any considerable inconvenience to us who are free from the obligations which the Jews were formerly under of procuring such stones and abstaining in their Diet from such Beasts and Birds as then were sufficiently known to them and if any were doubtful they had one safe course to abstain from them and the Onyx stone m A kind of pretious stone of which see Exod. 25. 7. and 28. 9 20. 13. And the name of the second River is Gihon n Not that River in the Land of Israel so called 1 King 1. 33. 2 Chron. 32. 30. But another of the same name which in Hebrew signifies the branch of a greater River Here it is a branch either of Euphrates as most think or of Tigris as some late Writers conceive The same is it that compasseth the whole Land of †Câ—…sh Ethiopia o Not that Countrey in Africa above Aegypt commonly so called but either Arabia which in Scripture is frequently called Cush or Ethiopia Of which see the notes upon 2 King 19. 9. Iob 28. 19. Ezek. 29. 10. and 30. 8 9. Hab. 3. 7. or rather a Countrey adjoyning to India and Persia with which Cush is joyned Ezek. 38. 5. See also Esa. 11. 11. and Ezek. 27. 10. And about which place the Ethiopians are seated by Herod l. 7. Homer Heâ—…iod and others Of which see my Latin Synopsis 14. And the name of the third River is Hiddekel p i. e. Tigris or an eminent branch of it See Dan. 10. 4. That is it which goeth ‖ Or Eastward to Assyria toward the East of Assyria And the fourth River is Euphrates 15. And the LORD God took ‖ Or Adam the Man and put him q i. e. Commanded and enclined him to go into the Garden of Eden to ‖ Or till See Chap. 3. 23. dress it r i. e. To prune dress and order the Trees and Herbs of it and to keep it s From the annoyance of Beasts which being unreasonable Creatures and allowed the use of Herbs might easily spoil the beauty of it 16. And the LORD God commanded the Man t And the Woman too as appears both from the permission for eating Herbs and Fruits given to her together with her Husband Gen. 1. 28 29. and from Gen. 3. 1 2 3. and from Eves punishment and that either immediately or by Adam whom God enjoyned to inform her thereof saying of every Tree of the Garden †Heb. Eating thou shalt eat thou mayest freely eat u Without offence to me or nutt to thy self The words in Hebrew have the form of a command but are only a permission or indulgence as 1 Cor. 10. 25 27. 17. But of the Tree of the Knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat of it For in the day in which thou eatest thereof †Heb. dying thou shalt dye thou shalt surely dye x With a threefold death 1. Spiritual by the guilt and power of sin at that instant thou shalt be dead in trespasses and sins Eph. 2. 1. 2. Temporal or the death of the Body which shall then begin in thee by decayes infirmities terrors dangers and other harbingers of death 3. Eternal which shall immediately succeed the other 18. And the LORD God said y Or Had said to wit upon the sixth day on which the Woman was made Gen. 1. 27 28. It is not good z Not convenient either for my purpose of the increase of mankind or for mans personal comfort or for the propagation of his kind that the man should be alone I will make him an help †Heb as before him or as it were comparable to him Is. 40. 1â—… meet for him a A most emphatical phrase signifying thus much one correspondent to him suitable both to his nature and necessity one altogether like to him in shape and constitution disposition and affection a second self or one to be at hand and near to him to stand continually before him familiarly to converse with him to be always ready to succour serve and comfort him or one whose eye respect and care as well as desire Gen. 3. 16. should be to him whose business it shall be to please and help him 19. And out of the ground the LORD God formed every Beast of the Field and every Fowl of the Air and brought them b Either by Winds or Angels or by his own secret instinct by which Storks and Cranes and Swallows change their places with the season unto ‖ Or the Man Adam c Partly to own their subjection to him partly that man being recreated with their prospect might adore and praise the Maker of them and withall be sensible of his want of a meet companion and so the better prepared to receive Gods mercy therein and partly for the reason here following to see d Or make a discovery not to God who knew it already but to all future Generations who would hereby understand the deep wisdom and knowledge of their first Parent what he would call them And whatsoever Adam called every †Heb. living Soul living Creature that was the name thereof e To wit in the primitive or Hebrew Language And this was done for the manifestation both of mans Dominion over the Creatures and of the largeness of his understanding it being an act of authority to give names and an effect of vast knowledge to give convenient names to all the Creatures which supposeth an exact acquaintance with their Natures 20. And Adam †Heb. callâ—…d gave Names to all Cattle and to the Fowl of the Air and to every Beast of the Field but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him f But though in giving them names he considered their several natures and perfections it was evident to himself as well as to the Lord that none of them was an help meet for him 21. And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam g That he who was without sin might feel no pain in the taking away of his Rib. And in this sleep some think Adam was in an extasie wherein he saw what was done together with the reason and mystery of it and he slept and he took one of his Ribs h Together with the Flesh upon it v. 23. Or one of his sides for the Hebrew word signifieth a Side as well as a Rib which may be taken Synecdochically for a part of one of his sides viz. a Rib and the Flesh upon it Or for one part out of each of his sides as if two Ribs clothed with Flesh were taken out of the man because he saith verse 23 This is Bone of my Bones not of my Bone The Woman was taken out of this part not out of the higher or lower parts to shew that she is neither to be her husbands Mistress to usurp authority over him 1 Tim. 2. 12. Nor yet to be
due time to do And they were very unwilling to part with them because of the tribute and service which they did receive and expect from them 11 Therefore they did set over them task-masters m Heb masters of tribute who were to exact from them the tribute required which was both mony and labour that their purses might be exhausted by the one their strength by the other and their spirits by both * Gen. 15. 13. to afflict n Or oppress or humble to spend their strength by excessive labours and so disenable them for the procreation of children them with their burdens and they built for Pharaoh treasure-cities o Where they laid the Kings money or corn which is reckoned among treasures 2 Chro. 17. 12. and 32. 27. and wherein a great part of the riches of Egypt consisted for they had corn enough not onely for themselves but to sell to other countries so that Egypt was accounted the granary of the Roman Empire Or defenced cities in which Garrisons were to be placed which seems best to agree with the place and use of them For they were in the borders of the land and among the Israelites which appears concerning the one from Gen. 47. 11. where the land in which they were placed is called Rameses which in Hebrew consists of the same letters with this Raamses and seems to be so called then by anticipation from the City of that name now built in it and may be reasonably presumed concerning the other and therefore it is most probable that they were built to keep the Israelites in subjection and to hinder them from going out of the land Pithom and Raamses 12 †Heb. and as they afflicted them so they multiplied c. But the more they afflicted them the more they multiplyed p Through Gods over-ruling providence and singular blessing which God gave them purposely to hasten first their sorer affliction and next and by that means their glorious deliverance and grew and they were grieved * Through envy and fear because of the children of Israel 13 And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour q Or cruelty or tyranny with hard words and cruel usage without mercy or mitigation This God permitted for wise and just reasons 1. as a punishment of their Idolatry into which divers of them fell there Ios. 24. 14. Ezek. 20 5 7 8. and 23. 8. 2. to wean them from the land of Egypt which otherwise was a plentiful and desirable land and to quicken their desires after Canaan 3. to prepare the way for Gods glorious works and Israels deliverance 14 And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage * Psal. 81. 6. in morter and in brick and in all manner of service in the field r Which was the basest and most laborious of all their services all their service wherein they made them serve was with rigour 15 And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives s Such as not onely were employed about the Hebrew women but were Hebrews themselves not Egyptians as some suppose as may appear 1. because they are expresly called not the midwives of the Hebrews but the Hebrew midwives 2. the Egyptian midwives would not willingly employ their time and pains among the meanest and poorest of servants as these were And if they were sent in design by the King he had lost his end which was to cover his cruelty with cunning and to perswade the people that their death was not from his intention but from the chances and dangers of child-bearing 3. the Hebrew women as they had doubtless midwives of their own so they would never have admitted others 4. they are said to fear God ver 17. 21. of which the name of one was Shiphrah and the name of the other t You are not to think that these were the onely midwives to so many thousands of Hebrew women but they were the most eminent among them and it may be for their excellency in that profession called to the service of some Egyptian Ladies and by them known to Pharaoh who might therefore think by their own interest and by the promise of great rewards or by severe threatnings to oblige them to comply with his desires and if he met with the desired success by them he meant to proceed further and to engage the rest in like manner Puah 16 And he said When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women and see them upon the stools u A seat used by women when ready to be delivered conveniently framed for the midwives better discharge of her office if it be a son then ye shall kill him x Which it was not difficult for them to do without much observation but if it be a daughter then she shall live y Either 1. because he feared not them but the males onely and some adde that he was advised by one of their magicians that a male-child should be born of the Israelites who should be a dreadful scourge to the Egyptians or 2. they reserved them for their lust or for service or for the increase of their people and the raising of a fairer breed by them 17 But the midwives feared God z More then the King and therefore chose to obey God rather than the King their commands being contrary each to other and did not as the King of Egypt commanded them but saved the men-children alive 18 And the King of Egypt called for the midwives and said unto them Why have ye done this thing and have saved the men-children alive 19 And the midwives said unto Pharaoh Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women for they are lively a Or vigorous and active in promoting the birth of their own children or like the beasts which without any help of others bring forth their young So the Hebrew word signifies and so there is onely a defect of the particle of similitude which is frequent as I have noted before and are delivered ere the midwives come in unto them b This might be no lye as many suppose but a truth concerning many of them and they do not affirm it to be so with all And so it might be either because their daily and excessive labours joyned with the fears of the execution of the Kings command whereof they seem to have gotten notice did hasten their birth as the same causes do commonly in other women or because they understanding their danger would not send for the Midwives but committed themselves to Gods providence and the care of some of their neighbours present with them So here was nothing but truth though they did not speak the whole truth which they were not obliged to do 20 Therefore c Because they feared God and spared the children ver 17 whereby they exposed themselves to the Kings displeasure because they would not offend God
the Israelites and so repossessed by the Moabites 3. This place may be thus rendred it shall consume Ar of Moab the past tense being put for the future as is usual in prophetical passages and so this may be the Amorites prediction or presage that having taken Heshbon and its territories they should now extend their victories to Ar of Moab though they fell short of that hope as ordinarily men do and the lords of the high places d Either 1. the princes or governours of the strong holds which were frequently in high places especially in that mountainous country and which were in divers parts all along the river of Arnon and having taken some of these they promised to themselves that they should take all the rest and so proceed further and further till they had taken Ar it self Or rather 2. the priests and people that worship their God in their high places which may seem more probable 1. because as the Israelites worshipped God so the heathens worshipped Baal in high-places Numb 22. 41. and particularly the Moabites are noted for so doing Ier. 48. 35. 2. because amongst the eminent places of Moab there is mention of Bamoth-baal or of the high-places of Baal Ios. 13. 17. of Arnon 29 Wo to thee Moab e Alas poor Moab thou couldst not save thy self from Sihons sword thou art undone O people of * 1 Kin. 11. â—… 33. Chemosh f i. e. The worshippers of Chemosh so the God of the Moabites was called 1 King 11. 7 33. 2 King 23. 13. Ier. 48. 46. he hath given his sons that escaped and his daughters into captivity g He i. e. their God hath delivered up his own people to his and their enemies he could not defend them but suffered many of them to be killed nor could he secure even those that had escaped the sword but suffered them to fall into their enemies hands and by them to be carried into captivity unto Sihon king of the Amorite h Now the words of this and the following verse seem to be not a part of that triumphant song or poem made as I suppose by some Amoritish bard or poet which seems to be concluded ver 28. but of the Israelites making their observation upon it And here they scoffe at the impotency not onely of the Moabites but of their God also who could not save his people from the sword of Sihon and the Amorites 30 We have shot at them i Though you feeble Moabites and your God too could not resist Sihon we Israelites by the help of our God have shot to wit with success and victory as the following words shew at them to wit at Sihon and his Amorites which is easily and plainly understood both from the foregoing and following words Heshbon is perished even unto Dibon k Heshbon the Royal City of Sihon and by him lately repaired is perished is taken away from Sihon and so is all his Territory or Countrey even as far as Dibon which as some think is called Dibon-gad Numb 33. 45. and we have laid them wast even unto Nophah which reached unto Medebah l i. e. Whose Territory extendeth to Medeba Or yea even to Medeba for the Hebrew word asher is sometimes used for yea or moreover as 1 Sam. 15. 20. Psal. 10. 6. and 95. 11. The sense is the whole Country of Sihon taken by him from the Moabites is wasted and perished 31 Thus Israel dwelt in the land of the Amorite 32 And Moses sent to spy out Jaazer m One of the Cities of Moab formerly taken from them by Sihon and now taken from him by the Israelites Numb 32. 1 3 35. and after the decay or destruction of the Kingdom of the Ten Tribes repossessed by the Moabites Ier. 48. 32. and they took the villages thereof and drove out the Amorite that was there 33 * Deut. 3. 1. and 29. 7. And they turned and went up by the way of Bashan and Og n Who also was a King of the Amorites of whom see Deut. 3. 1 11. And it may seem that Sihon and Og were the leaders or Captains of two great colonies which came out of Canaan and drove out the former inhabitants of these places the King of Bashan o A rich Countrey famous for its pastures and breed of Cattel Deut. 32. 14. Psal. 22. 12. Ier. 50. 19. and for its Oaks Ezek. 27. 6. went out against them he and all his people to the battel at Edrei 34 And the LORD said unto Moses Fear him not p A necessary caution for he was a great Giant Deut. 3. 11. likely to strike them with terrour for I have delivered him into thy hand and all his people and his land and * Psal. 135. 10 11. 136. 20. thou shalt do to him as thou didst unto Sihon King of the Amorites which dwelt at Heshbon 35 So they smote him and his sons and all his people until there was none left him alive and they possessed his land CHAP. XXII 1 AND * the children of Israel set forward chap. 33. 48. and pitched in the plains of Moab a Which still retained their antient title though they had been taken away from the Moabites by Sihon and from him by the Israelites on this side Jordan by Jericho b i. e. Over against Iericho Or near the passage over Iordan to Iericho or its territories 2 And Balak the son of Zippor c The son or successour of him whom Sihon had spoiled of part of his Kingdom Numb 21. 26. Of him see Indg. 11. 25. Mich. 6. 5. saw all that Israel had done to the Amorite 3 And Moab was sore afraid d As it was foretold both in general of all Nations Deut. 2. 25. and particularly concerning Moab Exod. 15. 15. of the people because they were many and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel 4 And Moab said unto the elders of Midian e Called the Kings of Midian Numb 31. 8. and Princes of Midian Ios. 13. 21 who though divided in their Kingdomes yet were now united upon the approach of the Israelites their common enemy and being as it seems a potent and crafty people and neighbours to the Moabites these seek confederacy with them We read of Midianites near mount Sinai Exod. 2. and 3. which seem to have been a part or colony of this people that went out to seek new quarters as the manner of those times was bâ—…t the body of that people were seated in those parts as is evident from many Scriptures Now shall this company lick up f i. e. Consume and utterly destroy in which sense the fire is said to lick up the water and sacrifices 1 King 18. 38. The meaning is we can expect no mercy from them they will utterly root us out as they did the Amorites if we do not make a stout and timely opposition all that are round
9. and to be turned into darkness Joel 2. 31. Or Secondly The Sun it self went back and the Shadow with it This may seem most probable First By comparing this with Ios. 10. 13. where the Sun it self stood still Secondly Because it is said the sun it self returned Isa. 38. 8. for which he here mentions the shadow onely because the Miracle was not so easily discovered in the Sun as in the Shadow of a Dial. And though the sun may be elsewhere taken improperly yet where the improper signification is unnecessary the proper is and ought to be preferred before it Thirdly Because this Miracle was noted by the Babylonians who having understood that it was done for Hezekiah his sake sent to enquire into the truth and manner of it 2 Chron. 32. 31. Obj. If this had been done the Heathen Historians and Astronomers would have taken notice of it which we do not find that they did Ans. So it is most probable they did although those Books be not now extant which is not strange this being confessed and bewailed that so very few of the first and Ancient Writers are now left Herodotus himself the first and Father of the ancient Historians being long after this time And yet it is observed that there are some intimations of these things left though mixed with fables as many true Histories were as what the Poets fabled of Iupiter's making the Night twice as long as it should have been that he might enjoy Alâ—…mena longer Whether the Sun or Shadow went backward suddenly or leisurely and in the same time in which it had gone down is a question of no great moment the Miracle being evident either way by which it had gone down in the ‡ Heb. degrees dial of Ahaz u Which Ahaz had made in the Kings Palace This Dial he mentions because the truth of the Miracle might be best and soonest discovered there this Dial possibly being visible out of the Kings Chamber or at least beingnear to it and the Degrees be ing most distinct and conspicuous in this Dial but the same thing was discerned by all other Dials 12 ¶ * Isa. 39. â—… At that time Berodach baladan x Called Berodach-baladan Isa. 39. 1. whose name Iosephus found in that famous Chaldaean Historian Berosus He seems to have been the King of Assyria's Vice-Roy in Babylon and upon that terrible slaughter of 185 thousand in the Assyrian Host and the death of Sennacherib and the differences among his Sons to have usurped an absolute Sovereignty over Babylon and either himself or his Son destroyed the Assyrian Monarchy and translated the Empire to Babylon the son of Baladan king of Babylon sent letters and a present unto Hezekiah y Partly for the reasons mentioned 2 Chron. 32. 31. and partly to assure himself of the Friendship and assistance of Hezekiah against the Assyrians their common and as yet powerful Enemy for he had heard that Hezekiah had been sick 13 And Hezekiah hearkned unto them z i. e. Granted their desires of a League and Amity with them and shewed them all the house of his ‖ Or 〈◊〉 precious things the silver and the gold and the spices and the precious ointment and all the house of his ‖ Or 〈◊〉 ‡ Heb. 〈◊〉 armour and all that was found in his treasures a For though his Countrey had lately been harassed by the Assyrians yet he had reserved all his Treasures and precious things which he and his Fathers had gathered in Ierusalem Besides he had considerable spoils out of the Assyrian Camp Also he had many Presents sent to him 2 Chr. 32. 23. which doubtless were things of considerable worth there was nothing in his house nor in all his dominion that Hezekiah shewed them not b Which he did through vain ostentation and pride of heart 2 Chron. 32. 25 26. being lifted up by the great Honour which God had done him in working such Glorious Miracles for his sake and by the great Respects and Presents rendred to him from divers Princes and People and now by this great Babylonian Monarch So hard a matter is it even for a good man to be high and humble 14 ¶ Then came Isaiah the prophet unto king Hezekiah and said unto him What said these men and from whence came they unto thee And Hezekiah said They are come from a far countrey c A vain-glorious expression intimating the great honour which he had from all parts both far and near even from Babylon d That great and potent Monarchy which he speaks to magnify his own honour and happiness 15 And he said What have they seen in thine house e He asketh not that he was ignorant of it but that from his Answer he might take the occasion of delivering Gods message to him and Hezekiah answered All the things that are in mine house have they seen there is nothing among my treasure that I have not shewed them 16 And Isaiah said unto Hezekiah Hear the word of the LORD 17 Behold the days come that all that is in thine house and that which thy fathers have laid up in store unto this day * Chap. 24. 13. 〈◊〉 25. 13. 〈◊〉 27. 22. shall be carried into Babylon f This Judgment is denounced against him for his pride which God exceedingly abhors and for his ingratitude whereby he took that honour to himself which he should have given intirely to God and abused Gods Gifts and Favours to the gratification of his own Lusts Of both which see 2 Chron. 32. 25 26. and for his Carnal confidence in that League which he had now made with the King of Babylon by which it is probable he thought his Mountain to be so strong that it could not be removed nothing shall be left saith the LORD 18 And of thy sons that shall issue from thee which thou shalt beget g i. e. Of thy Grand-Children who are oft called sons shall they take away and they shall be eunuchs in the palaâ—… of the king of Babylon h They shall be Servants to that Heathen Monarch whereby both their Bodies will be subject to Slavery and the Lusts of their Lords and their Souls exposed to the peril of Idolatry and all sorts of Wickedness which must needs be very grievous to so good a Man as Hezekiah and was indeed a very sore Judgment Whereby God would teach the World the great evil of sin yea even of those sins which are generally esteemed but small and venial for such were those sins of Hezekiah noted upon v. 17. 19 Then said Hezekiah unto Isaiah Good is the word of the LORD i I heartily submit to this sentence as being both just because deserved and procured by mine and my Peoples sins and merciful because the punishment is less than I have deseved which thou hast spoken And he said ‖ Or Shall 〈◊〉 not be 〈◊〉 â—…nd 〈◊〉 c. Is
