Iones whom Homer calls Jaones which is near to Javan which a Persian in Aristophanes his Acharnenses pronounces Jaonau As Grotius observes Annot. in L. I. De V. R. C. Hence Daniel calls Alexander who came out of Macedonia the King of Javan VIII 21. And the Chaldee Paraphrase hath here instead of Javan Macedonia See Bochart L. III. c. 3. Tubal and Meshech These two are constantly joyned together by Ezekiel in many places XXVII 13. XXXII 26 c. Which is a sign these two Brothers planted themselves not far from one another And no Conjecture seems so probable as that of Bochartus who takes these to be the People whom the Greeks call Moschi and Tibareni Who are as constantly joyned together in Herodotus as Moschech and Tubal are in Ezekiel And none need wonder that Tubal was changed into Tubar and then into Tibar For nothing was more common among the Greeks than to change the Letter L into R as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for Belial and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for Phicol c. The Moschi inhabited the Mountains called Moschici North-East of Cappadocia and all the Mountains as Bochart thinks from the River Phasis to the Pontus-Cappadodicus The Tibareni were in the middle between the Trapezuntii and the Inhabitants of Armenia the less So Strabo describes them who was born not far from these Countries and had reason to know them Nor is this a new Opinion of Bochart's that the Tibareni came from Tubal For Epiphanius in his Ancorats mentions among the Descendants of Japhet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 together with the Chalybes and Mossynaeci Whom our Broughton follows Tiras Or Thiras the youngest of the Sons of Japhet possessed Thrace and Mysia and the rest of Europe towards the North. For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Thiras or Thras by the change of the Letter Samech into Xi Which in the Greek Alphabet received from the Phoenicians answers to the Letter Samech so that some of the Hebrews write Thracia with an s Thrasia And a Thracian Woman is called by the Greeks themselves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which comes very near to Thiras And that great Man Bochartus says a great deal more to confirm this which was the Opinion he shows of many of the Ancients Phaleg L. III. c. 2. And in late times of Ludovicus Capellus who adds that possibly Tros and Troes were derived from this Thiras Ver. 3. And the Sons of Gomer Now follows an Account of those that descended from the eldest Son of Japhet Ashkenaz was the eldest Son of Gomer whose Posterity setled in Bithynia where we find the foot-steps of his Name in the Sinus Ascanius and Ascanius Lacus and Amnis and in Troas and the lesser Phrygia In which is a Country and a City called Ascania and Ascaniae-Insulae Into which Country the Offspring of Ashkenaz brought Colonies from Gomer or the greater Phrygia And extended themselves to the Sea Which being called by the People upon the Coast Ascenaz was pronounced by the Greeks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which being an odious Name in their Language signifying inhospitable they changed it into the contrary and called it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Euxin Sea See more in the fore-named Author L. III. c. 9. Ludov. Capellus hapned upon the same Conjecture Riphath or Diphath as it is written in 1 Chron. 1.6 Whose Posterity Josephus thinks to have inhabited Paphlagonia Which is a Country near to Phrygia upon the Euxine Sea And there are remainders of the Name in several places both ways written with Resh or with Daleth as Bochart shows L. III. c. 10. Mela places the Riphaces in this Country as Grotius observes Annot. in L. I. De V. R. C. Togarmah His Posterity it is manifest setled Northward of Judaea by that place in Ezek. XXXVIII 6. where the Greek Scholiast saith some hereby understand the Cappadocians and Galatians And indeed Cappadocia lies near to Gomer or Phrygia with whom Togarmah is wont to be joyn'd And in respect of Judaea it lies Northward And was most famous for excellent Horses which the Prophet saith came from Togarmah Ezek. XXVII 14. The Greek Interpreters constantly write it Torgama or Thorgama from whence the Name of the Trogmi or Trocmi may well be thought to be derived Who Strabo saith L. XII lived near Pontus and Cappadocia And it appears by Ptolomy they possessed some Cities in Cappadocia it self This People are called by Stephanus Trocmeni and in the Council of Chalcedon Trocmades or Trogmades For their Bishop is often mentioned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See Bochart in the same Book Cap. 11. Ver. 4. And the Sons of Javan Having told us what Sons Gomer had he informs us who had descended from Javan Who had four Sons that gave Names to four Provinces Elishah His first-born inhabited