lest the Angel in the mean time should destroy Ierusalem for the prevention whereof he thought it most proper to continue to worship God in that place which he had consecrated by his special Presence and gracious Acceptance CHAP. XXII 1 TThen David said a Partly by his Observation of this gracious and glorious Appearance of God and his Command to erect an Altar and his Acceptance of a Sacrifice offered in this place and partly by the Instinct and Direction of Gods Spirit by which as he is said to have had the pattern of the house porch altar c. 1 Chron. 28. 11 12 19. so doubtless he was also instructed as to the place where the House should be built * Deut. 12. 5. 2 Sam. 24. 18. This is the house of the LORD God b This is the place appointed by God for the building of his Temple and Altar and this is the altar of burnt-offering for Israel 2 And David commanded to gather together the strangers that were in the land of Israel c The same persons whom Solomon afterwards employed in the same Work of which see 1 King 5. 15. compared with 1 King 9. 20 21. and he set masons to hew wrought stones d Wherein he could not do much being prevented by death but Solomon carried on and perfected what David had begun to build the house of God 3 And David prepared iron in abundance for the nails for the doors of the gates and for the joynings e To be used together with melted Lead for the joyning of thâ—…se great and square Stones together and brass in abundance without weight 4 Also cedar-trees in abundance for the Zidonians and they of Tyre brought much cedar-wood to David 5 And David said f Within himself or in his own thoughts * Ca. 2â—… 1. Solomon my son is young and tender g And therefore through youthful Vanity and Folly and Unsettledness may not use that Care and Consideration and Diligence in making such Provisions as this great Work requires Of Solomons â—…ge see 1 King 3. 7. and the house that is to be built for the LORD must be exceeding magnifical of fame and of glory throughout all countries I will therefore now make preparation for it So David prepared abundantly before his death 6 Then he called for Solomon his son and charged him to build an house for the LORD God of Israel 7 And David said to Solomon My son as for me * â—… Sam. 〈◊〉 it was in my mind to build an house * 〈◊〉 12â—… â—… 11. unto the name of the LORD my God 8 But the word of the LORD came to me saying * Ch 〈◊〉 1 King 5. â—… Thou hast shed blood abundantly and hast made great wars thou shalt not build an house unto my name because thou hast shed much blood upon the earth h Not that Wars either now are or then were simply Unlawful or that David sinned in shedding the Blood of War for it is manifest that Davids Wars were undertaken by Gods Command or with his Leave and were attended with his Blessing but partly because Davids Military Employments did for a good while fill his Head and Hands and gave him no leisure for Temple Work and principally for mystical Sgnification to teach us that the Church whereof the Temple was a manifest and illustrious Type should be built by Christ the Prince of Peace Isa. 9. 6. and that it should be gathered and built up not by might or power or by force of Arms but by Gods Spirit Zech. 4. 6. and by the preaching of the Gospel of Peace in my sight i Which I have taken particular notice of And this expression may possibly be added in reference to Uriah and the rest of the Israelites who were slain at the Siege of Rabbah by Davids contrivance which peradventure David had in his Eye Psal. 51. 4. where David confessing this Sin useth this very Expression I have done this evil in thy sight 9 Behold a son shall be born to thee who shall be a man of rest and I will give him rest from all his enemies round about for his name shall be ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Solomon and I will give peace and quietness unto Israel in his days 10 * 2 Sam. 〈◊〉 1 Kiâ—… â—… â—… Ch. 1â—… 〈◊〉 He shall build an house for my name and he shall be my son and I will be his father and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel for ever k Of this see my Notes on 2 Sam. 7. 13. 11 Now my son the LORD be with thee and prosper thou l Go on prosperously in carrying on this Work Or the Lord give thee that Rest and Prosperity which is necessary for it and build the house of the LORD thy God as he hath said of thee 12 Onely the LORD give thee wisdom and understanding and give thee charge concerning Israel m i. e Give thee Instructions or Direction rightly to manage and rule his People Israel Or and set thee over Israel as the Syriack renders it whom the Arabick follows Or when as the Hebrew vaâ—… is oft used he shall set thee over Israel i. e. when thou shalt be King for then Solomon would need this Wisdom for which therefore he prayeth 1 King 3. 9. that thou mayest keep the Law of the LORD thy God 13 Then shalt thou prosper if thou takest heed to fulfill the statutes and judgments which the LORD charged Moses with concerning Israel Be strong and of good courage dread not nor be dismayed 14 Now behold ‖ Or iâ—… my poâ—… in my trouble n This he alledgeth as a Reason why he could do no more because of the many Troubles and Wars both Foraign and Civil whereby much of his Treasures was exhausted I have prepared for the house of the LORD an hundred thousand talents of gold o A Talent of Gold in the first constitution was 3000 Shekels as may be gathered from Exod. 38. 24 25 26. and so this amounts to a very vast Sum yet not Impossible for David to get considering how many and great Conquests he made and what vast Spoils and Presents he got and that he endeavoured by all just and honourable ways to get as much as he could not out of Covetousness or for his own Ends 〈◊〉 meerly out of Zeal for Gods House And whereas some object that this quantity of Gold and Silver was sufficient though the whole Fabrick of the Temple had consisted of Massy Gold and Silver it is to be considered that all this Treasure was not spent upon the Materials of the Temple but a very great part of it upon the Workmen which were nigh 200000 whereof a great number were Officers which being employed for so long time together would exhaust a considerable part of it and what was not employed in the building of the Temple was laid up in the
by the influences of his Government upon his People under him But this Phrase doth much better agree to Christ who was yet to come and who did come down from Heaven and brought or sent down from Heaven his Doctrine which is oft Compared to Rain and the sweet and powerful influences of his Spirit like rain upon the mown grass o Which it both refresheth and improveth or causeth to grow and flourish and therefore was very acceptable especially in Canaan where Rain was more scarce and more necessary than in many other places because of the scorching Heat and the natural dryness of the Soyl and the want of Rivers to overflow or water the Land as showers that water the earth 7 In his days shall the righteous flourish p As the wicked shall be discountenanced and punished so good men shall be encouraged and advanced and multiplyed and abundance of peace †Heb. till there be no Moon so long as the moon endureth q i. e. As long as time and the World shall last Which neither was nor could be true of Solomon who lived not long and the Peace of whose Kingdom was sadly disturbed and in a manner wholly lost presently after his Death but was undoubtedly and Eminently accomplished in Christ who brought Peace upon Earth Luk. 2. 14. and left it as his Legacy to his Disciples Ioh. 14. 27. 8 He shall have dominion also from sea to sea r Either 1. From the Dead Sea or the Lake of Sodom or from the Red Sea to the Midland Sea For so far did Solomon's Dominion extend but so did David's also and therefore in that Respect Solomon hath not that Pre-eminence which this Promise plainly seems to give him above his Predecessours Or 2. More generally from one Sea to another or in all the parts of the habitable World So it was truly and fully accomplished in Christ and in him onely and from the river s To wit Enphrates which was the Eastern border of the Kingdom of Canaan allotted by God Exod. 23. 31. Numb â—…4 3. but enjoyed onely by David and Solomon and afterwards by Christ. Of whose Kingdom this may be here mentioned as one of the Borders Partly because the Kingdom of Christ is here described under the Type and shadow of Solomon's Kingdom whose bound this was and Partly because though Christ's Kingdom did for a time extend it self beyond Euphrates yet the chief part and almost the whole Body of it both did and doth lye on this side of it and things do generally receive their Denomination from the greatest part unto the ends of the earth t Either 1. Of the Land of Canaan Or 2. Of the World 9 They that dwell in the wilderness u In solitary places Even rude and barbarous People who lived without Order and Government among themselves Of which sort great numbers submitted to Christ and received the Gospel shall bow before him and his enemies shall lick the dust x i. e. Shall prostrate themselves to the ground in token of Reverence and Subjection as the Custome of the Eastern People was See Isa. 49. 23. Mich. 7. 17. 10 * 〈◊〉 45. 12. 〈◊〉 29. The kings of Tarshish and of the isles y Or of the Sea as Tarshish is understood 1 Kings 22. 48. Psal. 48. 7. and Or that is for that Conjunction is oft used Exegetically of the Isles i. e. Of remote Countries to which they used to go from Canaan by Sea all which are frequently called Isles in Scripture as hath been noted before The Kings that Rule by Sea where Solomon had no great Power or by Land shall bring presents the kings of Sheba and Seba z Two Arabiaâ—… Countries unless the one be Arabia and the other Ethiopia beyond Egypt shall offer gifts 11 Yea all kings shall fall down before him all nations shall serve him a Which cannot be said of Solomon with any Truth or Colour but was unquestionably verified in Christ of whom therefore this must be understood For what is said 1 Kings 4. 21. that Solomon Reigned over all Kingdoms is there limitâ—…ed to them that Reigned from the River unto Egypt Whereas the Expressions here are unlimitted and universal 12 For he * 〈◊〉 â—…9 12. shall deliver the needy when he cryeth the poor also and him that hath no helper b The Fame of his just and merciful Government shall induce multitudes Either to put themselves under him or to shew great Respect and Reverence to him 13 He shall spare the poor and needy and shall save the souls c Properly so called this being Christ's proper Work to save Souls Or the Lives which Oppressours shall indeavour to take away of the needy 14 He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence d The two ways whereby the Souls or Lives of Men are usually destroyed and * Psal. 116. 15. precious shall their blood be in his sight e He will not be Prodigal of the Lives of his Subjects casting them away meerly to gratifie his own Revenge or Covetousness or inâ—…atiable Desire of enlarging his Empire as earthly Kings commonly do but like a true Father of his People will tenderly preserve them and severely avenge their Blood upon those who shall shed it 15 And he shall live f To wit long and Prosperously as Solomon did yea Eternally as Christ did Other Kings must lose both their Lives and Kingdoms but this King whom Solomon typified shall Live for ever and his Kingdom shall have no end and to him †Heb. one shall 〈◊〉 â—… shall be given of the gold of Sheba g As a Present or Tribute This was done to Solomon 1 Kings 10. 15. and to Christ Mat. 2. 11. and afterwards as need required Although such Expressions as these being used of Christ and his Kingdom are commonly understood in a spiritual Sence prayer also shall be made for him continually and daily shall he be praised h His Subjects shall be obliged and excited by his righteous and happy Government to pray heartily and frequently for him Either 1. For Solomon Or 2. For Christ not so much for his Person which needed not their Prayers as for the Protection and Propagation of his Kingdom and Gospel and Interest in the World 16 There shall be an handful of corn i Which intimates the small beginnings of this Kingdomâ—… and therefore doth not agree to Sâ—… whose Kingdom was in a manner as large at the beginning of his Reign as at the End but it exactly agrees to Christ and hiâ—… Kingdom 〈◊〉 13. 31 32. in the earth k Sown in the Earth upon the top of the mountains l In the most Barrâ—…n grounds and therefore this was an Evidence of extraordinary and prodigious Fertility the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon m It shall â—…ield such abundance of Corn that the Ears being thick and high
a person he was or purged him from those calumnies which were cast upon him and so prepared the way for his release which here follows v. 20. This Verse may well be rendred thus Until the time that his word came even the word of the Lord which tried him such Ellipses being most 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hebrew Text. 20. * 〈◊〉 41. 14. The King sent and loosed him even the ruler of the people and let him go free 21. ‖ 〈◊〉 41. 40. He made him Lord of his house and ruler of all his †〈◊〉 possession substance d Heb. of all his possession i. e. of his whole Kingdom 22. To bind his Princes e By his commands and if they were refractory to punish them at his pleasure and teach his Senators f His wisest Counsellors whom he commanded to receive instructions from Ioseph upon all occasions wisdom 23. * 〈◊〉 46. 6. Israel g Iacob in his Person and with his Children also came into Egypt and Jacob sojourned in the Land of Ham h i. e. Egypt so called here also Psal. 78. 51. 106. 22. from that cursed Ham Gen. 9. 22. who was the Father of Mizraim or the Egyptians Gen. 10. 6. And the Psalmist seems to call it by this name to intimate that they were the People of Gods curse and thereby to caution the Israelites against returning to that land which they were particularly forbidden to do Deut. 17. 16. 24. And †Exod. 1. 7. he increased his people greatly and made them stronger i Not really but according to their Enemies apprehensions and expressions Exod. 1. 9. Or more numerous as this word is elsewhere used So this latter branch answers to the former And this was true for though they were not simply more in number than the Egyptians yet they multiplied much faster than their enemies 25. ‖ Exod. 1. 8. He turned their heart to hate his people k Not by putting this wicked hatred into them which is not consistent either with the holiness of Gods nature or with the truth of his word and which was altogether unnecessary because they had that and all other wickedness in them by nature but partly by withdrawing the common gifts and operations of his spirit and all other restraints and hinderances to it and wholly leaving them to their own mistakes and passions and corrupt affections which of their own accord were ready to take that course partly by ordering the affairs of his people in such manner as might give them occasion of hatred and partly by directing and governing that hatred which was wholly in and from themselves so as it should fall upon the Israelites rather than upon other People to deal subtilly with his servants l To destroy them by crafty devices of which see Exod. 1. 11 c. 26. * Exod. 3. 10. He sent Moses his servant and Aaron whom he had chosen m To be the companion and interpreter of Moses in this expedition of which see Exod. 3. 10. 4. 12 c. This clause he adds to shew that Aaron was no less called and chosen by God to this work than Moses which otherwise was not so evident from the History Or this clause may belong to both Moses and Aaron 27. ‖ Exod. 7. 9. They shewed †Heb. words of his signs his signs n Heb. the words of his signs an emphatical expression First they boldly declared the Word and Will of God concerning the several Plagues and then they actually inflicted them among them and wonders in the land of Ham. 28. * Exod. 10. 22. He sent darkness and made it dark and they rebelled not against his word o Either 1. the darkness and other Plagues which obeyed Gods word and instantly came at Gods call So this may be a reflexion upon the Egyptians that those brutish or unreasonable Creatures were more obedient to the will and command of God than they were Thus diseases are said to come or go at Gods command Matt. 8. 8. Or rather 2. Moses and Aaron mentioned v. 26. and called they v. 27. whose obedience in denouncing and inflicting these Plagues and especially that Plague of darkness is noted and commended here as an act of great faith and fortitude because they inflicted that Plague after Pharaoh had threatned them Exod. 10. 10. as the obedience of their Parents is commended as a great act of faith because they preserved and hid their Son contrary to the express command of the King of Egypt 29. †Exod. 7. 20. He turned their waters into blood and slew their fish 30. ‖ Exod. 8. 6. Their land p Their Country for otherwise they were produced by their Rivers Exod. 8. 3. brought forth frogs in abundance in the chambers q Which entred into the Chambers of their Kings r Of Pharaoh and his Sons and his chief Nobles and Governours of Provinces under him for such persons are oft called Kings in Scripture Iudg. 1. 7. 1 Kings 20. 1 12. Isa. 19. 2. 31. * Exod. 8. 17. 24. He spake and there came divers sorts of flies and lice in all their coasts s Or Borders i. e. in all their Land even to the utmost Ends or Borders of it 32. ‖ Exod. 9. 23. †Heb. he gave their rain hail He gave them hail for rain and flaming fire in their land 33. He smote their vines also and their fig-trees and brake the trees of their coasts 34. * Exod. 10. 4 13. He spake and the locusts came and caterpillars and that without number 35. And did eat up all the herbs in their land and devoured the fruit of their ground 36. †Exod. 12. 29. He smote also all the first-born in their land the chief of all their strength t To wit their first-born as it is in the first clause who are so called Gen. 49. 3. Psal. 78. 51. and the beginning of their strength Deut. 21. 17. 37. ‖ Exod. 12. 35. He brought them forth also with silver and gold and there was not one feeble person u Diseased or unable for his journey which in so vast a Body and in a time of such Mortality as it had been in Egypt and in a People which had been so long and so dreadfully oppressed as the Israelites were was wonderful but they all journeyed on foot Exod. 12. 37. among their tribes 38. * Exod. 12. 33. Egypt was glad when they departed for the fear of them x i. e. Of the Israelites left God for their sakes should destroy them fell upon them 39. †Exod. 13. 21. He spread a cloud for a covering y To protect them from the heat of the Sun which in that hot and open Country had otherwise been intolerable to them especially in so long a Journey and fire to give light in the night 40. * Exod. 16.
rivers of water in a dry place g No less refreshing and acceptable shall this King and his Princes be to their Subjects as the shadow of a †Heb. heavy great rock in a weary land h In a dry and scorched Country which is called weary here as also Psal. 63. 1. Metonymically because it makes Travellers weary as death is called pale in other Authors because it makes men's Faces pale 3. And the eyes of them that see shall not be dim and the ears of them that hear shall hearken i This is meant Either 1. of the Princes or Magistrates who are instead of Eyes and Ears both to the King and to the People who by their office are to see and observe all things and to hear all Causes These saith he shall not shut their Eyes nor suffer them to be blinded with Gifts to favour a rich Man in an unjust Cause they shall not shut their Ears against the Complaints of the poor oppressed Ones as wicked Princes commonly do Or 2. of the People they shall not shut their Eyes and Ears against the good Counsels and Examples of their Religious King and Rulers as they have done formerly Both Princes and People shall be reformed This was done in some poor measure in Hezekiah's time but far more fully and eminently in the days of the Messiah who by his grace changeth Men's Hearts and cureth them of that wilful and obstinate Blindness whereof they had been Guilty before Which clearly sheweth That this Prophecy looks through Hezekiah unto Christ. And the like may be said of the following Verse 4. The heart also of the †Heb. hasty rash k Who were hasty and heady in judging of Things which is an Argument of Ignorance and Folly shall understand knowledge l Shall become more knowing and considerate in their Judgments and Actions and the tongue of the stammerers m That used to speak of the Things of God darkly and doubtfully and unwillingly As Men's Understandings shall then be enlightned so their Speech shall be reformed Which though it was in part fulfilled in Hezekiah this Reformation being effected in some measure by his Counsel and Example and by the powerful Preaching of the Levites whom he excited and encouraged to Teach the good knowledge of the Lord as is said 2 Chron. 30. 22. yet was truly and fully accomplished onely by Christ who wrought this wonderful Change in an innumerable company both of Iews and Gentiles shall be ready to speak ‖ Or elegantly plainly 5. The vile person n Base and worthless Men. Heb. the fool which in Scripture-use commonly signifies a wicked Man shall be no more called ‖ Or honourable liberal o Or Noble or a Prince or Lord as this word is used Psal. 118. 9. and 146. 3. and elsewhere The Sence of the place â—…s Either 1. Unworthy Men shall not be advanced to places of Honour and Power as the Seventy and some others understand it for to be called is oft put in Scripture for to be as hath been frequently observed Or 2. vicious and worthless Persons shall no longer be reputed Honourable and Vertuous because of their high and honourable Places as commonly they are under wicked Princes by means of Flatterers but Wickedness shall be discovered and punished wheresoever it is and Vertue shall be manifested and rewarded and all things shall be Managed with sincerity and simplicity Which was eminently fulfilled under the Gospel by the Preaching whereof and by Christ's Spirit Hypocrites are detected and Men are enabled to discern between Good and Evil both Persons and Things nor the churl p The fordid and covetous Man which is a great Vice in any Man but especially in Magistrates who therefore must be Men hating covetousness Exod. 18. 21. But under this one Vice all Vices are understood by a Synecdoche very frequent in Scripture and in other Authors as under the opposite Vertue of bountifulness all Vices are comprehended said to be bountiful 6. For the vile person will speak villany q So this is a reason of the Assertion ver 5. either thus Such shal not be Advanced to Places of Trust and Dignity for if they were they would abuse them by unjust Sentences and Practises Or thus Men shall no longer be miscalled for every one will discover what he is by his Words and Actions which also shall be narrowly observed But these and the following Words are and may be otherwise rendred But as this Particle oft signifies he shall be called or said to be which words are easily understood out of the former Verse as is very frequent in Scripture a fool who which relative Particle is understood in very many places shall speak villany and whose heart shall work iniquity c. and his heart will work iniquity r He will from time to time be devising Wickedness that he may Execute it when he hath opportunity to practise hypocrisy s To do bad things â—…t with a pretence of Religion and Justice which he shall use to keep himself from the dis-favour of his Prince and from the lash of the Law Or to practise prophaneness or wickedness as this Word at least sometimes seems to signify and to utter errour against the LORD t To pass unâ—…ust Sentences which is directly contrary to the Will and Command of God to make empty the soul of the hungry and he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail u Whereby they take away the Bread and Drink of the Poor and give it to their rich Oppressors 7. The instruments also of the churl are evil x Heb. The vessels c. which is a Word of a very general Signification among the Hebrews and signifies any person or thing which is employed in a Man's use and service I say person for the name of vessel is given to such Persons as are instrumental to another as to the Babylonians who were God's instruments in executing His Vengeance Isa. 13. 5. to God's Ministers Act. 9. 15. 2 Cor. 4. 5. and to useful Christians 2 Tim. 2. 20. and to Wives 1 Pet. 3. 7. And so it may here note That such covetous or wicked Princes most willingly chuse and employ wicked Men in their Affairs because such Men will without any regard to Conscience or Justice serve all their exorbitant Desires or Lusts. But withal it seems to include his Counsels and Practices and Arts which are here declared to be generally Evil. But this Verse is and may be otherwise rendred as the former was And repeat he shall be called a churl as indeed he is one whose instruments are evil and who deviseth c. Which agrees with the order of the Words in the Hebrew Text and with the order of the foregoing Verses For as he speaks of the vile person and of the churl ver 5. So he gives a Description of the vile Person ver 6. and
appears to us more dissonant from the Hebrew then any other yet most of the Quotations of the Old Testament which we have in the new are apparently from that Version which learneth us that it is not every private Ministers work to make a new Version of the Scripture but he ought to acquiesce in the Version which God hath provided for the Church wherein he lives and not ordinarily or upon light grounds to enter into a dissent to it and if in any thing he sees it necessary to do it yet not to do it as to a particular text without great modesty and a preface of Reverence This Translation of the Scriptures into a Language understood by all people in that Country into which the Church came was lookt upon so reasonable and necessary as it was opposed by none till the Papists had patched up a Religion for the upholding of which it was necessary for them to maintain That Ignorance was the mother of Devotion after which it was very difficult in any places where these Spiritual Tyrants had a dominion to get the Scriptures translated into the Language of that Country Not to instance in other places I shall give some short account of England Our Records tell us of a Translation of some part of them into the Saxon Language which was then a great part of ours within 700 years after Christ and of the Translation of the whole into the same Language by Beda within 40 years after Beda was himself a Papist but the mystery of iniquity grew up gradually to its height Soon after Bibles which the people could understand were very scarce commodities in England and thus it continued for 600 years Wickliff who lived in the time of Richard the 2d and died 1384. being the first we know of afterward who Translated the Scriptures into a Language understood by any who were not skilled in some or other of the three learned Languages That great man easily understood that without the Scriptures in their own Language the people must take all for the Will of God that their Priests told them was so and that the Popish Priests were generally of ignorance and impudence enough to entitle God to any of their own blasphemies and superstitions But within thirty years after the death of Wickcliff Anno viz. 1414. The Council or Conventicle rather of Constance Decreed all Wickliffs Books to the Fire and though some were spared yet the battel was so hard that there were very few that escaped This was our state till the year 1527 in all which years the poor people of the Land of our Nativity were without a teaching Bible as to the common people and indeed without a teaching Priest yea and for sometime after this as we shall hear In the year 1527. God put it into the heart of Mr. Tindall to Translate the New Testament into English as also 1527. the Five Books of Moses he being then an exile in Germany for his Religion but he lost all his papers upon a Shipwrack in his passage to Hamborough and had his work to begin again which yet that faithful and most unwearied servant of God did accomplish adding some Prefaces to the several Books and some Notes to the particular chapters and verses The publishing of which much netled the Popish Bishops in England and all means were then used to suppress it Amongst others the then Bishop of London advised with one Packington a Merchant of that City concerning the most accommodate mean to that design The Merchant could think of none so probable as with a summe of money to buy up the whole impression The Bishop approving it furnished him with a round summ to that purpose which the Merchant being more a Friend to Mr. Tindal then the Bishop knew sent to Mr. Tindall and had the Impression sent him some few Copies being as we must Sculteti Annales in anno 1532. imagine first sold off with this mony Mr. Tindall supported himself in his exile and was also inabled to go on with his Translation of the other part of the Bible and to prepare a perfect English Bible In the mean time a passage happened so pleasant that I shall think it worth the while here to relate it Sir Thomas More being Lord Chancellor and having several persons accused for Heresie and ready for execution offered to compound with * George Constantine one of them for his Life upon the casie terms of his discovery to him who they were in London that maintained Tindall beyond Sea After that the poor man had got as good a security for his Life as the Honour and Truth of the Chancellour could give him he told him It was the Bishop of London maintained him by sending him a summe of mony to buy up the impression of his Testaments The Chancellour smiled saying that he believed he said true Thus was this poor Confessors Life saved But to return to our story In the year 1536. Mr. Tindall was Martyred at Villefort in Flanders For Translating into English the New Testament and part of the Old saith Sir Richard Baker but his great adversary Sir Thomas More was the year before gone Bakers Chron. p. 282. to his own place being executed for Treason Mr. Tindall and Mr. Coverdale as Mr. Fox telleth us before Mr. Tindalls death had translated the whole Bible But it came out after his death under the name of Thomas Matthews with the addition of the Apocrypha Translated by John Rogers The Lord Cromwel with Archbishop Cranmer presented it to the King and obtained an order from His Majesty for leave for any of his Subjects to read it but this was not without the great regret of the Bishops About thirteen years after this or not so much the Lord Cromwel obtained Letters from King Henry 8. for a subject 1540. of his to Reprint at Paris the Bible in English the King also wrote a Letter to Bonner at that time his Embassador in France to further it Grafton and Whitchurch undertook the work upon what seeming encouragement from Bonner may be read in Mr. Foxes 2d vol. of his Martyrology pr. 1641. p. 515. 516. But how it came to pass I cannot tell though Bonners Treachery was suspected in the case when it was upon the point finished the Copies were seized and ordered to be burnt and the work had wholly ceased but for the Covetousness of the Officer who sold four great dry fatts filled with them to an Haberdasher to lay Caps in By this means having recovered some Copies they came to London and there made a new impression But after this my Lord Cromwel being put to death the Bishops and Popish-party made so great complaint to the King whose warmth for the Reformation much abated in the latter part of his Life That the Sale of the English Bible was again prohibited and the Printer imprisoned and altho the Bishops promised the King they would make a more correct Translation
and the more Northern parts of it to Iapheth 1. NOW these are the Generations of the Sons of Noah Shem Ham and Iapheth And unto them were Sons born after the Flood 2. * 1 Chron. 1. 5. The Sons of Iapheth a Whose portion was at first Asia the less and afterwards by degrees all Europe and the Northern parts of Asia This is he so much celebrated among the Greeks by the name of Iapetus Gomer b Whose Posterity are reckoned among the Northern People Ezek. 38. 6. and were seated in the Northern parts of the lesser Asia and afterwards about 〈◊〉 and from him were called Gomaâ—…i and by an easie change Cimbri or Cimmerii and Magog c The Father of the Sâ—…ythians as may be gathered from Ezek. 38. 2 3 15. and 39. 3 6. and Madai d Whose Posterity wheresoever they were first placed in Macedonia or elsewhere afterwards were fixed in Mâ—…dia and were called Medes and in the Hebrew by the Name of their Father Madai as appears from 2 Kings 17. 6. Esa. 13. 17. Ier. 13. 17. and 25. 25. Dan. 5. 28. and 6. 8. and Iavan e Of whom came the Grecians who are called by themselves Iaones or Iones and in Hebrew Ievanim and their Countrey Greece Iavan Seâ—… Esa. 66. 19. Ezek. 27. 13 19. Dan. 8. 21. and 10. 21. and Tubal f Of whom came the Iberi anciently called Thoâ—…eli a People of Asia near the Euxine Sea See Ezek. 27. 13. and 32. 6. and 38. 2 3. and Meshech g The Father of the Moschi i. e. the Muscovites or rather as others think the Cappadocians who were anciently called Mâ—…schini and Moschi and their chief City Maraâ—…a and Tiras h The Father of the Thracians Amongst whom is a River and Haven called Athyras and who Worshipped their God Mars under the Name of Thâ—…ras 3. And the Sons of Gomer Ashkenaz i Whose Seed posseâ—…ed Pontus and Bithynia and the Neighbouring parts from whom they toâ—…k the Names of thâ—… Lake and Haven called Asâ—…ius and the Sea called Arenâ—…s or Euxinus and Riphath k called Diphath 1 Chron. 1. 6. The Letters Daleth and Râ—…h being oft â—…nterchanged as we shall see in other instances His Posterity dwelled in or near Pontus and Bitâ—…ynia where Mela and Pliny and Solinus place the Riphâ—…i or Riphaces and the Paphlagonians who were antiently called Piphataei and Togarmah l Whose Posterity are joyned with Gomers See Ezek. 27. 14. and 38. 6. and were as some think the Phrygians and Galatians and of them the Gaâ—…ls and Germans Or as others the Armenians and of them the Turks 4. And the Sons of Iavan Elisha m The Father of the Grecians properly so called who have preserved his Name and remembrance in the Cities Elis and Elissus in a tract of ground called Ellas and in the Elysiaâ—… Fields And from these came the Aeolians a People of the lesser Asia where many of the Grecian Colonies were seated and Tarshish n The Father of the Cilicians from whom their Chief City Tarsus in Hebrew Tarâ—…hish took its Name See Ezek. 27. 12. Ion. 1. 13. Acts 22. 3. and from whom the whole Mediterranean Sea is called Tarshiâ—…h because the Cilicians were in a great degree Masters of that Sea Kittim o Or Chittiâ—… The Father of the Macedonians and Italians too as may be gathered from hence because both their Countries are called by the Name of Chittim Macedonia 1 Macâ—… 1. 1. and 8. 5. and Italy Num. 24. 24. Dan. 11. 30. See also Isa. 23. 1. Ier. 2. 10. Besides that there are other evidences in prophane Writers that the Italians came from the Grecians and Dodanim p Called also Rhodaâ—…im 1 Chron. 1. 6. See Riphath in the former verse His Posterity is uncertain Most probably he was seated near his Brethren in some part of Greece And the 〈◊〉 seem to have Worshipped him under the Name of Iupiter Dodonâ—…eus whose famous Oracle was in the City Dodona 5. By these were the Isles q Not Isles properly so called For why should they having their choice forsake the Continent for Islands and thereby cut off themselves from their Brethren And where had they Ships to Transport them But the word Isles here and elsewhere signifies all those Countries that had the Sea between them and Iudaea as it doth Isa. 11. 10 11. and 4â—… 15. Ier. 2. 10. and 25. 22. Ezek. 27. 3. Zâ—…pha 2. 11. And Isles are here put for the inhabitants as the words Earth and Land are commonly used of the Gentiles divided r This division of the World among them being a work of great weight was doubtless managed with great Care and Consultation and the advice of their Heads and Governours and above all by the wise and special Providence of God which at this time did particularly determine the bounds of their several Habitations as it is Recorded Acts 17. 26. in their Lands Every one after his tongue s i. e. According to their several Languages into which they were divided at Babel By which it appears that this division though mentioned before was not executed till after the confusion of Languages at Babel after their Families t Here observe the Wise and Gracious Providence of God mixed with this judgment that God distributed the Languages according to the difference of Families and Nations that each several Nation and all the Families or branches of that Nation should have one and the same Language whereby both union and love were preserved among themselves and the several Nations were distinguished one from another Which was very fit and necessary for many reasons as that the Church of God which was confined to the Hebrew Nation might neither be mixed with nor infected by the Idolatrous Nations and that it might be evident to the World that the Messias was Born of the Seed of Abraham according to Gods promise c. in their Nations 6. * 1 Chron. 1. 8. And the Sons of Ham u Whose Posterity were disposed into the parts South from Babel both in Asia and Africa See 1 Chron. 4. 40. Psal. 105. 27. Cush x The Father both of the Aethiopians and the Arabians Who as it seems sent forth a Colony from themselves more Eastward even near to India See Gen. 2. 13. 2 Kings 19. 9. Iob 28. 19. Ier. 13. 23. and 46. 9. and Mizraim y The Father of the Aeygptians who are generally known in Scripture by that Name and Phut z Of whom sprung the Librans among whom is the River Put and the Moors See Ier. 46. 9. Ezek. 27. 10. and 30. 5. Nahum 3. 9. and Canaan a The cursed Parent of that accursed race of the Canaanites well known in Scripture Gen. 10. 25. 7. And the Sons of Cush Sheba b Or Seba or Saba whose Seed were the Sabeans in Arabia the Desart See Psal. 72. 10. Isa. 43. 3. and as
contentions and other miscarriages and would doubtless take occasion thence to disparage the true Religion And it must be remembred that these are the words not of Abram but of Moses who knowing that the Canaanites were then speedily to be turned out of the Land intimates that the case was otherwise in Abrams days when the Canaanites were possest and were likely to continue the Possessors and Lords of the Land 8. And Abram said unto Lot g The elder and wiser and worthier person relinquisheth his own right to his inferiour for peace sake leaving us a noble example for our imitation Let there be no strife I pray thee between me and thee and h Or or between c. and for or as Exod. 21. 17. and Psal. 8. 5. compared with Mat. 15. 14. Heb. 2. 6. for there was no strife between Abram and Lot though he feared it might pass from the feet to the head my herds-men and thy herds-men for we be †Heb. men brethren See Chap. 11. 27. Exod. 2. 13. Act. 7. 26. Brethren i i. e. Both by nature near kinsmen as the word brother is oft used and in the Faith and Religion too amongst whom contentions are very indecent and scandalous 9. Is not the whole land before thee k i. e. Open to thy view and free to chuse which part thou pleasest as thou canst agree with the owners I give thee full power to chuse before me See a like phrase Gen. 20. 15. and 34. 10 21. and 47. 6. separate thy self I pray thee from me if thou wilt take l This and the following supplement are easily gathered both from the words of this and the 11 verse and from the nature of the thing And the Hebrew Language being a concise or short language such supplements are frequently necessary and very usual Compare 2 Chron. 10. 12. with 1 King 12. 11. and 2 Sam. 23. 8. with 1 Chron. 11. 11. the left hand then I will go to the right or if thou depart to the right hand then I will go to the left 10. And Lot lifted up his eyes and beheld all the plain of Jordan m A great plain so called because there the pleasant River Iordan divided it self into divers little streams or rivulets which having no visible out-let into the Sea by degrees and in several places insinuated themselves into the Earth which made it very fruitful and excellent for Lot's purpose But this lovely plain was afterwards transformed by divine vengeance into a filthy Lake or dead Sea Gen. 19. that it was well watered every where before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrha even as the garden of the LORD n i. e. Either 1. Like that famous Garden of Eden which God himself planted Gen. 2. 10. The like comparison we meet with Isa. 51. 3. Ezek. 28. 13. and 31. 8. Or 2. Like some excellent Garden for excellent things are thus expressed as the host of God 1 Chron. 12. 22. i. e. a great host Cedars of God Psal. 80. 10. like the land of Egypt o A Land of eminent fertility by the influence of that great River Nilus Antiently celebrated as the Granary of other Countries See Ezâ—…k 31. as thou comest unto Zoar p i. e. To Bela Gen. 14. 2. afterwards called Zoar Gen. 19. 22. and here so called by a Prolepsis But these words are not to be joyned with the words immediately going before as if Egypt was commended for its fertility in that part of it from which men go to Zoar but with the more remote words and the sense is as the words of the Text are transplaced and rendred by some that the plain of Iordan was before the Lord destroyed it and its Cities Sodom and Gomorrha watered every where even to Zoar or even until thou comest i. e. till a man come to Zoar. i. e. all the way which leads from the place where Abram then was to Zoar. And such transpositions are not unusual as we shall see hereafter 11. Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan And Lot journyed East q Heb. From the East Or Eastward as the Hebrew particle mâ—… is sometimes used See Gen. 2. 8. 2 Sam. 2. 2. compared with 1 Chron. 13. 6. and they separated themselves the †Heb. a man 〈◊〉 his brother one from the other 12. Abram dwelt in the Land of Cannaan and Lot dwelt in the Cities of the plain and pitched his Tent toward Sodom 13. But the men of Sodom were * Ezek. 16. 49. wicked and sinners before the LORD r Eminent noted and impudent sinners See Gen. 18 20. Ezek. 16. 49. which is here added as a secret reproof to Lot who was either careless in his enquiry into the dispositions and manners of those among whom he intended to fix his abode which for many reasons he should have searched ouâ—… Or he was willing to expose himself to all the hazards which he might incurre by their Neighbourhood and familiarity 〈◊〉 the sweetness and fertility of the Soil An errour which is frequently committed by men in the choice of their Habitations and which oft costs them dear as it did Lot in the following story exceedingly 14. And the LORD said unto Abram after that Lot was separated from him s To Comfort him now when he was alone and in a worse soil than Lot had chosen Lift up now thine eyes and look from the place where thou art North-ward and South-ward and East-ward and West-ward 15. For all the Land which thou seest t Object Abram could see but a little part of the Land Answ. 1. He might now possibly be upon a Mountain from whence he might have a large prospect every way 2. He gave him all that he saw but not onely that but also the rest of the Land and therefore he bids him walk through and view the whole Land ver 17. * Chap. 12. 7. and 26. 4. Deut. 34. 4. to thee u Quest. How was the Land given to Abram when it is expresly said He i. e. God gave him none inheritance in it no not so much as to set his foot on Acts 7. 5. Ans. 1. God gave Abram the right to it though not the actual possession of it until the time that God appointed â—… As God gave the right of the Kingdom to David but not the possession till Sauls Death 2. God explains himself to thee and to thy Seed i. e. to thee that is to thy Seed and that for thy sake the particle and being put oft for that is as 1 Chron. 21. 12. compared with 2 Sam. 24. 13. Eph. 1. 3. and in many other places as we shall see will I give it and to thy seed for ever x Quest. How for ever when after some hundreds of years they were turned out of it Answ. 1. This promise was made to them upon condition of their Obedience which is oft expressed in other places as