Peloponnesus In which their was an ample Country called by the Ancients Elis and one part of it called by Homer Alisium I omit the other Arguments whereby Bochartus proves this to be the part of the Earth where Elishah's Posterity setled not far from their Father Javan Nay Ludovicus Capellus p. 105. Chronol Sacra thinks the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aeoles and the Country Aeolia had its Name from thence Tarshish Or Tarsis Neither peopled Ciliciae where we meet with a like Name nor the Coast about Carthage as some of the Ancients thought but as Eusebius and from him our Broughton and lately Bochart have observed from him came the Iberi in Spain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which Name of Iberi came as Bochart thinks from the Phoenicians who called the Bochart and utmost Limits of any thing Ebrim or Ibrim a word often used in the Syriack Version of the Psalms and the New Testament From whence it is not unlikely the Spaniards were called by this Name of
as he doth XV. 21. or in general all the Nations which the Israelites afterward destroyed It seems to me the first of these is meant and that by Land he means only that part of the Country where Sichem lay which was then possessed by this particular People For in the next place that Abram went to it is said The Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the Land XIV 7. i. e. in that part of the Country Where we do not read what Entertainment Abram met withal but I take it as an Argument of Abram's great Faith that he would adventure among such a rough and fierce People Who had no kindness for the Posterity of Shem upon an old Score and if the ancient Tradition in Epiphanius be true upon a fresh Account For he saith Haeres LXVI n. 84. that this Country called Canaan did really belong to the Children of Shem by Virtue of the Division made among the Sons of Noah But the Children of Canaan had dispossessed them So that these words the Canaanite was then in the Land signifies they had already invaded this Country before Abram came thither To whom God promising to give it he only restored the Posterity of Shem from whom Abram descended unto that which the Children of Ham had wrongfully seized By all which it is easie to see how frivolous their Reasonings are who from this place conclude Moses did not write this Book Because these words seem to signifie the Writer of them lived after the Canaanites were thrown out of this Land Which was after Moses his death If these Men had not a greater inclination to Cavil than to find out the Truth they would rather have said the meaning is The Canaanite was possessed of this part of the Country in Abraham's time though thrown out of it by Jacob's Sons Gen. XXXIV before the Times of Moses Which is another way of explaining these words Against which I see no Objection but this That their Prince is called an Hivite XXXIV 2. To which there is an Answer verse 30. which shows the People were partly Canaanites Ver. 7. And the LORD appeared unto Abram As he had done before Verse 1. but now it is likely in a more glorious manner to establish him in Faith and Obedience And said unto him c. There was a Voice came from the Schechinah or Divine Glory which now appeared to him and told him this was the Country he intended to bestow upon his Posterity It is very remarkable that he no sooner entred Canaan but God renewed his Promise to him made before he came out of his own Country And it is further observable as we shall see in the following Story that Abram's Obedience was constantly rewarded in kind according to the quality of the Service he performed Though in quantity the Reward far exceeded the Service Thus having left his own Country and Father's House which was the first trial of his Obedience God promises to give him the whole Land of Canaan and to make his Posterity a mighty Nation See XVII 6. XXII 16. And there he built an Altar c. This was so Glorious an Appearance that it moved him to offer up a solemn Sacrifice to God for which he built an Altar here in Sichem And it being the first that he built in this Country it made this become the first place that was established for Publick Worship after the Israelites conquered the Land of Canaan For here was the Sanctuary of God in Joshua's time near this very Grove where Abram first pitched his Tent and built an Altar Josh XXIV 1 25 26. It continued famous also in after-times as appears from Judg. IX 6. Ver. 8. And he removed from thence unto a Mountain c. Though the LORD here appeared to him yet he did not think fit to trust himself among the Canaanites who were the chief of the wicked Nations that possessed this Land or he thought fit to see the rest of the Country which God promised to give him And therefore came hither which was about twenty Miles further Southward And there