when she was with child Therefore here as often elsewhere the general words must be limited from the nature of the thing and from other texts of Scripture which forbid cruelty even to our servants 2. Either by imposing labours upon her above her strength or by grievous stripes which she could not bear And when Sarai †Heb. afflicted her dealt hardly with her i she fled from her face k Contrary to God's Command Eccles. 10. 4. and to the laws of justice because both her person and the fruit of her body were not her own but Abram's right and possession 7. And the Angel of the LORD l The Son of God who oft appeared in man's shape before he took man's nature who is called an Angel or Messenger because he was the Angel of the Covenant Mal. 3. 1. and was sent upon divers messages to men in the Old Testament and at last was to be sent in the flesh as God's great Embassadour or Messenger of peace and reconciliation found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness by the fountain in the way to Shur m A place near Egypt Gen. 25. 18. 1 Sam. 15. 7. being her native Countrey Exod. 15. 22. 8. And he said Hagar Sarai's maid n By which Title he admonisheth her that though she was Abram's wife yet she was Sarai's maid to whom she owed subjection and service from which she could not lawfully withdraw her self whence camest thou And whither wilt thou go o Consider with thy self what thou art doing what a sad exchange thou art making Thou forsakest not only an excellent Master and Husband but also me and my worship which thou wilst not find in any other Family and so castest thy self out of the true Church and art running headlong into a place of all Idolatry and impiety to thy utter undoing and this meerly through pride and impatience and she said I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai 9. And the Angel of the LORD said unto her Return to thy mistress and submit thy self under her hands 10. And the Angel of the LORD said unto her I will multiply thy seed exceedingly that it shall not be numbred for multitude 11. And the Angel of the LORD said unto her Behold thou art with child and shalt bear a son and shalt call his name ‖ That is God shall hear Ishmael because the LORD hath heard thy affliction * Hath heard thy cry in thy affliction 12. And he will be a wild man p Heb. A wild ass-man i. e. a man like a wild ass fierce and untamed and unsetled in his habitation or as that creature is Iob 39. 5 8. Ier. 2. 24. Hos. 8. 9. living in desarts and mountains warlike and violent exercising himself continually in hunting beasts and oppressing men See Gen. 21. 20. his hand will be against every man and every man's hand against him q He will provoke and injure all that converse with him and thereby will multiply his enemies which is to be understood not only of him but also of his posterity * Chap. 25. 18. and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren r In the borders of the other sons and kindred of Abram and Isaac who though they shall be vexed and annoyed with his neighbourhood yet shall not be able to make him quit his habitation See Gen. 25. 18. 13. And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her †Heb. Elroi thou art a God that seest me Thou God seest me s Thou hast been pleased to take notice and care of me and graciously to manifest thy self unto me for she said Have I also here looked after him that seeth me t i. e. After that God whose eye is upon me for good So she chides her self for her neglect of God and of his providence and that not only in her master's house but even here in the Wilderness where her desolate and miserable condition should have made her look after and call upon God for help Or rather these are words of admiration q. d. Have I also here i. e. in this desolate wilderness looked after him that seeth me i. e. seen the face of my gracious God That God should appear to me in my masters house where he used to manifest himself was not strange but that I should have such a favour here that God should not only look upon me but admit me to look upon him and vivisibly appear to me after I had run away from him and from my godly master this was more than I could hope or expect Others thus Have I here seen after him that sees me i. e. after the vision of him that hath appeared to me i. e. Do I yet see and live after I have seen God She wonders at it because it was then the common Opinion that an appearance of God to any person was a fore-runner of Death See Gen. 32. 30. Exod. 33. 20. Iud. 6. 22. and 13. 22. And seeing is here put for living one function of life for life it self as Exod. 24. 11. Eccles. 11. 7 8. But the word seeing put by its self as here it is is neither in those places nor elsewhere used for living And had that been her meaning she would have expressed it plainly as they do in the places alleadged and not have used so dark and dubious a metaphor nor would have said after him that sees me but rather after I have seen him 14. Wherefore the well was called * Chap. 24. 62 ‖ That is the well of him that liveth and seeth me Beer-lahai-roi u This name may have respect either 1. To God The well of him that liveth i. e. of the true and living God and seeth me i. e. taketh care of me Or 2. To Hagar The well of her that liveth i. e. who though she gave up her self for dead and lost yet now is likely to live both in her person and in her posterity and seeth or did see namely God present with her behold it is between Cadesh and Bered 15. And Hagar bare Abram a Son ‖ To wit after her return and submission to her Mistress which is evident from the following History and Abram called his sons name which Hagar bare Ishmael 16. And Abram was fourscore and six years old when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram CHAP. XVII 1. AND when Abram was ninety years old and nine the LORD appeared to Abram and said unto him I am the ‖ Or All-sufficient Almighty God a Who can do all that I have promised or shall promise to thee and whatsoever pleaseth me and therefore do thou firmly believe all my words * Chap. 5. 22. walk before me b As becomes one in the presence of thy Lord and Judge and Rewarder being careful to please and obey me in all things and depending upon me for thy well-doing and well-being See
the Jews took it 2 Chron. 16. 14. Iohn 19. 39 40. Partly to do honour and shew his affections to his worthy Father and partly because this was necessary for the keeping of the body so long as the times of mourning and the journey to Canaan required and the Physitians imbalmed Israel 3 And forty dayes were fulfilled for him c i. e. For his embalming that so the Drugs or Spices which were applied might more effectually reach to all the parts of the dead body and keep it from corruption And the effect of their diligence and so long continuance in this work was that bodies have been preserved uncorrupt for some thousands of years for so are fulfilled the days of those which are embalmed and the Egyptians †Heb. wept mourned for him threescore and ten dayes d i. e. Thirty days according to the custom of the Hebrews Numb 20. 29. Deut. 34. 8. to which doubtless the Egyptians in this case did accommodate themselves besides the forty days spent in embalming him which also was a time of mourning And thus I suppose the Egyptians reckoned those seventy two dayes which Diodorus Siculus saith they spent in mourning for their deceased Kings 4 And when the dayes of his mourning were past Joseph spake unto the house e The Houshold or Family namely those of them which were chief in place and favour with the King of Pharaoh saying if now I have found grace in your eyes speak I pray you in the ears of Pharaoh f Ioseph makes use of their intercession either 1. Lest he might seem to despise them or to presume too much upon his own single interest Or 2. By engaging them in this matter to stop their mouths who otherwise might have been ready enough to censure this action which they would have a fair opportunity to do in Iosephs absence Or 3. Because it was the custom here as it was elsewhere Est. 4. 2. that persons in mourning habit might not come into the Kings presence partly because they would not give them any occasion of sadness and partly because according to their superstitious conceits the sight of such a person was judged ominous saying 5 * chap. 47. 29. My father made me swear g Here is triple obligation upon Ioseph 1. His duty to fulfil the will of the dead 2. The obedience which he owed to his Fathers command 3. The tye of a solemn Oath All which had weight even with the Heathens and were so many arguments to Pharaoh and his Courtiers saying Lo I die in my grave which I have digged for me h According to the manner of those antient and succeeding times See 2 Chron. 16. 14. Isa. 22. 16. Matth. 27. 60. In that large cave which Abraham bought for a burying place for his Family Iacob had digged a particular and small cell or repository for himself as others did after him upon the like occasion And this reason is prudently added to shew that this desire proceeded not from any contempt of Pharaoh or his Land but from that common and customary desire of persons of all ages and Nations to be buried in their Fathers Sepulchres in the land of Canaan there shalt thou bury me Now therefore let me go up I pray thee and bury my father and I will come again 6 And Pharaoh said Go up and bury thy father according as he made thee swear h The Heathens by the light of nature discovered the sacredness of an Oath and the wickedness of perjury 7 And Joseph went up to bury his father and with him went up all i i. e. A great number of them as that word is understood Matth. 3. 5. and oft elsewhere For many of them were aged and infirm and many could not be spared from their attendance at Court or upon their employments c. the servants of Pharaoh k Courtiers of an inferiour rank the Elders of his house l The chief Officers and under him Governours of his Family and Counsels who used to reside at or near the Court. and all the Elders of the land m The great Officers Civil and Military whose places of habitation and command were dispersed in the several parts of the Land of Egypt 8 And all the house of Joseph and his brethren and his fathers house onely their little ones and their flocks and their herds n And such as were necessary to take care of them which must needs be understood they left in the land of Goshen 9 And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen o For their defence in case of any opposition and it was a very great company 10 And they came to the threshing-floor of Atad p A man so called or of thorn or thorns as the word signifies Iudg. 9. 14. Psal. 58. 9. So it might be a place either abounding or encompassed with thorns which is beyond q Or on this side for the word signifies both and it may be taken either way here the one in respect of Egypt the other in regard of the place in which Moses wrote It is certain they fetched a great compass whether for the commodiousness of the way for their charets and for conveniencies for so great a company or to prevent all jealousies in the people as if they came thither with ill design is not material Jordan and there r Because there was the entrance into that Countrey or Territory where he was to be buried they mourned with a great and very â—…ore lamentation s The Egyptians though they were not much grieved nor concerned for Iacobs death yet they used bitter cryes and lamentations which possibly were made or aggravated by persons hired and used upon such occasions See Ier. 9. 17. and he made a mourning for his father seven dayes t According to the custom see 1 Sam. 31. 13. 11 And when the inhabitants of the land the Canaanites saw the mourning in the floor of Atad they said This is a grievous mourning to the Egyptians wherefore the name of it was called ‖ That is the mourning of the Egyptians Abel-Mizraim which is beyond Jordan 12 And his sons did unto him according as he commanded them 13 For * Act. 7. 16. his sons carried him into the land of Canaan and buryed him in the cave of the field of Machpelah which Abraham * chap. 23. 16. bought with the field for a possession of a burying-place of Ephron the Hittite before Mamre 14 And Joseph returned into Egypt he and his brethren and all that went with him to bury his father after he had buried his father 15 And when Josephs brethren saw that their father was dead they said Joseph will peradventure hate us and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him 16 And they †Heb. charged sent a messenger unto Joseph saying Thy father did command before he died
for us then shall he redeem that which his brother sold. 26 And if the man have none to redeem it †Heb. his 〈◊〉 hath attained and found sufficiency and himself be able to redeem it 27 Then let him count the years of the sale thereof m i. e. From the time of the sale to the Jubilee See above ver 15 16. and restore the overplus n i. e. A convenient price for the years from this Redemption to the Jubilee unto the man to whom he sold it that he may return unto his possession 28 But if he be not able to restore it to him then that which is sold shall remain in the hand of him that hath bought it until the year of jubile and in the jubile it shall go out and he shall return unto his possession o i. e. Out of the buyers hand without any Redemption mony 29 And if a man sell a dwelling house in a walled city then he may redeem it within a whole year after it is sold within †Heb. dayes 1 Sam. 1. 3 and 27. 7. a full year may he redeem it 30 And if it be not redeemed within the space of a full year then the house that is in the walled city shall be established for ever to him that bought it throughout his generations it shall not go out in the jubile p The reason is from the great difference between such houses and lands The reasons before alledged for lands do not hold in such Houses there was no danger of confusion in Tribes or Families by the alienation of Houses The seller also had a greater propriety in Houses than in Lands as not coming to him by Gods meer gift but being commonly built by the owners cost and diligence and therefore had a fuller power to dispose of them Besides God would hereby encourage persons to buy and possess Houses in such places which frequency and fulness of Inhabitants in Cities was a great strength honour and advantage to the whole Land 31 But the houses of the villages q Because they belonged to and were necessary or very convenient for the management of the lands which have no wall round about them shall be counted as the fields of the country †Heb. 〈◊〉 belongeth unto it they may be redeemed and they shall go out in the jubile 32 Notwithstanding the cities of the Levites and the houses of the cities of their possession may the Levites redeem at any time 33 And if ‖ Or one of the Levites redeem them a man purchase of the Levites then the house that was sold and the city of his possession shall go out r Or thus But he that shall redeem it shall be or must be of the Levites i. e. No person of another Tribe though by Marriage near akin to the selling Levite shall redeem it but Levites onely and any of them shall have the same power to redeem it which in other Tribes onely the nearest kindred have and in case none of them redeem it yet the house that was sold and the City of his possession i. e. his share or interest in the City of his possession shall go out and return to the Levites without any redemption in the year of jubile for the houses of the cities of the Levites are their possession among the children of Israel 34 But the field of the suburbs of their cities s Of which see on Numb 35. 5. may not be sold t Not sold at all partly because it was of absolute necessity for them for the keeping of their Cattle and partly because these were no enclosures but common fields in which all the Levites that lived in such a City had an interest and therefore no particular Levite could dispose of his part in it Some conceive that this Law was altered in ensuing ages which they gather from Ier. 32. 7 8. c. and Act. â—… 36 37. But those examples do not prove it That sale of Ieremiahs was made by a particular dispensation and command of God and that in a time when the Levites as well as the people were to be destroyed or dispersed and carried into captivity and therefore could receive no considerable injury by it and besides this sale was onely made formally and for signification as it is explained ver 14 15. And for the land sold by Barnabas a Levite Act. 4. as it was at a time when the Jewish Church was dissolved and their state upon the brinks of utter ruine so it is not evident that it was such Suburb land which would have yielded but a small price but it might be other land either such as he might have in right of his wife or such as he might have purchased For though the Levites in general had no other share of land beside this allotted them by God yet it is conceived that particular Levites might purchase lands to themselves for it is their perpetual possession 35 And if thy brother be waxen poor and †Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fallen in decay u Heb. his hand 〈◊〉 or faileth or is decayed so that he hath not power to get or keep wealth as the phrase is Deut. 8. 18. as on the contrary when a man is able his hand is said to attain and find sufficiency as here above ver 26. with thee then thou shalt †Heb. 〈◊〉 relieve him x Heb. strengthen him comfort his Heart and strengthen his Hand yea though he be a stranger or a sojourner y Understand it of Proselytes onely for of other strangers they were permitted to take usury Deut. 23. 20. that he may live with thee 36 * Exod. 22. 25. Deut. 23. 19. Prov. 28. 8. Ezek. 18. 8. and 22. 12. Take thou no usury of him z i. e. Of thy brother whether he be Israelite or Proselyte or increase a This some conceive relates to the fruits of the earth food c. as 〈◊〉 doth to mony But here may rather feem to be two words expressing the same thing to meet with the subtil evasions of crafty and covetous men who make gain of their poor brethren for of such onely he speaks here as is evident from ver 36. by the lending of mony or other things and that they may quiet their consciences and palliate their sin they disguise it under other names and to shew that all kinds of usury are in this case forbidden whether of mony or of victuals or of anything that is commonly lent by one man to another upon usury or upon condition of receiving the thing lent with advantage and overplus as it is said Deut. 23. 19. but * Nehem. 5. 9. fear thy God that thy brother may live with thee 37 Thou shalt not give him thy money upon usury nor lend him thy victuals for increase 38 I am the LORD your God which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt to give
having been injured by the Midianites all were to have some share in the reparations but the Warriours who were but 12000 have a far greater share than others of their brethren because they underwent greater pains and dangers 28 And levy a tribute unto the LORD of the men of war which went out to battel one soul z i. e. one person as it follows here and ver 30. of five hundred both of the persons and of the beeves and of the asses and of the sheep 29 Take it of their half and give it unto Eleazar the priest for an heave-offering of the LORD a In thankfulness to God for their preservation and good success 30 And of the children of Israels half thou shalt take one portion of fifty b Whereas the former part was one of 500 the reason of the difference is partly because this was taken out of the peoples portion whose hazards being less than the others their gains also in all reason were to be less partly because this was to be distributed into more hands the Levites being now numerous when the Priests were but few of the persons of the beeves of the asses and of the ‖ Or goats sheep of all manner of beasts and give them unto the Levites * chap. 3. 7 8 25 31 36. which keep the charge of the tabernacle of the LORD 31 And Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the LORD commanded Moses 32 And the booty being the rest of the prey c All which was now left of the prey It is so expressed because they took more but some of the persons were since killed ver 17. and some of the cattel was spent for the necessary provisions of the army which the men of war had caught was six hundred thousand and seventy thousand and five thousand sheep 33 And threescore and twelve thousand beeves 34 And threescore and one thousand asses 35 And thirty and two thousand persons in all of women that had not known man by lying with him 36 And the half which was the portion of them that went out to war was in number three hundred thousand and seven and thirty thousand and five hundred sheep 37 And the LORDS tribute of the sheep was six hundred and threescore and fifteen 38 And the beeves were thirty and six thousand of which the LORDS tribute was threescore and twelve 39 And the asses were thirty thousand and five hundred of which the LORDS tribute was threescore and one 40 And the persons were sixteen thousand of which the LORDS tribute was thirty and two persons 41 And Moses gave the tribute which was the LORDS heave-offering unto Eleazar the priest as the LORD commanded Moses d Either now upon his consulting of God in the case or formerly in general rules and laws for such occasions such as Numb 18. 8. 42 And of the children of Israels half which Moses divided from the men that warred 43 Now the half that pertained unto the congregation was three hundred thousand and thirty thousand and seven thousand and five hundred sheep 44 And thirty and six thousand beeves 45 And thirty thousand asses and five hundred 46 And sixteen thousand persons 47 Even of the children of Israels half Moses took one portion of fifty both of man and of beast and gave them unto the Levites which kept the charge of the tabernacle of the LORD as the LORD commanded Moses 48 And the officers which were over thousands of the host the captains of thousands and captains of hundreds came near unto Moses 49 And they said unto Moses Thy servants have taken the sum of the men of war which are under our †Heb. 〈◊〉 charge and there lacketh not one man of us 50 We have therefore brought an oblation for the LORD what every man hath †Heb. soâ—… gotten of jewels of gold chains and bracelets rings ear-rings and tablets to make an atonement for our souls e For their error noted ver 14 15 16. and withal for a memorial as it is said ver 54. or by way of gratitude for such a stupendious assistance and deliverance as appears from the word therefore in the beginning of this verse and from ver 49. before the LORD 51 And Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of them even all wrought jewels 52 And all the gold of the †Heb. 〈◊〉 offering offering that they offered up to the LORD of the captains of thousands and of the captains of hundreds was sixteen thousand seven hundred and fifty shekels 53 For the men of war had taken spoil every man for himself 54 And Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of the captains of thousands and of hundreds and brought it into the tabernacle of the congregation for a memorial for the children of Israel before the LORD CHAP. XXXII 1 NOW the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of cattel and when they saw the land of Jazer a A city and country taken from the Amorites Numb 21. 32. and the land of Gilead b A mountainous country famous for pasturage Ier. 50. 19. Mich. 7. 14. that behold the place was a place for cattel 2 The children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spake unto Moses and to Eleazar the priest and unto the princes of the congregation saying 3 Ataroth c Different from that Ataroth Iosh. 16. 2 7. which was on the other side of Iordan and Dibon and Jazer and Nimrah d Called Beth-nimrah ver 36. and Ios. 13. 27. and the waters of Nimrim Isa. 15. 6. and Heshbon and Elealeh and Shebam e Which is thought to be the same place called Baal-meon ver 38. and Beth-meon Ier. 48. 23. and Nebo and Beon f 4 Even the countrey * ch 21. 〈◊〉 which the LORD smote before the congregation of Israel g And given to them for a possession in the same manner as he will give the land of Canaan is a land for cattel and thy servants have cattel 5 Wherefore said they if we have found grace in thy sight let this land be given unto thy servants for a possession and bring us not over Jordan h To wit to give us our possession there but let this land on this side Iordan be our whole possession 6 And Moses said unto the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben Shall your brethren go to war and shall ye sit here i In ease and peace whilest your brethren are ingaged in a bloody war Their words were ambiguous and Moses thought this to be an act of unbelief and sloth and self-love and policy 7 And wherefore †Heb. break discourage ye the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the LORD hath given them 8 Thus did your fathers when I * chap. 13. 3. sent them from Kadesh-barnea * Deut. 1. 22.
to see the land 9 For * chap. 13. 24. when they went up into the valley of Eshcol and saw the land they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel that they should not go k That they should not attempt to go but rather return to Egypt Numb 14. 4. into the land which the LORD had given them 10 And the LORDS anger was kindled the same time and he sware saying 11 Surely none of the men that came up out of Egypt * chap. 14. 28 â—…9 from twenty years old and upward shall see the land which I sware unto Abraham unto Isaac and unto Jacob because * chap. 14. 24 30. they have not †Heb. fulfilled after me wholly followed me 12 Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite l So called from Kenaz his grand-father or one of his eminent ancestours Ios. 15. 17. 1 Chron. 4. 13 14 15. and Joshua the son of Nun for they have wholly followed the LORD 13 And the LORDS anger was kindled against Israel and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years until all the generation that had done evil in the sight of the LORD were consumed 14 And behold ye are risen up in your fathers stead an increase of sinful men m Succeeding your fathers as in their places and estates so also in their sins to augment yet the fierce anger of the LORD toward Israel 15 For if ye turn away from after him he will yet again leave them in the wilderness and ye shall destroy all this people n Who being moved by your counsel and example will refuse to go over Iordan and to possess the land of Canaan 16 And they came near unto him and said We will build sheep-folds here for our cattel and cities for our little ones 17 But we our selves o Either all or as many of us as shall be thought necessary leaving onely so many as may be necessary to provide for the sustenance and defence of our wives and children here See Ios. 4. 12 13. will go ready armed before the children of Israel until we have brought them unto their place and our little ones shall dwell in the fenced cities because of the inhabitants of the land p The Moabites and Edomites or other bordering people 18 * Josh 22. 2. We will not return unto our houses until the children of Israel have inherited every man his inheritance 19 For we will not inherit with them on yonder side Jordan or forward because our inheritance is fallen to us on this side Jordan eastward 20 And * Josh. 1. 13. Moses said unto them If ye will do this thing if ye will go armed before the LORD p Either 1. sincerely and heartily as in Gods presence Or rather 2. before the Ark. which was the token of Gods presence He alludes either to the order of the tribes in their march whereby Reuben and Gad marched next and immediately before the ark as appears from Numb 2. 10 14 16 17. Or to the manner of their passage over Iordan wherein the Ark went first into Iordan and stood there whilest all the tribes marched over Iordan by and before it Ios. 3. and 4. and these amongst the rest as is expresly noted in these very words that they passed over before the Lord Ios. 4. 13. to war 21 And will go all of you armed over Jordan fore the LORD until he hath driven out his enemies from before him 22 And * Deut. 3. 20. the land be subdued before the LORD q i. e. By his presence and gracious and powerful assistance then afterward ye shall return and be guiltless before the LORD and before Israel and * Deut. 3. 12 15 16. Josh. 1. 15 and 13. 8. this land shall be your possession before the LORD 23 But if ye will not do so behold ye have sinned against the LORD and be sure your sin r i. e. The punishment of your sin as that word is very oft used will find you out 24 Build you cities for your little ones and folds for your sheep and do that which hath proceeded out of your mouth s Which you have uttered and promised to do See this or the like phrase Numb 30. 2. Mat. 15. 18. 25 And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben spake unto Moses saying Thy servants will do as my lord commandeth 26 Our little ones our wives our flocks and all our cattel shall be there in the cities of Gilead t. r Largely so called as that word is oft used for that whole country beyond Iordan as in other places it is taken more strictly for a part of it as here below ver 39 40. and elsewhere 27 * Josh. 4. 12. But thy servants will pass over every man armed for war before the LORD to battel as my lord saith 28 So * Josh. 1. 13. concerning them Moses commanded Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun and the chief fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel 29 And Moses said unto them If the children of Gad and the children of Reuben will pass with you over Jordan every man armed to battel before the LORD and the land shall be subdued before you then ye shall give them the land of Gilead for your possession 30 But if they will not pass over with you armed they shall have possession among you in the land of Canaan u They shall forfeit and lose their possessions in Gilead and shall be constrained to go over Iordan and to seek possessions there among their brethren 31 And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered saying As the LORD hath said x Either at this time by thy mouth or formerly where he commandeth us as well as our brethren to go into Canaan and possess it unto thy servants so will we do 32 We will pass over armed before the LORD into the land of Canaan that the possession of our inheritance on this side Jordan may be ours 33 And * Deut. 3. 2. Josh. 13. 8. and 22. 4. Moses gave unto them even to the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben and unto half the tribe of Manasseh y Who are here added to the Tribes of Reuben and Gad either because upon the good success of the two Tribes of Reuben and Gad they were encouraged to make the same request for themselves as having much cattel as well as they or because upon further consideration it was found that this portion of land was more than sufficient for those two tribes and it was given by Moses â—…o these rather than to any other because these fought against the Amorites with great courage and success here ver 39. and Ios 17. 1. the son of Joseph the * chap. 21. 24 33. Kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorite and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan the land
with the cities thereof in the coasts even the cities of the countrey round about 34 And the children of Gad built z i. e. Repaired and fortified as that word is oft used as 1 King 12. 25. 2 King 14. 22. 2 Chron. 8. 1. and 11. 5 c. and 26. 2. Dan. 4. 30. For they neither had need nor leasure as yet to do more the old cities not being burnt and ruined as divers in Canaan were Dibon and Ataroth and Aroer 35 And Atroth Shophan and * Verse 1 3. Iazâ—…r Jaazer and Jogbehah 36 And * Verse 3. Nimrah Beth-nimrah and Beth-haran fenced cities and folds for sheep 37 And the children of Reuben * chap. 21. 27. built Heshbon and Elealeh and Kirjathaim 38 And Nebo a Of which city see Deut. 34. 1. Ier. 48. 1. and Baal-meon * See Verse 3. Josh. 23. 7. their names being changed b Either because conquerors of places use to do so or because the names of other Gods which Nebo and Baal-meon unquestionably were were not to be mentioned Exod. 23. 13. especially at the first settling of the Israelites there that the very remembrance of the Idols might be blotted out and so the temptation to Idolatry removed though afterwards when that danger was over they were called by their old names again Ios. 13. 17 20 and Shibmah and †Heb. they called by names the names of the cities gave other names unto the cities which they builded 39 And the children of * Gen. 50. 23. Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead and took it c i. e. Part of it or Gilead is here taken more strictly See above on ver 29. and Gen. 31. 21. Deut. 3. 12 13. and dispossessed the Amorite which was in it 40 And Moses * Deut. 3. 12 13 15. gave Gilead unto Machir the son of Manasseh d i. e. Not to Machir himself who doubtless was long since dead see Gen. 50. 23. the family or posterity of Machir which are called by their fathers name as the names of Abraham Act. 7. 16. of Isaac Amos 7. 9. of Iacob or Israel frequently of Iudah and Simeon Iudg. 1. 3. of David 1 King 12. 6. are manifestly put for their posterity and he dwelt therein 41 And * Deut. 3. 14. Josh. 13. 30. Jair the son of Manasseh e Called here the son of Manasseh partly because he was so by his mother 1 Chron. 2. 21 22. and partly because he joyned himself with the Manassites in this expedition and settled himself among them went and took the small towns thereof and called them Havoth-jair 42 And Nobah f Who though not elsewhere named was doubtless an eminent person of the Tribe of Manasseh went and took Kenath and the villages †Heb. daughters thereof and called it Nobah after his own name CHAP. XXXIII 1 THese are the journeys of the children of Israel which went forth out of the land of Egypt with their armies a i. e. In great number and exact order as armies march and they did Exod. 12. 37 38 and 13. 18. under the hand of Moses and Aaron 2 And Moses wrote their goings out according to their journeys by the commandment of the LORD b Who would have this done partly to evince the truth of the history partly to preserve the remembrance of Gods glorious and miraculous works both of judgment and mercy towards his people and thereby to confirm their faith in their present difficult undertaking and these are their journeys according to their goings out 3 And they * Exod. 12. 37. departed from Rameses c Whither they all repaired by Moses his order from all parts of the land in the first month on the fifteenth day of the first month on the morrow after the passover the children of Israel went out * Exod. 14. 8. with an high hand in the sight of all the Egyptians d See Exod. 14. 8. Numb 15. 30. 4 For the Egyptians buried all their first-born * Exod. 12. 〈◊〉 which the LORD had smitten among them * Exod. 12. 〈◊〉 18. 11. Isa. 21. 9. 19. 1. upon their gods e Either 1. their princes and rulers who are sometimes called gods in Scripture and so this is added by way of amplification God flew their first-born not onely of the meaner sort but even of their King and princes Or 2. their falsegods to wit those beasts which the brutish Egyptians worshipped as Gods which were killed with the rest for the first-born both of men and beasts were then killed Exod. 13. 15. See more on Exod. 12. 12. and 18. 11. also the LORD executed judgment 5 And the children of Israel removed from Rameses and pitched in Succoth 6 And they departed from * Exod. 13. â—… Succoth and pitched in Etham which is in the edge of the wilderness 7 And they * Exod. 1â—…â—… removed from Etham and turned again unto Pi-hahiroth which is before Baal-zephon and they pitched before Migdol 8 And they departed from before Pi-hahiroth and * Exod. 1â—…â—… 15. 22 23. passed through the midst of the sea into the wilderness and went three dayes journey in the wilderness of Etham and pitched in Marah 9 And they removed from Marah and * Exod. 1â—…â—… came unto Elim and in Elim were twelve fountains of water and threescore and ten palm-trees and they pitched there 10 And they removed from Elim and encamped by the Red-sea f i. e. By another part of that Sea which they passed over 11 And they removed from the Red-sea and encamped in the * Exod. 1â—… â—… wilderness of Sin 12 And they took their journey out of the wilderness of Sin and encamped in Dophkah 13 And they departed from Dophkah and encamped in Alush 14 And they removed from Alush and encamped at * Exod. 1â—… â—… Rephidim where was no water for the people to drink 15 And they departed from Rephidim and pitched in the * Exod. 16. â—… wilderness of Sinai 16 And they removed from the desert of Sinai and pitched * chap. 11. 〈◊〉 at ‖ That is 〈◊〉 of lust Kibroth-hattaavah 17 And they departed from Kibroth-hattaavah and * chap. 11. 〈◊〉 encamped at Hazeroth 18 And they departed from Hazeroth and pitched in Rithmah g A place in the wilderness of Paran near Kadesh-barnea 19 And they departed from Rithmah and pitched at Rimmon-parez 20 And they departed from Rimmon-parez and pitched in Libnah 21 And they removed from Libnah and pitched at Rissah 22 And they journeyed from Rissah and pitched in Kehelathah 23 And they went from Kehelathah and pitched in mount Shapher 24 And they removed from mount Shapher and encamped in Haradah 25 And they removed from Haradah and pitched in Makheloth 26 And they removed from Makheloth and encamped at Tahath 27 And they departed from Tahath and pitched at Tarah 28
dwelt therein in times past a people great and many and tall as * Num. 13. 28 33. the Anakims 11 Which also were accounted giants as the Anakims but the Moabites call them Enims 12 * Gen. â—… 2â—… The Horims q Of whom see Gen. 14. 6. and 36. 2â—… also dwelt in Seir before-time but the children of Esau †Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 succeeded them when they had destroyed them from before them and dwelt in their ‖ Or 〈◊〉 stead as Israel did unto the land of his possession which the LORD gave unto them r Obj. God had not yet given it unto them Answ. 1. The past tense is here put for the future will giâ—… after the manner of the Prophets 2. Things are oft said to be done when they are onely resolved or decreed or attempted to be done in which sence Reuben is said to 〈◊〉 Joseph Gen. 37. 21. Balak to fight against Israel Ios. 24. 9. Abraham to have offered his son Heb. 11. 17. 3. God may well be said to have given it not onely because he had purposed and promised to give it but also because he was now about to give it and had already given them some part of it and that as an earnest of the whole 4. This may be particularly understood of that part of 〈◊〉 possession which was beyond 〈◊〉 which God had actually given to them that is to some of them for even the land of 〈◊〉 on this side Iordan was not given to all of them but onely to some of the tribes 13 Now rise up said I and get ye over * Num. 21. 12. the ‖ Or valley brook Zered and we went over the brook Zered 14 And the space in which we came from Kadesh-Barnea until we were come over the brook Zered was thirty and eight years until all the generation of the men of war were wasted out from among the host as the LORD sware unto them 15 For indeed the hand of the LORD was against them to destroy them from among the host until they were consumed 16 So it came to pass when all the men of war were consumed and dead from among the people 17 That the LORD spake unto me saying 18 Thou art to pass over through Ar the coast of Moab s Or to pass by the border of Moab by Ar. this day 19 And when thou comest nigh over against the children of Ammon distress them not nor meddle with them for I will not give thee of the land of the children of Ammon any possession because I have given it unto the children of Lot for a possession 20 That also was accounted a land of giants giants dwelt thereinin old time and the Ammonites call them * Gen. 14. 5. Zuzims Zamzummims t Which signifies men mâ—…st wicked and abominable or most presumptuous or mâ—…st crafty 21 A people great and many and tall as the Anakims but the LORD destroyed them before them u Who therefore will certainly do as much for his own people and they succeeded them and dwelt in their stead 22 As he did to the children of Esau * Gen. 32. 3. which dwelt in Seir when he destroyed the Horims from before them and they succeeded them and dwelt in their stead even unto this day 23 And the * Josh. 13. 3. Avims which dwelt in Hazerim even unto Azzah the Caphtorims x A people akin to the 〈◊〉 Gen. 10. 14. and confederate with them in this enterprize and so dwelling together and by degrees were probably uniâ—…â—…ether by Marriages or otherwayes and â—…came one people the Caâ—…torims being at last swallowed up in the 〈◊〉 See Iâ—…r 47. 4. Amos 9. 7. which came forth out of Caphtor y Which is by the Learned thought to be Cappadocia Whither these people might make an expedition out of Egypt either because of the report of the great Riches of part of that Countrey which drew others thither from places equally remote or after the manner of those antient times or for some other reason now unknown destroyed them and dwelt in their stead 24 Rise ye up take your journey and * Num. 21. 13 1â—… pass over the river Arnon behold I have given into thy hand Sihon the Amorite King of Heshbon and his land †Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 begin to possess it and contend with him in battel 25 This day will I begin to put the dread of thee and the fear of thee upon the nations that are under the whole heaven z Which is a Syneedoche and an Hyperbole but is explained by the following words which restrain the sentence to those nations that heard of them who shall hear report of thee and shall tremble and be in anguish because of thee 26 And I sent messengers out of the wilderness of Kedemoth a So called from a city of that name Ios. 13. 18. and called Iesimon Numo 21. 20. unto Sihon King of Heshbon * Chap. 2â—… â—… with words of peace b With offers of peace which they refusing their destruction was highly just and reasonable saying 27 * Num. 21. â—… 22. Let me pass through thy land I will go along by the high way c In my direct road to Canaan from which I will not turn aside into thy Fields or Vineyards or Houses I will neither turn unto the right hand nor to the left 28 Thou shalt sell me meat for money that I may eat and give me water for money that I may drink onely I will pass through on my feet d Or with my Foot 〈◊〉 or with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which are oâ—… foot which is added significantly because if their Army had consisted as much of Horsemen as many other Armies did their passage through his land might have been more mischievous and dangerous but they were generally on foot 29 As the children of Esau which dwell in Seir and the Moabites which dwell in Ar did unto me e Obj. The King of Edâ—… i. e. of the children of Esau did not grant them passage Numb 20. Answ. They did permit them to pass quietly by the borders though not through the heart of their Land and in their passage the people sold them meat and drink being it seems more kind to them than their King would have had them and therefore they here ascribe this favour not to the King though they are now treating with a King but to the people the children of Esau. until I shall pass over Jordan into the land which the LORD our God giveth us 30 But Sihon King of Heshbon would not let us pass by him f i. e. By his Borders for * Josh. 11. â—… the LORD thy God hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate g Unmovable and inexorable to our desires that he might deliver him into thy hand as appeareth this day 31 And the LORD said unto me Behold I have begun to give Sihon
some certain mountain for the place of his habitation or possibly understood by revelation that in that very mount of Mâ—… where Abraham performed that eminent and glorious act of worship there also the children of Abraham should have their place of constant and settled worship This he seems to call that mountain emphatically and eminently that which was much in Moses his thoughts though not in his eye and the blessed as the Hebrew tob oft signifies or the goodly mountain Or the mountain may be here put for the mountainous countries as that word is oft used as Gen. 36. 9. Numb 13. 2â—… and 2â—… 7. Deut. 1. 7. Ios. 10. 6. and 11. 16 21. c. And it is known that a great part of the glory and beauty and profit of this Country lay in its Hills or Mountains See Deut. 11. 1â—… and 33. 15. And that goodly mountain may by an Enallage of the number be put for those goodly mountains in Canaan which were many Thus also he proceeds gradually in this desire and description and prays that he may see in general the good Land that is beyond Iordan and then particularly the goodly mountains of it and especially that famous mount of Lebanon which was so celebrated for its tall and large Cedars and other Trees and excellent Plants See Psal. 29. 5. and 1â—…4 16. Isa. 2. 13. and 14. 8. and Lebanon e. 26 But the LORD * Num. 20. 1â—… and 27. 14. chap. 1. 37. and 32. 51. was wroth with me for your sakes f By occasion of your sins which provoked me to unadvised words and carriages Psal. 106. 32 33. See Numb 20. 12. Deut. 31. 2. and 34. 4. and would not hear me and the LORD said unto me Let it suffice thee g That this is my pleasure and unalterable resolution Compare 2 Câ—…r 12. 8 9 speak no more unto me of this matter 27 * Num. 2â—… 1â—… Get thee up into the top of ‖ Or 〈◊〉 Pisgah h Of which see on Numb 27. 12. and lift up thine eyes i Towards the Land of Canaan and its several quarters westward and northward and southward and eastward and behold it with thine eyes for thou shalt not go over this Jordan 28 But * Num. 2â—… 1â—… charge Joshua k Give him commission and authority and a command to execute his trust and conduct the people and encourage him and strengthen him l With exhortations and promises and assurances of my presence and help and of good success for he shall go over m before this people and he shall cause them to inherit the land which thou shalt see 29 So we abode in * Deut. 34. 6. the vally over against Beth-Peor n The House or Temple of Peor or of Baal-Peor of which see Numb 25. 3. whence this place or city had its name CHAP. IV. 1 NOW therefore hearken O Israel unto the statutes a The Laws which concerns the worship and service of God and unto the judgments b The Laws concerning your duties to men So these two comprehend both Tables and the whole Law of God which I teach you for to do them that ye may live and go in and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers giveth you 2 * chap. 1â—… â—… Josh. 1. 7. Prov. 3â—… 6. Eccl. 12. 1â—… Rev. 22. 1â—… â—… Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you c By devising other doctrines or wayes of worship than what I have taught or prescribed See Numb 15. 39 40. Deut. 12. 8 32 1 King 12. 33. Prov. 30. 6. Math. 15. 9. For this were to accuse me of want of wisdom or care or faithfulness in not giving you sufficient instructions for my own service neither shall ye diminish ought from it d By rejecting or neglecting any thing which I have commanded though it seem never so small that ye may keep the commandements of the LORD your God which I command you 3 Your eyes have seen what the LORD did because of * Num. 2â—… 4. c. Baal-Peor for all the men that followed Baal-Peor the LORD thy God hath destroyed them from among you Josh. 22. 1â—… 4 But ye that did cleave unto the LORD your God are alive every one of you this day 5 Behold I have taught you statutes and judgments even as the LORD my God commanded me that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it 6 Keep therefore and do them for this is * Job 28. 2â—… Psal. 111. 10. Prov. 1. 7. your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations d For though the generality of Heathen people in the later and degenerate ages of the world did through inveterate prejudices and for their own lusts and interests condemn the Laws of the Hebrews as foolish and absurd yet it is most certain that divers of the wisest heathens did highly approve of them so far that they made use of divers of them and translated them into their own Laws and Constitutions and Moses the giver of these Laws hath been mentioned with great honour for his â—…dom and learning by many of them And particularly the old Heathen Oracle expresly said that the Chaldeans or Hebrews who worshipped the uncreated God were the onely wise men which shall hear all these statutes and say surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people 7 For * 2 Sam. 7. 23. what nation is there so great who hath †Heb. a God Sâ—… Gr. God * Psal. 46. 1. and 145. 18. and 148. 14. â—…a 55. 6. so nigh unto them e By glorious miracles by the pledges of his special presence by the operations of his grace and particularly as it here follows by his readiness to hear our prayers and to give us those succours which we call upon him for as the LORD our God is in all things that we call upon him for 8 And what nation is there so great that hath statutes and judgements so righteous f Whereby he implies that the true greatness of a nation doth not consist in pomp or power or largeness of empire as commonly men think but in the righteousness of its Laws as all this law which I set before you this day 9 Onely take heed to thy self and keep thy soul diligently lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen and lest they depart from thy heart all the dayes of thy life but * Gen. 18. 19. chap. 6. 7. and 11. 19. 〈◊〉 â—…8 5 6. teach them thy sons and thy sons sons 10 Specially * Exod. 19. 9 1â—… and 20. 18. Heb. 12. 18. the day that thou stoodst before the LORD thy God in Horeb g Some of them stood there in their own persons though then they were but young the rest stood their in the loins of their Parents in whom they may well be