he built an Altar Upon the Mountain where they anciently chose to sacrifice rather than in other places And it is likely God again appeared to him here to incourage and strengthen him against all his Fears Which made him build a new Altar and offer Sacrifices of Thanksgiving to God to implore his continued Favour And it is observable That the Promise which God made in the former place verse 7. he renewed again in this and more at large after he came out of Egypt XIII 3 4 14 15 16. On the East of Bethel So it was called in after-times Ver. 9. And Abram journeyed c. He did not think fit to fix yet in the fore-named place But made a further progress into the Southern parts of the Country Yet after he had been in Egypt the Story of which follows he returned to this place Ver. 10. A Famine in the Land Of Canaan He went down Egypt lay low in comparison with Canaan To sojourn Not to dwell there For he doubted not of God's Promise to him of possessing the Land which he had left Ver. 11. Thou art a fair Woman c. She was now threescore Years old But having comely Features and being of a fair Complexion in comparison with the Egyptians who were sallow she seemed to be younger than she was Ver. 12. They will kill me Knowing them to be a libidinous People he was afraid they might be tempted to make him away that they might have his Wife Ver. 13. Say thou art my Sister He himself upon another occasion explains in what sence she was so XX. 12. Therefore he teaches her not to tell a Lye but to conceal the Truth Ver. 15. Pharaoh The Egyptian Kingdom began about three hundred Years before this in the days of Ragau XI 18. if the Arabian Writers say true and now was grown to be very Powerful by the means of some King of this Name which it appears by this place was very ancient and continued to be the Name of all the Kings of Egypt till the Captivity of Babylon and we know not how much longer Just as Ptolomy was their Name after the times of Alexander And Caesar and Augustus were the Names of all the Emperors of Rome and Candace of all the Queens of Aethiopia and the like may be observed in several other Countries Ludolphus takes Pharaoh to be a compound word signifying as much as Father of the Country For that 's the meaning of Phar-ot in the Aethiopick Language as Pharmut is Mother of the Country The Princes also c. The Courtiers who studied to gratifie their Prince's Pleasure Was taken into Pharaoh's House Into the House of the Women it is probable for the Egyptian Kings were now as I said very great like those of Persia in after-times intending to make her one of his Concubines Ver. 16. And he had Sheep and Oxen c. By the
should one day make Discourse XXV where he observes that the more lively to express this God so disposed That the very Place where the Ram was offered instead of Isaac should be the Place of Sacrifice for Israel For there it was where the LORD answered David by Fire from Heaven 1 Chron. XXI 26. and so designed it for the Place he had chosen for his Altar There David pitched him a Tabernacle 1 Chron. XXII 1. and there Solomon built him an House 2 Chron. III. 1. Ver. 14. Jehovah-jireh The LORD will see or provide That is take care of their Safety who sted-fastly obey him As it is said to this day Which is thus called to this day Or as others interpret it now it is a proverbial Speech when Men are in great straits in the Mount of the LORD it shall be seen Where a double variation is observed from what was said before For here is Jehovah instead of Elohim verse 12. and then Jeraeh instead of jireh i. e. the Passive instead of the Active Signifying that the LORD will not only see or provide but make himself conspicuous by so providing that all shall behold the Care he takes of those that fear him Ver. 15. And the Angel of the LORD called c. This confirms what was noted on verse 12. that it was God himself who called to Abraham to stay his Hand and now says By my self have I sworn saith the LORD c. What can be clearer as Hackspan glosses Disput II. de Nominibus Divinis n. 16. than that we are to turn away our Eyes from the Angel and fix them upon God who blessed Abraham and is called the LORD for whose sake verse 12. Abraham spared not his only Son In all like Cases therefore which exceed the Angelical Dignity we are always to understand some such words as these here mentioned Neum Jehovah thus saith the LORD Ver. 16. By my self have I sworn c. I observed upon XII 7. and XVII 6. That God inlarged his Mercies to Abraham proportionable to his Obedience Which is apparent in this great and last Trial of all the offering his Son Which was rewarded by the Ratification of God's former Promise or Covenant by a most solemn Oath By my self have I sworn I will multiply thy Seed c. This was promised before but not confirmed by an Oath And besides the very Promise is now more