discourses or diffamations against her and bring up an evil name upon her and say I took this woman and when I came to her I found her not a maid 15 Then shall the father of the damsel and her mother take and bring forth the tokens of the damsels virginity x i. e. The linnen cloth or sheet as is expressed v. 17. which in the first congress was infected with blood as is natural and usual But because this is not now constant the enemies of Scripture take occasion to quarrel with this Law as unreasonable and unjust and such as might oppress the innocent and hence take occasion to reject the Holy Scriptures It were much more reasonable for these men either to expound this place metaphorically of producing those proofs and testimonies of her virginity which should be as satisfactory as if that cloth were produced as some of the Iews understand it or modestly to acknowledge their own Ignorance in this as they are forced to do in many other things and not impudently to conclude it is insoluble because they cannot resolve it But there is no need of such general answers many things may be particularly said for the vindication of this â—…w 1. That it was necessary for that people because of their hard-heartedness towards their Wives and their levity and desire of change of Wives 2. That either this tryal or at least the proof of her Virginity was to be taken presently after the day of marriage and that proof was to be admitted afterwards upon occasion 3. That this Law was seldom or never put in execution as the Iews note and seems to be made for terrour and caution to Husbands and Wives as many other Laws have been in like cases 4. That that God who gave this Law did by his Providence govern all Affairs and rule the Tongues and Hearts of Men and therefore would doubtless take care so to order matters that the innocent should not suffer by this means which he could prevent many wayes 5. That there is a great difference in times and climates Who knows not that there are many things now by our Moderns thought uncertain or false which by the Antient Physitians were thought and affirmed to be true and certain in their times and Countreys and that many signs of Diseases and other things do generally hold true in those more Southernly and warmer parts of the World which are many times deceitful in our Northern and colder Climates 6. That this very way of tryal of Virginity hath been used not onely by the Iews but also by the Arabians and Egyptians as is affirmed by divers Learned Writers among whom yet it was more doubtful and hazardous than among the Iews who might promise to themselves that God would guide the execution of his own Law to a just and good issue 7. That this sign if it were uncertain in persons of riper years yet it may be reasonably thought certain and constant in Virgins of young and tender age and that the Jews did ordinarily marry their Daughters when they were about 12 or 13 years old as is confessed as making haste to roll away that reproach which they thought to be in an unmarried state unto the elders of the city in the gate 16 And the damsels father shall say unto the elders I gave my daughter unto this man to wife and he hateth her 17 And â—…o he hath given occasions of speech against her saying I found not thy daughter a maid and yet these are the tokens of my daughters virginity and they shall spread the cloth before the elders of the city 18 And the elders of that city shall take that man and chastise him x Either 1. By the following muâ—…ct Or 2. By severe reproofs which that word oft signifies Or 3. By stripes as is expressed Deut. 25. 2 3. Which is not strange considering how pretious a thing ones good Name is of which he endeavoured to deprive his Wife 19 And they shall amerce him in an hundred shekels of silver and give them unto the father of the damsel y Because this was a reproach to his family and to himself because such a miscarriage of his Daughters would have been ascribed to his evil education because he hath brought up an evil name upon a virgin of Israel and she shall be his wife he may not put her away all his dayes z Which seems to have been his design in this false accusation and therefore that liberty of a divorce which is permitted to others Deut. 24. 1. shall be denied to him 20 But if this thing be true and the tokens of virginity be not found for the damsel 21 Then they shall bring out the damsel to the door of her fathers house and the men of her city shall stone her with stones that she die a Qu. Why should she die when her crime was onely Fornication which was not punished in a woman with death Exod. 22. 16 17 Answ. Because there was not onely Fornication in this case as Exod. 22 but this was accompanyed with deep dissimulation and injury to her Husband in the false profession of Virginity and it might be presumed that she committed this folly after she was betrothed to him and therefore so obstinately denyed it as knowing the danger of it in that case Or God ordered it thus for the honour and custody of the matrimonial bed from all defilement that she who being defiled before she was married or betrothed and therefore not punishable by death yet if she should presume to carry her defilement into the married estate with a pretence of Virginity she should then be put to death because she hath wrought folly in Israel to play the whore in her fathers house so * Chap. 13. 5. shalt thou put evil away from among you 22 * Lev. 20. 10. If a man be found lying with a woman marryed b If he be convicted of this fault though not taken in the very act to an husband then they shall both of them die both the man that lay with the woman and the woman so shalt thou put away evil from Israel 23 If a damsel that is a virgin be betrothed unto an husband c For by this betrothing she had actually engaged her self to another man and was in some sort his Wife and therefore is sometimes so called as Gen. 29. 21. Mat. 1. 20. and a man find her in the city and lie with her 24 Then ye shall bring them both out unto the gate of that city and ye shall stone them with stones that they die the damsel because she cried not d And therefore is justly presumed to have consented to it being in the city and the man because he hath humbled his neighbors wife so thou shalt put away evil from among you 25 But if a man find a betrothed damsel in the field and the man ‖ Or take strong â—…old of heâ—… force her
who were desirous to be Spectators of this wonderful work ‡ Heb. â—…ing host came after the ark the priests l Which is rightly supplied here from v. 4. going on and blowing with the Trumpets 10 And Joshua commanded the people saying Ye shall not shout m Because shouting before the time appointed would be ineffectual and so might give them some Discouragement and their Enemies matter of insulting nor †make any noise with ‡ Heb. 〈◊〉 your voice 〈◊〉 be heard your voice neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth until the day I bid you shout then shall ye shout 11 So the Ark of the LORD compassed the city going about it once and they came into the camp and lodged in the camp 12 And Joshua rose early in the morning and the priests took up the ark of the LORD 13 And seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams horns before the ark of the LORD went on continually and blew with the trumpets and the armed men went before them but the rereward came after the ark of the LORD the priests going on and blowing with the Trumpets 14 And the second day they compassed the City once and returned into the camp so they did six days 15 And it came to pass on the seventh day that they rose early about the dawning of the day and compassed the city after the same manner seven times only on that day they compassed the city seven times 16 And it came to pass at the seventh time when the priests blew with the trumpets Joshua said unto the people Shout n To testifie your faith in Gods promise and thankfulness for this glorious mercy and to encourage your selves and Brethren and to strike a terror into your Enemies for the LORD hath given you the city 17 And the City shall be †accursed o i. e. Devoted to utter Destruction Levit. 27. 21 29. Deut. 12. This he spake by instinct or direction from God as is evident from 1 King 16. 34. even ‡ Or 〈◊〉 it and all that are therein to the LORD p Partly because the first-fruits were appropriated to God partly lest the soldiers being glutted with the Spoil of this rich City should grow â—…ensual and sluggish in their work and partly to strike the greater terror into the rest of their Enemies only Rahab the harlot shall live she and all that are with her in the house because * Chap. 2. â—… she hid the messengers that we sent 18 And ye * Deut. 7. 26. 13. 17. in any wise keep your selves from the accursed thing lest ye make your selves accursed when ye take of the accursed thing and make the camp of Israel a curse q By provoking God to punish them for your sin in which they may be one way or other involved or at least upon the occasion of your sin for to speak properly God will not the case of Adams sin only excepted punish one man for the sin of another as he hath oft declared but the whole Camp having sins of their own God might take what occasion he saw fit to inflict this Punishment and trouble it 19 But all the silver and gold and vessels of brass and iron r Except that of which Images were made which were to be utterly destroyed Exod. 32. 20. Deut. 7. 25. are †consecrated unto the LORD s Being first made to pass through the fire Numb 31. 22 23. ‡ Heb. 〈◊〉 they shall come into the treasury of the LORD t To be employed wholly for the service or uses of the Tabernacle not to be applied to the use of any private person or Priest 20 So the people shouted when the Priests blew with the Trumpets and it came to pass when the people heard the sound of the Trumpet and the people shouted with a great shout that * Heb. 11. 30. the wall fell down †flat so that the people went up into the ‡ Heb. under 〈◊〉 city every man straight before him and they took the City 21 And they utterly destroyed all that was in the City both man and woman young and old u Being commanded to do so by the Soveraign Lord of every mans life and being informed by God before that the Canaanites were abominably wicked and deserved the severest Punishments As for the Infants they were guilty of Original sin and otherwise at the disposal of their Creator as the clay is in the hands of the Potter but if they had been wholly innocent it was a great favour to them to take them away in infancy rather than reserve them to those dreadful Calamities which those who survived them were liable to and ox and sheep and ass with the edge of the sword 22 But Joshua had said unto the two men that had spied out the country Go into the harlots house x Which together with the wall upon which it leaned was left standing either by a special favour of God to her or for the reason alledged upon v. 6. and bring out thence the woman and all that she hath * Chap. 2. 14. Hebr. 11. 31. as ye sware unto her 23 And the young men that were spies went in and brought out Rahab and her father and her mother and her brethren and all that she had and they brought out all her †kindred and left them ‡ Heb. families without the camp of Israel y Till they were cleansed from the impurities of their Gentile state and instructed in the Iewish Religion and solemnly admitted into that Church in the usual way to which Rahabs good Counsel and Example had doubtless very much prepared them and this stupendious work of God confirmed their purposes 24 And they burnt the city with fire and all that was therein only the silver and the gold and the vessels of brass and of iron they put into the treasury of the house of the LORD 25 And Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive z For that general commanding of rooting out the Canaanites seems to have had some exception in case any of them had sincerely and seasonably cast off their Idolatry and Wickedness and submitted themselves to the Israelites as we shall see hereafter and her fathers houshold and all that she had and she dwelleth in Israel even unto this day because she hid the messengers which Joshua sent to spy out Jericho 26 ¶ And Joshua adjured them a Or made them to swear caused the people or some in the name of all to swear for the present and succeeding Generations and to confirm their Oath by a Curse at that time saying * 1 King 16. 34. Cursed be the man before the LORD b i. e. From Gods presence and by his sentence as they are said to cast lots before the Lord Josh. 18. 8 10. i. e. expecting the Decision from God He intimates that he doth not utter this in a Passion or
Moses an altar of whole stones over which no man hath lift up any iron and they offered thereon burnt-offerings unto the LORD and sacrificed peace-offerings 32 And he wrote there upon the stones t Not upon the Stones of the Altar which were to be rough and unpolished v. 31. but upon other Stones sinooth and plaistered as is manifest from Deut. 27. 2. a copy of the law of Moses u Not certainly the whole five Books of Moses for what Stones and time would have sufficed for this nor the Blessings and the Curses here following which never are nor can without great impropriety be called the Law of Moses seeing they presuppose the Law and the Observation or Transgression thereof to which they belong only as rewards of the one and punishments of the other but the most weighty and substantial parts of the Law as may be gathered from the Laws which are mentioned and to the violaters whereof the Curses are applied Deut. 27. 15. c. and especially the Law of the Ten Commandments which he wrote in the presence of the children of Israel 33 And all Israel x i. e. The whole Congregation old and young male and female as it follows v. 35. and their elders and officers and their judges stood on this side the ark and on that side y i. e. Some on one side of it and some on the other before the priests the Levites which bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD as well the stranger as he that was born among them half of them over against mount Gerizim z These two places were in the Tribe of Ephraim not far from Shechem as appears both from Scripture Deut. 11. 29 30. and 27. 12. Iudg. 9. 7. and from other Authors who lived in those parts as Iosephus and the Iewish Doctors and half of them over against mount Ebal * Deut. 11. 29 and 27. 1â—… as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded before that they should bless a Or Curse which is easily understood out of the following verse and from Deut. 27. 13 c. the people of Israel 34 And afterward b After the Altar was built and the Stones plaistered and writ upon he read c i. e. He commanded the Priests or Levites to read Deut. 27. 14. all the words of the law the blessings and cursings d Which words come in not by way of Explication as if the words of the Law were nothing else besides the Blessings and Curses but by way of addition to note that these were read over and above the words of the Law according to all that is written in the book of the law e He saith not according to all that was written upon those Stones but in the Book of the Law which shews the mistake of them that think the same things were both read and written upon these Stones 35 There was not a word of all that Moses commanded which Joshua read not f Therefore he read not the Blessings and Curses only as some think but the whole Law as the manner was when all Israel Men and Women were Assembled together as we read Deut. 31. 10 11 12. before all the congregation of Israel * Deut. 31. 12. with the women and the little ones and the strangers that * Heb. walked were conversant among them g i. e. Who were Proselytes for no others can be supposed to be with them at this time CHAP. IX AND it came to pass when all the kings which were on this side Jordan in the hill and in the valley and in all the coast of the great sea over against Lebanon the Hittite and the Amorite the Canaanite the Perizzite the Hivite and the Jebusite heard thereof 2 That they gathered themselves together a Not actually as the following History shews but they entred into a league or confederation to do this to fight with Joshua and with Israel with one * Heb. Mouth accord 3 And b Or But for he shews that these took another and a wiser course when the inhabitants of Gibeon c A great and royal city of the Hivites Ios. 10. 2. and 11. 19. heard what Joshua had done unto Jericho and to Ai 4 They did work wilily and went and made as if they had been embassadors d Sent from a far Country as they say v. 6. and took old sacks upon their asses and wine-bottles old and rent and bound up 5 And old shooes and clouted upon their feet and old garments upon them and all the bread of their provision was dry and mouldy 6 And they went to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal e The place of their head-Quarters and said unto him and to the men of Israel f To wit those who used to meet in Counsel with Joshua to whom it belonged to make Leagues as it here follows even the Princes of the Congregation not the common people as appears both from v. 15 18 19 21. and from common usage of all Ambassadors who generally deliver their Message to and treat with Princes not People And the Hebrew word isch here used sometimes notes men of eminency and dignity We be come from a far countrey now therefore g Because we are not of this people whom as we are informed you are obliged utterly to destroy that which appeared sufficiently both by the Israelites practice in destroying the Amorites beyond Iordan and the people of Iericho and Ai without any allowance for Sex or Age and by common rumor and the report of the Israelites and other persons who dwelt among them or had converse with them as Rahab and all her kindred and by the nature of the thing because they were to possess that whole Land and were not to mix themselves with the people of it make ye a league with us 7 And the men of Israel said unto the Hivite g i. e. The Gibeonites who were Hivites Jos. 11. 19. Peradventure ye dwell among us h i. e. In this Land and so are of that people with whom we are forhidden to make any League or Covenant Exod. 23. 32 33 34. Deut. 7. 2. and 20. 15 16. and how shall we make a league with you 8 And they said unto Joshua We are thy servants i We desire a League with you upon your own terms we are ready to accept of any conditions And Joshua said unto them Who are ye and from whence come ye k For this free and general concession of theirs gave Ioshua just cause to suspect that they were of the cursed Canaanites 9 And they said unto him From a very far country thy servants are come because of the Name of the LORD l Being moved thereunto by the report of his great and glorious nature and works so they gave them hopes that they would embrace their Religion thy God for we have heard the
Ephraim had one here v. 5. and Manasseh another Ios. 17. 1. but because in these first Verses he speaks of them in common and of the South border which seems to be the same either wholly or in a great part and then he comes to the particular description of their several portions It is here farther remarkable that God so disposed of these Lots that they came forth in decent and due order Iudah's first to whom the Sovereignty was promised and then Ioseph's who succeeded Reuben in the other Priviledg of the Birth-right the double-portion 1 Chron. 5. 1 2. * fell ‡ Heb. Wâ—… forth from Jordan by Jericho unto the †water of Jericho b Of which see 2 King 2. 19 20 21 22. on the east to the wilderness c The Wilderness of Beth-aven as appears by comparing Ios. 18. 12. which speaks of the very same border which was on the South of Ephraim and on the North of Benjamin that goeth up from Jericho throughout mount Peth-el 2 And goeth out from Beth-el to * Judg. 1. 〈◊〉 Luz d Or from Bethel-luzah as the LXX here join the words for Bethel was anciently called Luz Gen. 28. 19. and 48. 3. Though some think this was another Luz spoken of Iudg. 1. 26. Others make Bethel and Luz two neighbouring Towns which afterwards being more built and inhabited became one as oft hath happened and passeth along unto the borders of Archi to Ataroth 3 And goeth down westward to the coast of Japhleti unto the coast of Beth-horon the nether e Of the two Beth-horons see Jos. 10. 10 11. and to Gezer and the goings out thereof are at the sea 4 So the children of Joseph Manasseh f i. e. Half Manasseh by a Synecdoche and Ephraim took their inheritance g i. e. Their several Portions which here follow Some think that they had but one Lot between them and therefore they are now said to take their inheritance to wit by dividing it between them according to the direction of Ioshua and Eleazar c. For that Phrase being used of them and not to my remembrance of any other Tribes may seem to have some peculiar signification which doth not agree to the other Tribes But there being mention of a peculiar Lot taken out for Manasseh Josh. 17. 1. shews that their several inheritances fell to them as the rest did to the other Tribes even by several Lots and it is said of them that they took their inheritance which also Iudah had done before them because the Tribes of Iudah and Ioseph did take their Inheritances before the rest and it was fit they should do so for the security of the main Camp and the body of the people which were at Gilgal See Ios. 18. 5. g i. e. The North-east side It is no wonder if some of these Descriptions are dark and doubtful to us at this distance of time and place there having been so many alterations made in places and so many circumstances being now altogether undiscoverable But this is evident to every man of common sense that this and all the descriptions here mentioned were then certain and evident to the Israelites because these were the foundation of their present practice and of all the Possessions which then they took and peaceably possessed in succeeding Ages 5 ¶ And the border of the children of Ephraim according to their families was thus even the border of their inheritance on the east-side h was from Ataroth-addar unto Beth-horon the upper 6 And the border went out toward the sea i The Mid-land sea towards the West to Mickmethah on the north-side and the border went about eastward unto Taanath-shiloh and passed by it on the east to Janohah 7 And it went down from Janohah to Ataroth and to Naarath and came to Jericho k Not to the City of Iericho which belonged to Benjamin's Lot Ios. 18. 21. but to its Territory and went out at Jordan 8 The border went up from Tappuah westward unto the river Kanah and the goings out thereof were at the sea This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Ephraim by their families 9 And the * Chap. 17. 9. separate cities l i. e. Besides those Cities which were within Ephraim's bounds he had some other Cities to which also their Territories were annexed out of Manasseh's Portion because his Tribe was all here and was larger than Manasseh's for the children of Ephraim were among the inheritance of the children of Manasseh all the cities with their villages 10 And they * â—…udg â—… 29. drave not out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer m Nor were they driven out till Solomon's time 1 King 9. 16. but the Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites unto this day and serveth under tribute n As Ios. 17. 13. 1 King 9. 16. CHAP. XVII THere was also a lot for the tribe of Manasseh for he was the * Gen. 41. 51. and â—…6 20. first born of Joseph a The sense is though Ephraim was to be more potent and numerous yet Manasseh was the First-born and had the priviledg of the First-born which was translated to Ioseph to wit a double portion and therefore though this were but half the Tribe of Manasseh yet they are not made Inmates to Ephraim but have a distinct Lot of their own as their Brethren or other half Tribe had beyond Iordan to wit for ‡ Gen. 50. 23. Numb 32. 39 40. Machir b The only Son of Manasseh who therefore is here and â—…udg 5. 14. put for the whole Tribe the first-born c So even onely Sons are sometimes called as Mat. 1. 25. See Exod. 4. 22. of Manasseh the father of Gilead d Or and the Father or who was also the Father of Gilead not of the Land of Gilead but of the man Gilead who was Machir's Son Numb 26. 29. because he was a man of war e He i. e. Machir had given great proof of his Valour in his Generation though the particular History be not mentioned and his Posterity were no degenerate Sons but had his valiant Blood still running in their Veins therefore he had Gilead and Bashan f i. e. Part of those Countreys for part of them also was given to the Reubenites and part to the Gadites as appears from Ios. 13. 30 31. This may be added as a reason either 1. Why he got those places from the Amorites or 2. Why they were allotted to him or his Posterity because this was a Frontier Country and the Out-works to the Land of Canaan and therefore required such valiant persons to defend it 2 There was also a lot g Or a Portion or distinct Inheritance for * Numb 26. â—…9 the rest of the children of Manasseh h To wit those of them which had not received their Possessions beyond Iordan Numb 26. 30 c. by their families for
with Floods of Water poured out of the Clouds upon them and from them flowing down in a mighty Etream upon the lower grounds and carrying down some part of the Mountain with it as is usual in excessive Showers from before the LORD even * Psal. 68. â—… that Sinai m She sâ—…ides into the mention of another and a more ancient appearance of God for his People to wit in Sinai it being usual in Scripture repetitions of former actions to put divers together into a narrow compass and in few words The sense is No wonder that the Mountains of the Amorites and Canaanites melted and trembled when thou didst lead thy People towards them for even Sinai it selâ—… could not bear thy Presence but melted in like manner before thee Or as that Sinai did upon a like manifestation of thy self so there is onely a defect of the Particle as which I have shewedâ—… to be frequent from before the LORD God of Israel 6 In the days of Shamgar n Whilest Shamgar lived who was if not a Judg yet an eminent person for Strength and Valour Iudg. 3. 31. the son of Anath in the days of * Chap. 4. 18. Jael o Iael though an Illustrious Woman and of great Authority and Influence upon the People did effect nothing for the Deliverance of Gods People till God raised me up c. the high ways were unoccupied and the ‡ Heb. walkers of paths travellers walked through ‡ Heb. crooked ways by-ways p Partly because of the Canaanites who besides the publick Burdens and Tributes which they laid upon them waited for all opportunities of doing them mischief secretly their Soldiers watching for Travellers in Common Roads as is usual with such in times of War and partly because of the Robbers even of their own people who having cast off the â—…r and Worship of God and there being no King or Ruleâ—… in Israel to restrain or punish them and being also many of them reduced to great want through the Oppression of the Canaanites it is not strange if in those times of publick disorder and ataxy divers of the Israelites themselves did break forth into acts of Injustice and Violence even against their own Brethren whom they could meet with in convenient places which made Travellers seek â—…or by-paths 7 The inhabitants of the villages ceased q The people forsook all their unfortified Towns as not being able to protect them from Military Insolence they ceased in Israel until that I Deborah arose that I arose a * 〈◊〉 49. 23. mother r i. e. To be to them as a Mother to Instruct and Rule and Protect them which Duties a Mother oweth to her Children as far as she is able in Israel 8 They chose s They did not onely submit to Idolatry when they were forced to it by Tyrants but they freely chose it new gods t New to them and unknown to their Fathers and new in comparison of the true and everlasting God of Israel being but Up-starts and of yesterday then was war in the gates u i. e. In their Walled Cities which have Gates and Bars Gates are oft put for Cities as Gen. 22. 17. Deut. 17. 2. Obad. v. 11. Then their strongest Holds fell into the hands of their Enemies * 1 Sam. 13. 19 â—…2 was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel x i. e. There was not the meaning is not that all the Israelites had no Arms for here is mention made onely of Shields or Spears so they might have Swords and Bows and Arrows to offend their Enemies but either that they had but few Arms among them being many Thousands of them disarmed by the Canaanites or that they generally neglected the use of Arms as being utterly dis-spirited and without all hope of recovering their lost Liberty and being necessitated to other employments for subsistence 9 My heart is toward the governours of Israel y I greatly honour and love those who being the chief of the people in Wealth and Dignity did not withdraw themselves from the work as such usually do but did expose themselves to the same hazards and joyned with their meaner Brethren in this noble but dangerous attempt and by their Examples and Countenance engaged others in it that oâ—…ered themselves willingly among the people Bless ye the LORD z Who inclined their hearts to this undertaking and gave them Success in it As she gives Instruments their due so she is careful the Soveraign Cause and Lord of all lose not his Glory 10 ‖ Or meditate Speak a Celebrate the Praises of our Mighty God whose hard hath done this ye that ride on white asses b i. e. Magistrates and Nobles who used to do so Iudg. 10. 4. and 12. 14. Hories being in a manner forbidden theâ—…e Deut. 17. 16. ye that sit in judgment and ye that walk by the way c i. e. You that now can safely Travel about your business in those High-ways which before you durst neither ride â—…or walâ—… in So 〈◊〉 and mean persons are jointly excited to Praise God 11 They that are delivered from the noise of archers d Either 1. From the noise or sound and consequently the force of those Arrows which are shot at them but he names the noise because this Epithete is frequently given to Bows and Arrows in Poetical Writings Or 2. From the Triumphant noise and shout of Archers rejoycing when they meet with their Prey in the places oâ—… drawing water e At those Pits or Springs of Water which were scarce and precious in those hot Countreys to which the peoples Necessities forced them oft to resort and nigh unto which the Archers did usually lurk in Woods or Thickets or Hedges that from thence they might shoot at them and kill and spoil them there shall they rehearse the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the LORD righteous acts of the LORD f When they come to those places with freedom and safety which before they could not they shall with thankfulness rehearse this Righteous and Faithful and Gracious work of God in rescuing his People and Punishing his Enemies even the righteous acts towards the inhabiâ—…ants of his villages g Whom he mentions because as their danger was greater v. 7. so was their Deliverance and their Obligation to Praise God in Israel then shall the people of the LORD go down to the gates h To wit of their Cities which were the chief places to which both City and Countrey resorted for publick business and matters of Justice from which they had been debarred by their Oppressors but now they had free access and passage either in or out of the Gates as their occasions required and they who had been driven from their Cities now returned to them in Peace and Triumph so the Citizens Deliverance is Celebrated here as the Countrey-mens is in the foregoing
Authors of the Sin but God was the chief Author of the Punishment and the Israelites were but his Executioners in the tribes of Israel 16 ¶ Then the elders of the congregation said How shall we do for Wives for them that remain q For the 200 who are yet unprovided of Wives seeing the women are destroyed out of Benjamin 17 And they said There must be an inheritance for them that be escaped out of Benjamin r The Inheritance promised by Iacob and Moses and given by Ioshua to the Tribe of Benjamin doth all of it belong to those few which remain of that Tribe and cannot be Possessed by any other Tribe and therefore we are obliged to procure Wives for them all that they may make up this breach and be capable of Possessing and managing all their Land that this Tribe and their Inheritance may not be confounded with or swallowed up by any of the rest Heb. the inheritance to wit belonging to the whole Tribe of Benjamin is or belongs to them that be escaped of Benjamin that a tribe be not destroyed out of Israel 18 Howbeit we may not give them wives of our daughters for the children of Israel have sworn saying Cursed be he that giveth a wife to Benjamin s i. e. To this Generation of Benjamites who have made themselves guilty of this foul Wickedness but this Oath did not extend to their Posterity And some think it had another exception to wit unless the surviving Benjamites could not otherwise be supplied with wives 19 Then they said Behold there is a feast of the LORD in Shiloh ‡ Heb. from year to year yearly t On the three solemn Feasts in which they used some honest and holy Recreations among which Dancing was one Exod. 15. 20. 1 Sam. 18. 6. and 2 Sam. 6. 14. and probably it was the Feast of Tabernacles which they did Celebrate with more than ordinary joy Deut. 16. 13 14 15. in a place which is on the north-side of Beth-el u Heb. Which is on the north of Bethel Which doth not relate to Shiloh which was so known a place that it was frivolous to describe it by such circumstances even by places much less known than it self but to the Feast which as to that part or exercise of the Feast here especially concerned and mentioned to wit the Dancing of the Virgins was not celebrated in Shiloh but in a Neighbouring place more convenient for that purpose ‖ Or towards the sun-rising on the east-side ‖ Or on of the high-way that goeth from Beth-el to Shechem and on the south of Lebonah 20 Therefore they commanded the children of Benjamin saying Go and lie in wait in the vineyards 21 And see and behold if the daughters of Shiloh x By whom he may possibly understand not those onely who were born or settled Inhabitants there as many conceive but all those who were come thither upon this occasion and for a time sojourned there For although only the Males were obliged to go up the Three solemn Feasts yet it is apparent that the Women had liberty to go and those who were most devout did usually go and others upon special reasons or occasions See 1 Sam. 1. 7 21 22 24. Luk. 2. 22 23 41 42 43. And it may be justly presumed especially concerning those women that lived at no great distance from the place of Publick Worship that they came thither in great numbers Moreover the daughters of Shiloh strictly so called are not onely they that liyed in that Town or City buâ—…n the Country belonging to it which oft comes under the name of the City to which it belongs And these may be here particularly named because though others might come yet they were under great obligations to come because of their nearness to the place come out to dance in dances then come ye out of the vineyards y Which were near to their Dancing-place and catch ye every man his wife of the daughters of Shiloh z Take them away by force or violence Which they might the better do because mixed Dances were not used by the People of God in their Solemnities but the Women danced by themselves and therefore were more liable to this Rape and go to the land of Benjamin 22 And it shall be when their fathers or their brethren come unto us to complain that we will say unto them ‖ Or Gratisie us in them Be favourable unto them a Pass by their offence if not for their sakes whom necessity forced to this course yet for our sakes and indeed for your own sakes for both you and we have done them a great injury in Prosecuting them with so much fury as to endanger the utter extinction of the whole Tribe and therefore this is the least we can do by way of reparation for our sakes because we reserved not to each man his wife in the war b Either First in the War with Iabesh-Gilead wherein they should have taken care to reserve a sufficient number which they might have done by sparing either so many of the Married Women as were necessary who their former Husbands being slain might have been married to those Benjamites or as many of the younger Virgins who within a little time might have been Married to them whom many suppose that they flew Or Secondly in the War with the Benjamites in which they acknowledge their cruelty in destroying the women with such fury as not to leave a competent number for the Men which were left See Iudg. 20. 48. for ye did not give unto them at this time that ye should be guilty c Qu. Whether this did really discharge them from their Oath 1. Answ. It seems to excuse those Parents of these Virgins who were not acquainted with the Plot and did neither directly nor indirectly give their Daughters to them but they were taken away by force without their knowledge and consent If it be said those Parents might and should have retaken their Daughters from them it may be replied that they could not do so before they were corrupted and the Rulers of Israel would not assist them with their Power to recover them And it is a Maxime That many things which ought not to be done when once they are done should not be undone And for those Parents who were conscious of the Design it is probable they kept their Daughters at home to avoid this Secondly Either the Oath was made with an Exception of the Case of the Total Extirpation of a Tribe or it was a rash Oath to do what was out of their Power or what they could not lawfully do to wit utterly to destroy a Tribe out of Israel which therefore they here speak of with horror v. 3 6. and if so as they Sinned in making it so they were not obliged to keep it it being an acknowledged truth That Rash and Sinful Oaths are better broken
Ancestors or by the Reports of the Hebrews when he ‡ Or deluded them had wrought ‖ Or reproachfully wonderfully among them * Exod. 12. 31. did not they let ‡ Heb. them the people go and they departed 7 Now therefore make a new cart o As David did for the same use â—… Sam. 6. 3. in Reverence to the Ark. and take two milch-kine on which there hath come no yoke p Partly in Respect to the Ark and paâ—…ly for the better Discovery because 〈◊〉 untamed 〈◊〉 are wanton and apt to wander and keep no certain and constant paths as Oxen accustomed to the Yoke do and therefore were most unlikely to keep the direct Road to Israels Land and tie the kine to the câ—… and bring their calves home from them q Which would stir up Natural Affection in their Dams and cause them rather to return Home than to go to a strange Countrey 8 And take the ark of the LORD and lay it upon the cart r Which God winked at in them both because they were ignorant of Gods Law to the contrary and because they had no Levites to carry it upon their Shoulders and put the jewels of gold which ye return him for a trespass-offering in a coffer by the side thereof s For they durst not presume to open the Ark to put them within it and send it away that it may go 9 And see if it goeth up by the way of his own coast s Or Border i. e. the way that leadeth to his Coast or Border viz. the Countrey to which it belongs to Bethshemesh then ‖ Or it he hath doâ—…e us this great evil t Which they might well 〈◊〉 if such Heifers should against their common use and natural instinct go into a strange path and Regularly and constantly proceed in it without any man's Conduct but if not then we shall know that it is not his hand that smote us it was a chance that hapned to us u This Evil came to us from some Influences of the Stars or other unknown Causes Which was a weak and Foolish Inference depending upon a meer Contingency it being uncertain whether God would please to give them this Sign and probable that he would deny it both to punish their Superstition and to harden their hearts to their further and utter Destruction But wicked Men will sooner believe the most uncertain and ridiculous things than own the visible Demonstrations of Gods Power and Providence 10 ¶ And the men did so and took two milch-kine and tied them to the cart and shut up their calves at home 11 And they laid the ark of the LORD upon the cart and the coffer with the mice of gold and the images of their emerods 12 And the kine took the straight way to the way of Bethshemesh x i. e. Leading to Bethshemesh a City of the Priests Ios. 21. 16. who were by Office to take care of it and went along the high way lowing as they went y Testifying at once both their Natural and Vehement Inclination to their Calves and the Supernatural and Divine Power which over-ruled them to a contrary Course and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left and the lords of the Philistines went after them z Under pretence of an honourable dismission of it but in truth to prevent all Imposture and to get assurance of the truth of the Event All which Circumstances tended to their greater Confusion and Illustration of God's Glory unto the border of Bethshemesh 13 And they of Bethshemesh were reaping their wheat-harvest in the valley and they lifted up their eyes and saw the ark and rejoiced to see it 14 And the cart came into the field of Joshua a Bethshemite and stood there where there was a great stone and they a Not the Lords of the Philistines but the Bethshemites to wit the Priests that dwelt there clave the wood of the cart and offered the kine a burnt-offering unto the LORD b There may seem to be a double Error in this Act. First that they Offered Females for a Burnt-Offering contrary to Levit. 1. 3. and 22. 19. Secondly That they did it in a forbidden place Deut. 12. 5 6. into which they might easily be led by excess of Joy and eager desire of returning to their long-interrupted course of Offering Sacrifices And some think these Irregularities were partial Causes of the following Punishment But this case being very extraordinary may in some sort excuse it if they did not proceed by ordinary Rules As for the first though they might not chuse Females for that use yet when God himself had chosen and in a manner Consecrated them to his service and imployed them in so Sacred and Glotious a Work it may seem tollerable to offer them to the Lord as being his peculiar and improper for any other use And for the latter we have many instances of Sacrifices offered to God by Prophets and Holy Men in other places besides the Tabernacle upon extraordinary occasions such as this certainly was it being fit that the Ark should at its first return be reâ—…eived with Thanksgiving and Sacrifice and this Place being Sanctified by the presence of the Ark which was the very soul of the Tabernacle and that by which the Tabernacle it self was Sanctified and for whose sake the Sacrifices were offered at the door of the Tabernacle 15 And the Levites took down c Or For the Levites had taken down for this though mentioned after was done before the Sacrifices were offered the ark of the LORD and the coffer that was with it wherein the jewels of gold were and put them on the great stone and the men of Bethshemesh offered burnt-offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day unto the LORD 16 And when the five LORDS of the Philistines had seen it d To wit that prodigious return of the Ark to its own Countrey and the entertainment it found there they returned to Ekron the same day 17 And these are the golden emerods which the Philistines returned for a trespass offering unto the LORD for Ashdod one for Gaza one for Askelon one for Gath one for Ekron one 18 And the golden mice according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords both of fenced cities and of countrey villages e This is added for explication of that foregoing Phrase all the cities either to shew that under the Name of the five Cities were comprehended all the Villages and Territories belonging to them in whose Name and at whose Charge these presents were made or to express the difference between this and the former present the Emerods being onely five according to the five Cities mentioned v. 17. because it may seem the Cities onely or principally were pestered with that Disease and the Mice being many more according to the number of all the