Affectionate if I may so stile it in blessing I will bless thee and in multiplying I will multiply thee c. In the latter end also of the Blessing there seems to be couched the highest of all Blessings That God would make his own only Son such a Sacrifice as Abraham was ready to have made his Son Isaac That all the Nations of the World verse 18. might be blessed in him i. e. all that would follow the Faith of Abraham So Abarbinel himself interprets it upon XII 3. Ver. 17. Possess the Gates that is the Cities of his Enemies And consequently their Country For the Gates being taken thereby they entred into their Cities And their Cities being surrendred the Country was conquered Ver. 18. In thy Seed shall all the Nations of the Earth be blessed God promised to make Abraham's Seed as numerous as the Stars of Heaven XV. 5. which Promise he assures him here shall be fulfilled in Isaac verse 17. But moreover directs him to expect after the multiplying of his Posterity One particular Seed who should bring a Blessing to all Mankind This Singularity St. Paul observes and presses very much Gal. III. 16. applying it to the Messiah And it is further observable that there is an increase of Sence in these words as there is in the former For he doth not simply say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they shall be blessed but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall bless themselves or count themselves blessed in him To show as Jacobus Altingius thinks that this Person should not stand in need of any Blessing himself as the rest of Abraham's Seed did But be the Author of all Blessings unto others who should derive them from him alone L. II. Schilo c. 2. Because thou hast obeyed c. As a Reward the word in the Hebrew signifies for obeying my Voice Ver. 19. Went together to Beer-sheba Where he had for some time setled his abode XXI 33. Ver. 20. Milcah hath born Children c. The following Genealogy is set down to show whence Rebekah the Wife of Isaac was descended For she alone of all Bethuel's Daughters which is probable were many is mentioned verse 23. Ver. 21. Huz his first-born There were two other of this Name One the Son of Aram X. 23. another of the Posterity of Esau XXXVI 28. But this Vz here mentioned is be from whom Job descended Whose Country was called Ausitis so the LXX translate Vz Job I. 1. and his Posterity called Ausitae by Ptolemy who were a People of Arabia Deserta near Chaldaea not far from Euphrates Buz. From whom came Elihu the Buzite Job XXXII 2. a People in some part of the same Country or near it Aram. Who inhabited perhaps some part of Syria Which had the Name of Aram from another mentioned X. 23. Ver. 22. Chesed He was the Father of the Chaldaeans who are called Chasdim in Scripture from this Chesed or Chasad as some read it Where the rest that follow setled or whether they had any Posterity or no I cannot find It 's likely they never grew to make a Nation or a Family and so left no Name behind them Ver. 24. And his Concubine This was not an ill Name in these ancient Times But signifies a Wife who was not the Mistress of the Family but only taken for the increase of it by Procreation of Children Such Wives were generally Servants whereas the Prime Wife was a Free-Woman or made so by being married to govern the Family and bring Children to inherit the Estate CHAP. XXIII Ver. 1. AND Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty c. The whole Verse may be thus translated And the years of the life of Sarah were in the whole an hundred twenty and seven years It being usual with the Hebrews to repeat a word as Life is here when they would signifie any thing to be compleat And Sarah is the only Woman whose intire Age is set down in Scripture Ver. 2. Kirjath-arba i. e. The City of Arba who was a famous Man among the Anakims as we read Josh XIV ult and either built this City or made it the place of his residence from whence it took his Name It doth not appear when Abraham left Beer-sheba and removed to this place The same is Hebron A very ancient City as appears from Numb XIII 22. When it assumed this Name instead of Kirjath-Arba is not certain But some conjecture it might be after Abraham purchased a Burial-place in this Country See XIII 18. Abraham came Some fansie he was in some other Part of the Country
only in the Land of Seir or barely in Seir to which he invited Jacob at his return XXXII 3. XXXIII 14 16. This Mountainous Country which was richer than the other he got into his possession after that time Esau is Edom. The Father of the Edomites as it follows verse 9. Ver. 12. She bare to Eliphaz Amalek This was necessary to be set down as I observed on verse 1. that there might be a distinction between the Amalekites who were to be destroyed and the rest of the Posterity of Esau Concerning whom it is said Thou shalt not abhor an Edomite because he is thy Brother Deut. XXIII 7. Thus Joseph Albo. For though they made a distinct People from the Edomites and lived in a neighbouring Country yet they possessed that part of Mount Seir which was near Kadesh Barnea as may be gathered from Numb XIII 29. and XIV 43. Ver. 15. These were Dukes The word Allouphe if we may believe R. Solomon Jarchi signifies Heads Chiefs or Rulers of Families Who may be called Princes though their Government was not yet Regal but a kind of Aristocracy in the beginning Ver. 16. Duke Korah He is not reckon'd among the Sons of Eliphaz verse 11. but called the Son of Aholibamah verse 14. and accordingly said to Rule over a Family descended from hers verse 18. We must suppose therefore there were two Korah's one the Son of Aholibamah the other a Nephew of Eliphaz by some of his Sons or Grand-Sons Who came to be a great Ruler and to get the Government of some of these Families And according to the Style of Scripture is reckoned for Eliphaz his Son Ver. 20. These are the Sons of Seir the Horite From this Seir the Country had its Name But from whom he descended is not recorded Who inhabited the Land Who were the ancient Inhabitants of this Country before Esau conquered it And perhaps were the first that possessed it after the Flood Whose Genealogy I suppose is here mentioned because Esau's Posterity married with some of them Particularly his eldest Son Eliphaz took Timna Sister of Lotan one of Seir's Sons for his Concubine verse 22. Yea Esau himself seems to have married one of this Family viz. Aholibamah Whose Father and Uncle are said to be Hivites verse 2. but here plainly called Horites Being descended from Seir the Horite though dwelling then among the Hivites Ver. 21. These are the Dukes of the Horites The Heads of their Families who governed the Country before Esau and his Posterity dispossessed them And setled themselves in the same form of Government which they found among these Horites In the Land of Edom. So it was called in the days of Moses Ver. 24. This is that Anah who found the Mules in the wilderness Not by Accident but by his Art and Industry he invented as we speak this mixture and produced this new kind of Creature So it is commonly interpreted But the word found though used four hundred times in Scripture never signifies as Bochart hath observed P. I. Hierozoic Lib. II. cap. 21. the Invention of that which was not before but the finding that which already is in being Nor doth Jemim signifie Asses in Scripture And therefore others have read the Hebrew word as if it had been written Jamim as St. Hierom observes imagining that as Anah fed his Father's Asses he found a great collection of Waters See Vossius L. III. de Idolol cap. 75. which some fansie to have been hot Waters or Baths as the Vulgar Latin interprets it But then we must read the Hebrew quite otherwise than we do now And Bochart gives other Reasons against this Interpretation and endeavours to establish another Opinion That by Jemim we are to understand Emim a Gigantick sort of People mentioned in Scripture and next Neighbours to the Horites These Anah is said to find i. e. to meet withall and incounter or rather to have fall'n upon on a sudden and unexpectedly as this Phrase he shows signifies in Scripture This Opinion he hath confirmed with a great many Reasons to which another late learned Writer Wagenseil thinks an Answer may be given Though he inclines to it if one thing were not in the way which makes him think here is rather meant some Herb or Plant called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word the LXX retains not knowing how to translate it And thus Aben-Ezra affirms many Interpreters of the Scripture have understood it Which seems to be the most probable Conjecture of all others See Wagenseil in his Annot. upon that Title of the Talmud called Sota p. 217 218 c. As he fed the Asses of Zibeon his Father The Sons of Princes were wont to follow this Imployment in ancient Times as Bochart shows out of many Authors Particularly the Scholiast upon Homer's Odysses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hierozoic P. I. L. II. cap. 44. Ver. 28. The Children of Dishan are these Vz c. From this Man the whole Country or a great part of it is called by the Name of Vz Lament IV. 21. which was in Arabia Petraea in the Borders of the Land of Canaan Ver. 30. These are the Dukes that came of Hori This Hori was the Ancestor of Seir by whom this Country was first planted Among their Dukes Or according to their Families or Principalities Ver. 31. And these are the Kings that reigned in the Land of Edom. It appears by this that after several Dukes as we translate it had ruled the Country the Edomites changed their Government into a Monarchy And here follows a Catalogue of their Kings For I can find no ground for the Opinion of the Hebrew Doctors that Alluph a Duke differed in nothing from Melech a King but that the latter was crowned the former not crowned Before there reigned any King over the Children of Israel Moses having a little before this XXXV 11. mentioned the Promise of God to Jacob That Kings should come out of his Loins observes it as a thing remarkable being a great exercise of their Faith that Esau's Posterity should have so many Kings And there was as yet no King in Israel when he wrote this Book nor as it is commonly interpreted a long time after This Moses might well write without a Spirit of Prophecy nor is there any reason to say this Passage was inserted by some Body else after the death of Moses We might rather affirm if it were needful that Moses his meaning is All these were Kings in Edom before his own time Who was the first King in Israel Deut. XXXIII 5. For he truly exercised Royal Authority over them as Mr. Selden observes L. II. de Synedr cap. 1 2. Ver. 32. The name of his City was Dinhabah Of which he was Governor perhaps before he was made King and wherein he reigned Ver. 33. Of Bozrah Which was afterward the principal City of the whole Country as we read in the Prophet Isaiah XXXIV 6. and Jeremiah XLIX 3. and Amos I. 12. It seems by
contra Appion who reigned in Egypt and burnt their Cities threw down their Temples in short omitted no sort of Cruelties Upon this account the famous Bochartus Lib. IV. Canaan cap. 4. thinks it possible the Egyptians hated Shepherds who had done so much Mischief And I may add the Hebrew Shepherds Joseph might think would be more abominated because they came out of that very Country from whence those Phoenician Rovers made their Invasion But as it doth not appear that they who did the fore-named Mischief were all Foreigners So the time which is assigned for this Pastoral Kingdom doth not agree with the Scripture-Story For it is said to have been in the One thousand one hundred and twelfth Year before the Israelites going out of Egypt in the XVth Dynasty as they call it That is about Two and forty Years after the Flood when Mizraim the Father of the Egyptians was scarce born or was very young Our great Primate Vsser endeavours to avoid this absurdity by placing this Invasion which he thinks was out of Arabia three hundred Years after the Flood When they took Memphis over-run all the lower Egypt and their first King there reigned nineteen Years But I have this to except that Abraham coming a good while after this into Egypt was well entertained there though he was as much a Shepherd as his Grand-Child Jacob. See Gen. XII From whence I conclude That if this Story of Manetho be true it hapned after the time of Abraham and so was fresh in their memory Such a third Rebellion of the Shepherds the same Manetho mentions within less than two hundred Years before the Children of Israel's departure out of Egypt But this seems to be a Story framed from that departure of the Israelites themselves who were Shepherds out of Egypt under the Conduct of Moses And so Josephus and several of the ancient Christians Tatianus Justin Martyr and Clem. Alexand understood it See Vsser ad An. M. 2179. All this considered Gaulmin in his Notes upon the Book called the Life of Moses p. 267 c. hath more probably conjectured That this aversation to Shepherds arose from their being generally addicted in those Parts to Robbery Which way of life made them abominable This he justifies out of Heliodorus L. I. and Achilles Tatius L. III. who describe the seat of these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whom the Egyptians called Hysch and the manner of their Life To which Opinion I find Bochartus himself inclined before he died and confirms it in his Hierozoic L. II. c. 44. P. I. by many Proofs that Shepherds anciently were furax hominum genus a thievish sort of People which made them odious Against which I see no exception but this that Aulus Gellius tells us Lib. XI cap. 18. out of an ancient Lawyer That the old Egyptians held all manner of Thefts to be lawful and did not punish them And Diodorus Siculus mentions this Law among them That they who would live by Robbery were to enter their Names and bring what they stole immediately to the Priest Who mulct the Man that was robbed a fourth part and gave it to the Thief By which means all Thefts were discovered and Men were made more careful to look well after their Goods But one cannot believe this Law was of such Antiquity as the Times of Joseph Or if it was those Out-Laws as I may call them who robb'd upon the Borders were not concerned in it Nor had their Neighbours who were no less addicted to Theft the benefit of it Particularly those in Palestine from whence Jacob came one would guess by what we read 1 Chron. VII 21 22. were then much addicted to Robbery For before this Generation ended we are told there the Men of Gath slew several of the Sons of Ephraim who himself was then alive for they came down to take their Cattle saith that Holy Writer that is to get what Plunder they could in Goshen Where the Ephraimites defending their Cattle were some of them killed by the Philistines to the great grief of their Father The Ethiopians also are noted by Strabo Lib. XVII p. 787. to live for the most part 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after a very poor sharking roving manner by feeding Cattle where they could find Food for them And immediately adds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that all things were quite contrary among the Egyptians who were a more civilized People inhabiting certain and known Places c. Which shows that their Manners were very different which easily bred hatred Which appears by what Plutarch saith in his Book de Isid Osir that the Egyptians avoided the Conversation of black People Which was the Complexion of the Ethiopians And for some such reason he saith in the same Book they avoided all Mariners of other Nations that is as here Moses says they did Shepherds upon some or other of the accounts before-mentioned It looks like a piece of great Generosity in Joseph not to conceal from Pharaoh the Quality of his Family Though such kind of Men were under a very ill Character He hoped they would distinguish themselves from such vile Shepherds as had made the Name odious And if they did not gain the Love of the Egyptians they would be the more secured in the Love of God by not learning their evil Manners and Superstitions from which they would be preserved by having no Conversation with them CHAP. XLVII Ver. 1. JOseph came and told Pharaoh c. He had his Warrant some time ago to send for his Father and his Family XLV 17 c. But it was good Manners to acquaint him they were come and to know his Pleasure how he should dispose of them Behold they are in the Land of Goshen They stop there which was the entrance of Egypt till they know thy Pleasure Ver. 2. And he took some of his Brethren c. The Hebrew word Miktse which we translate some signifies in common Language de extremitate from the fagg-end as we speak of his Brethren Which hath made some imagine he presented the meanest of his Brethren to Pharaoh that he might neither be afraid of them nor think of advancing them to Employments in the Court or Camp But this is a mere Fancy the word here denoting only that he took from among all his Brethren five of them As Bochart observes who translates it ex omnibus fratribus suis taking it to be like that Phrase XIX 4. where we translate it from all Quarters P. I. Hierozoic Lib. II. cap. 34. Ver. 3. Both we and our Fathers It is not an Employment we have lately taken up but were bred to it by our Ancestors Who followed the same Profession For this was the most ancient way of living as Columella observes in his Preface In rusticatione antiquissima est ratio pascendi eademque quaestuosissima In Country business the most ancient as well as most gainful is the way of feeding Cattle From
was deprived of his Government and banished to Vienne in France And then Judaea was reduced into the Form of a Province and ruled by Roman Governors After which there was no King nor Ethnarch of Judaea So that after this time we may safely conclude the Jews lost even their Mechokkim or Governors as they had long ago lost the Scepter And had no Power remaining among them of administring the Affairs of their Commonwealth Now at this time our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ the true Shiloh came Who was the Founder of a new and heavenly Kingdom And nothing more was left to be done for the fulfilling of this Prophecy but after his Crucifying to destroy Jerusalem and the Temple and therewith the whole Form of their Government both Civil and Sacred Then all Power was intirely taken from Judah when Christ had erected his Throne in the Heavens and brought many People in several Parts of the Earth unto his Obedience and made them Members of his Celestial Kingdom Till which time this Prophecy was not compleatly fulfilled Which may be the reason possibly that it is not alledged by Christ and his Apostles because the Jews might have said We have still a Government among us Which could not be pretended after the destruction by Titus Which is now above Sixteen hundred Years ago And there is not the least sign of their restitution Which so perplexed R. Samuel Maroccanus that it made him write thus to a Friend of his above Six hundred Years since I would fain learn from thee out of the Testimonies of the Law and the Prophets and other Scriptures why the Jews are thus smitten in this Captivity wherein we are Which may be properly called the PERPETVAL ANGER OF GOD because it hath no end For it is now above a Thousand Years since we were carried captive by TITUS and yet our Fathers who worshipped Idols kill'd the Prophets and cast the Law behind their Back were only punished with a Seventy Years Captivity and then brought home again But now there is no end of our Calamities nor do the Prophets promise any If this Argument was hard to be answered then in his Days it is much harder now in ours Who still see them pursued by God's Vengeance which can be for nothing else but rejecting and crucifying the Messiah the Saviour of the World Ver. 11. Binding his Foal unto the Vine c. This Verse sets forth the great Fertility of Judah's Country abounding with Vineyards and Pastures by two Hyperbolical Expressions First That Vines should be as common there as Thorn-Hedges in other places so that they might tie Asses with their Colts to them Or as some will have it lade an Ass with the Fruit of one Vine Secondly That Wine should be as common as Water so that they should have enough not only to drink but to wash their Clothes in it Which doth not imply that they made it serve for that use but only denotes its plenty Which was so very great that in treading the Grapes and pressing out the Juice their Garments were all sprinkled with Wine which one might wring out of them Choice Vine The Vine of Sorek which we here translate choice and in Jerem. II. 21. noble Vine was the most excellent in all that Country For Sorek was a place not above half a Mile from the Valley of Eschol from whence the Spies brought the large Bunches as a Sample of the Fruitfulness of the Country See Bochart P. I. Hierozoic Lib. III. cap. 13. Ver. 12. His Eyes shall be red with Wine c. This Verse sets forth the Healthfulness and Vigour of the Inhabitants of that fertile Country But Dr. Castell thinks this not to be a good Translation because it can be said of none but a Drunkard that his Eyes are red with Wine And therefore it ought to be translated his Eyes or his Countenance for so Eyes sometimes signifies shall be brighter and more shining than Wine So the word we render red signifies in the Arabick Tongue as he shows in his Oratio in Schol. Theolog. p. 31. and in his Lexicon Yet the same word in the Proverbs XXIII 29. cannot have any other signification than red and the red Colour of the Eyes answers well here to the whiteness of the Teeth which follows and there is no more reason to think he means they should make their Eyes red with drinking Wine than that they should wash their Clothes in it But it may only express the great abundance of Wine to serve not only their necessity but excess And his Teeth white with Milk Milk doth not make the Teeth white but gives such an excellent Nourishment that they who live upon it are healthy and strong And their Teeth not so apt to rot as theirs who feed upon greater Dainties So the meaning is the rich Pastures in that Country should feed great Flocks and consequently they should have abundance of Milk so good and nourishing that the Teeth of the Country-men who lived upon it should be as white as the Milk they drank Or if the foregoing words be translated His Eyes shall be brighter than Wine these are to be translated His Teeth whiter than Milk Out of these three Verses foregoing Bochartus thinks the whole Story of Silenus was forged by the Poets See his Canaan Lib. I. cap. 18. p. 482. Ver. 13. Zebulon shall dwell at the Haven of the Sea Near the Lake of Tiberias called in Scripture the Sea of Gallilee He shall be an Haven for Ships The Lot that fell to him extended from thence to the Mediterranean Where there were Ports for Ships His Border shall be unto Zidon He doth not mean the City of Zidon for the Tribe of Zebulon did not extend themselves beyond Mount Carmel which is forty Miles at least from thence But the Country of Zidon i. e. Phoenicia as Bochart observes in his Phaleg L. IV. cap. 34. which the Zebulonites touched For as the Phoenicians were called Syrians from Sur i. e. Tyre so they were called Sidonians from Sidon as Hesychius tells us Who interprets 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whence the LXX have Phoenicians for Sidonians Deut. III. 9. and Phoenice for Sidon Isai XXIII 2. It is very much to be admired That Jacob should foretell so many Years before-hand the Situation of his Posterity in the Land of Canaan when their several Portions fell to them by Lot and not by their own choice Josh XIX 10 11. This could not have been but by the Spirit of Prophecy And it is remarkable also that he mentions Zebulon before Issachar who was his elder Brother XXX 11. for no other reason that I can discern but because Zebulon's Lot was to come up before Issachar's in the Division of the Land His being the third and Issachar's the fourth Josh XIX 10 17. By this they were taught that their Habitation in the Land of Canaan was the Gift of God and did not come