the very same word is rendred chap. 13. 16. and that was the fittest place for Watch-men of Benjamin looked and behold the multitude c â—…e wit of that Numerous Host of the Philistines melted away d i. e. were strangely and suddenly dispersed and put to Flight and they went on beating down one another e Either 1. accidentally through hasty Flight Or 2. with Design to destroy one another as the Authors or Abettors of the present Calamity Possibly God blinded their Eyes or their Minds that they could not distinguish Friends from Foes Compare Iudg. 7. 22. 2 King 6. 18 c. 2 Chron. 20. 23. 17 Then said Saul unto the people that were with him Number now and see who is gone from us f For he probably supposed that not onely Ionathan but also some considerable number of his Army 〈◊〉 and that by them that Slaughter was made And when they had numbred behold Jonathan and his armour-bearer were not there 18 And Saul said unto Ahiah Bring hither the ark of God g That the Priest may put on the Ephod and may enquire of the Lord before the Ark what the occasion of this Tumult among our Enemies is and what we shall do for the ark of God was at that time with the children of Israel h To wit in the Camp whither sometimes it was brought as 1 Sam. 4. 5. And now the rather partly because it was now in an unsetled condition and without the Tabernacle and therefore easily removed from place to place and partly because Saul thought to compensate Samuel's absence with the presence of the Ark. 19 ¶ And it came to pass while Saul talked unto the priest that the ‖ Or. 〈◊〉 noise that was in the host of the Philistines went on and increased and Saul said unto the priest Withdraw thine hand i Trouble not thy self in putting on the Breast-plate with the Ephod to enquire of God for I now plainly discern the matter the business calls not for Prayer but for Action But if it did so there was the more need of Gods direction and blessing that they might act with more success Herein therefore he shews his Impatience in waiting upon God his Hypocrisie in pretending to Religion and yet his Prophaneness in neglecting and despising it 20 And Saul and all the people that were with him ‡ Heb were cried together assembled themselves and they came to the battel and behold * Judg. 7. 2â—… 2 Chron. â—…0 23. every mans sword was against his fellow k The Philistines slew one another which might come either from mistake of which see on v. 16. Or from mutual Jealousies and Passions to which God could easily dispose them and there was a very great discomfiture 21 Moreover the Hebrews that were with the Philistines before that time which went up with them into the camp l Either by constraint as Servants or in Policy to gain their favour and protection from the countrey round about even they also turned to be with the Israelites that were with Saul and Jonathan 22 Likewise all the men of Israel which * Chap. 13 6. had hid themselves in mount Ephraim when they heard that the Philistines fled even they also followed hard after them in the battel 23 So the LORD saved Israel that day and the battel m i. e. The Warriers who were engaged in the Battel and were Pursuing and Fighting with the Philistines passed over unto Beth-aven 24 ¶ And the men of Israel were distressed n With Hunger and Weakness and Faintness thence arising and all by reason of the following Oath that day for Saul had adjured the people saying Cursed be the man that eateth any food until evening that I may be avenged on mine enemies o As Sauls inâ—…mion was good namely to Execute Vengeance upon Gods and his Enemies so the matter of the Obligation was not simply and in it self Unlawful if it had not been so rigorous in excluding all Food without any exception of Cases of Necessity and in obliging the People to it under pain of a Curse and an accursed Death v. 38 39 44. which was a Punishment far exceeding the Fault so none of the people tasted any food p Partly in obedience to the Kings Command and partly for fear of the Curse 25 And all they of the land q Heb. all the land i. e. The People of the Land as it is explained below v. 30. and so the word is taken Gen. 41. 57. All the Israelites who were with Saul came to a wood and there was honey upon the ground 26 And when the people were come into the wood behold the honey dropped r It hath been observed by many Travellers and Writers That Bees do oft-times settle themselves and make their Hives and Honey in the Trunks of Trees or Clefts of Rocks or Holes of the Earth and this in divers Countries but eminently in this of Canaan as may be gathered from Deut. 32. 13. Psal. 81. 16. whence it was called a land flowing with milk and honey but no man put his hand to his mouth for the people feared the oath 27 But Jonathan heard not s Being then absent and in pursuit of the Philistines divers of the Israelites having joyned themselves with him v. 21. when his father charged the people with the oath wherefore he put forth the end of the rod that was in his hand and dipt it in an honey comb and put his hand to his mouth and his eyes were enlightned t He was refreshed and recovered his lost Spirits whereof part went into his Optick Nerves and so cleared his sight which was much darkned by Famine as is usual 28 Then answered one of the people u Who came along with Saul whose Forces were now united with Ionathan's and said Thy father straitly charged the people with an oath saying Cursed be the man that eateth any food this day And the people were ‖ Or weary saint 29 Then said Jonathan My father hath troubled the land x i. e. The people of the Land the whole Army whom by this rash Oath he hath greatly injured The Zeal of defending himself makes him run into the other Extream of accusing his Father and that before the People whom by this means he might have stirred up to a Sedition see I pray you how mine eyes have been enlightned because I tasted a little of this honey 30 How much more if hapily the people had eaten freely to day of the spoil of their enemies which they sound for had there not been now a much greater slaughter among the Philistines 31 And they smote the Philistines that day from Michmash to Ajalon y Either that in Dan Ios. 19. 42. Or rather that in Iudah 2 Chron. 11. 10. and the people were very faint 32 And the people flew upon the spoil z To wit at
likely these two people were confederates and that divers of the Syrians whom David had defeated in Syria fled to Edom and there joyned with them against their common Enemy and made up together a very great Army as the number of the Men slain in it sheweth consisting of the veterane Soldiers of both Countries Although the slaughter here following may seem not to have been of the Syrians as the words at first reading seem to intimate but of the Edomites it not being probable that the Syrians would come so far from their own Country as to the Valley of Salt to fight and this Verse may be 〈◊〉 thus and that very agreeably to the Hebrew And David gat him a name when he returned from smiting of the Syrians in smiting which is easily repeated out of the last Clause according to the common usage of Scripture in the Valley of Salt eighteen thousand men who were Edomites as is sufficiently implied here in the next Verse and expressed 1 Chron. 18. 12. in the valley of salt y A place in Edom so called either from its Neighbourhood to the Salt Sea or for some other cause now unknown * See Psal. 60. title being eighteen thousand men z As it is also 1 Chr. 18. 12. where also they are said to be smitten by Abishai because he was then a chief Commander of the Army under David and it may be began the fight as for the like reason they are said to be smitten by Ioab Psal. 60. title where also there are onely 12000 mentioned which place if it speak of this Battel the state of it was this Abishai begins the Combat and kills 6000 after him comes in Ioab and kills 12000 more which makes up this 18000. But why may not that be another History and Battel So the Edomites and Syrians together did first fight with Abishai and lost 18000 men and afterwards recruited their Forces and fought with Ioab and lost other 12000 men Nor is it strange if two Battels were fought in one place of which there are divers instances in Historians 14 ¶ And he put garisons in Edom throughout all Edom put he garisons and all * Num 〈◊〉 they of Edom became Davids servants and the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went 15 And David reigned over all Israel and David executed judgment and justice a i. e. Just judgment as Deut. 16. 18. A Figure called Hendiadis as in Gen. 3. 16. Matth. 4. 16. upon all his people 16 And Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the host b Who having doubtless declared his repentance for his former crimes and having done eminent service for his Country and having received the chief Command by vertue of David's promise and contract 2 Sam. 5. 8. was still continued in his place and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was ‖ Or remembrances or writer of Chronicles recorder c Either First The writer of Chronicles But it is not likely he would have been put among the great Officers of State and Church Or Secondly The Treasureâ—… who examined all the accounts and kept Records of them Or Thirdly The Kings Counceller as Ahitophel is called 2 Sam. 15. 12. 1 Chron. 27. 33. who was to bring things 〈◊〉 moment to the Kings mind and remembrance and to admonish him from time to time of things fit to be done See 1 King 4. 3. and 2 King 18. 18. 17 And * 1 Chron. 24. 3 4. Zadok the son of Ahitub d Not of that Ahitub 1 Sam. 4. for that was of Ithamar's race but this of Eleazar and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar e So Abiathar called his Son by the name of his Father 1 Sam. 22. 20. were the priests f i. e. The Chief Priest next under Abiathar who fled to David 1 Sam. 22. 20. and now was High Priest as may be gathered from 2 Sam. 15. 35. and 1 King 2. 27 35. under him these two were the next Chief Priests or the Second Priests each one being Chief of the House of his Father Zadok of Eleazar and Ahimelech of Ithamar See Numb 3. 32. 1 Chron. 24. 3 4. Or these two are here mentioned because they constantly attended upon the King that he might consult with them in the matters of the Lord as need required and Seraiah was the ‖ Or Secretary Scribe 18 * 1 Chron. 18. 17. And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over g These words are supplied out of the parallel place 1 Chron. 18. 17. and out of 2 Sam. 20. 23. where they are expressed both the Cherethites and the Pelethites h i. e. The Cherethites and Pelethites were undoubredly Soldiers and such as were eminent for their Valour and Fidelity to the King as is evident from 2 Sam. 15. 18. and 20. 7. and 1 King 1. 38 44. and most probably they were the Kings Guards which consisted of these two Bands who might be distinguished either by their several Weapons or by the differing time or manner of their service They are supposed to be thus called either first from their Office which was upon the Kings command to cut off or punish offenders and to preserve the Kings Person as their names in the Hebrew Tongue may seem to imply Or Secondly From some Countrey or place to which they had relation As for the Cherethites it is certain they were either a Branch of the Philistines or a People neighbouring to them and confederate with them as is manifest from 1 Sam. 30. 14. Ezek. 25. 16. Zeph. 2. 4 5. And so might the Pelethites be too though that be not related in Scripture And these Israelites and Soldiers of David might be so called either because they went and lived with David when he dwelt in those parts or from some notable Exploit against or Victory over these People as among the Romans the names of Asiaticus Africanus c. were given for the same reason One of their Exploits against the Cherethites is in part related 1 Sam. 30. 14. And it is likely they did many other against them and against other people amongst which the Pelethites might be one and Davids sons were ‖ Or Princes chief rulers i Had the places of greatest Authority and Dignity conferred upon them CHAP. IX AND David said a David's Wars being ended he set himself to the Administration of Justice to all his People chap. 8. 15. And amongst others he minds his just debt and obligation to Ionathan and his Family Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul b He saith not of the house of Ionathan for he knew not of any Son which he had left and therefore thought his kindness and obligation was to pass to the next of his Kindred As for Mephibosheth he was very young and obscure and possibly concealed by his Friends lest David should cut him off from jealousie of State as hath been usual among Princes in
7000 Chariots in all whereof 700 were chosen ones according to the distinction made Exod. 14. 7. of the Syrians and forty thousand horsemen f For which in 1 Chron. 19. 18. is forty thousand footmen Which may be reconciled divers ways 1. Both these may be true that he slew 40000 Horsemen which being the most considerable part and strength of the Army it might seem sufficient to name them and every one could easily understand that the Footmen in that case were certainly cut off and that he slew also 40000 Footmen as is said 1 Chron. where he mentions them onely because they were omitted in 2. Sam. and the Horsemen being expressed here it was needless to repeat them in 1 Chron. 2. The Horsemen may be here called footmen in opposition to those that Fought in Chariots because they sometimes Fought on Horseback and sometimes came down from their Horses and Fought on Foot when the place of the Battel was more commodious for Footmen than for Horsemen which it is not improbable was their Case here for David being a Soldier of great Prudence and Experience and understanding the great Numbers of the Syrian Horsemen whereas the Israelites had but very few Deut. 17. 16. would doubtless endeavour to chuse a place as inconvenient for their Horsemen as he could 3. Peradventure the Syrians designed to bring the War into David's Country and therefore hastned their March and for that end put their Footmen on Horseback as hath been frequently done in like Cases who when they came to the place of the Battel came down from their Horses and Fought on Foot So there is no need of acknowledging an error of the Scribe in the Sacred Text which yet if it were granted in such Historical Passages of no moment to the Doctrine of Faith and good Life it would not shake the Foundation of our Faith in matters of great Importance which it might reasonably be presumed the Providence of God would more watchfully preserve from all depravation or Corruption and smote Shobach the captain of their host who died there 19 And when all the kings that were servants to Hadarezer f To wit for that time or in that Expedition to which â—…e hired them saw that they were smitten before Israel they made peace with Israel and served them So the Syrians feared to help the children of Ammon any more CHAP XI AND it came to pass that ‡ Heb. at the return of the year after the year was expired at the time when kings go forth b Which is when the ground is fit for the March of Soldiers and brings forth Provision for Man and Beast to battel c These words are to be understood here as Gen. 10. 11. and 14. 8. that * 1 Chron. 20. 1. David sent Joab and his servants with him and all Israel and they destroyed the children of Ammon and besieged Rabbah d The Chief and Royal City of the Ammonites Deut. 3. 11. but David tarried still at Jerusalem a When that year ended and the next begun which was in the Spring-time Exod. 12. 2. 2 ¶ And it came to pass in an evening-tide that David arose from off his bed e Where he had lain and slept for sometime being possibly disposed to sleep after Dinner by reason of some Excels committed in Eating or Drinking and indulging himself in his Lazy Humour which may seem very improper for so great a Prince and Captain who had so many and great Burdens upon his Shoulders especially in a time of War and therefore such Practises have been condemned by Heathens and Homer will not allow a General and great Counseller to sleep all the Night much less to take any part of the Day for it And therefore this is thought to be David's first Error and the occasion of his following Fall and walked upon the roof f Which was plain after the manner Deut. 22. 8. of the kings house and from the roof he saw a woman washing her self g To wit in a Bath which possibly was in her Garden or in some room near to the King's Palace where she might wash her self divers ways and for different ends either for health or coolness or to cleanse her self from some kind of legal Impurity where also the Windows being open and she careless David might espie her and the woman was very beautiful to look upon 3 And David sent and enquired after the woman h Instead of suppressing that Lust which the sight of his Eyes had kindled he seeks rather to feed it and first enquires who she was that if she were unmarried he might make her either his Wife or his Concubine and one said Is not this Bath-sheba i Called also Bathshua 1 Chron. 3. 5. where also Fliam is called Ammiel the daughter of Eliam the wife of Uriah the Hittâ—…te k So called either 1. By his Original being born either of that Race but become a zealous Proselyte or at least among that People Or 2. By his Habitation among them Or 3. For some notable Exploit of his against that People See 1 Sam. 26. 6. and the notes on 2 Sam. 8. 18. 4 And David sent messengers and took her l From her own House into his Palace not by force but by perswasion as desiring to speak with her and she came in unto him m Into his Palace and Chamber as he desired and he * Psal. 51. title lay with her ‡ Heb. and she was purifying her self from her uncleanness So Gr. for she was purified from her uncleanness n To wit from her menstruous Pollution according to the Law Levit. 18. 19. Which is here noted as the reason either why David pursued his Lustful desire or why she so easily yielded to it because she was not under that Pollution which might alienate her from it or rather why she so readily conceived that time being observed by Aristotle and others to be the most likely time for Conception and she returned unto her house * Lev. 15. 19. and 18. 19. 5 And the woman conceived and sent and told David and said I am with child o Consider therefore what to do for thy own honour and for my safety whom thou hast brought into a most shameful and dangerous condition 6 And David sent to Joab saying Send me Uriah the Hittite And Joab sent Uriah to David 7 And when Uriah was come unto him David demanded of him ‡ Heb. of the peace of c. how Joab did and how the people did and how the war prospered p Frivolous Questions which any common Messenger could have answered which probably made Uriah suspect that there was some other secret cause why he was sent for And he might understand something either by David's Messengers v. 4. or by some of his own Family concerning her being sent for to the Court which together with other Circumstances might
business was committed 7 ¶ And Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel which provided victuals for the king and his houshold each man his month in a year made provision 8 And these are their names ‖ Or Ben-hâ—… the son of Hur p This and others of them are denominated from their Fathers because they were known and famous in their generation in mount Ephraim 9 ‖ Or Bendekaâ—… The son of Dekar in Makaz and in Shaalbim and Bethshemesh and Elon-Beth-hanan q Or Elon the house or dwelling place of Hanan and Hanan may be a mans name and this place may be so differenced from other Elons Or the plain for so the Hebrew word signifies of Beth-hanan 10 ‖ Or Ben-hesed The son of Hesed in Aruboth to him pertained Sochoh r There were two Sochohs but both near together See Ios. 15. 35 48. and all the land of Hepher s In Iudah See 1 Chron. 4. 6. 11 ‖ Or Ben-aâ—…nadab The son of Abinadab in all the region of Dor s In Manasseh within Iordan where also were Tamach Megiddo and Bethshean v. 12. which had Taphath the daughter of Solo-mon to wife 12 Baana the son of Ahilud to him pertained Taanach and Megiddo and all Beth-shean which is by Zartanah beneath Jezreel t Which was in Issachar And this seems added to distinguish it from that Zartanah Ios. 3. 16. from Beth-shean to Abel-Meholah even unto the place that is beyond Jockneam 13 ‖ Or Ben 〈◊〉 The son of Geber in Ramoth Gilead u Ramoth in the Land of Gilead Deut. 4. 43. Ios. 20. 8. 1 King 22. 3. so called to difference it from Ramoth in Issachar 1 Chr. 6. 73. to him pertained the towns of Jair x In Manasseh beyond Iordan See Numb 32. 41. Deut. 3. 14. the son of Manasseh which are in Gilead to him also pertained the region of Argob which is in Bashan threescore great cities with walls and brazen bars y This is added by way of distinction from those Towns of Iair For being without Iordan they were liable to the attempts of their Enemies 14 Ahinadab the son of Iddo had ‖ Or to â—…naim Mahanaim z The City and Territory of Mahanaim of which see Gen. 32. 2. Ios. 13. 26. But this seems too narrow a compass for one of these great Officers and unequal to the rest although these portions seem not to be distributed into equal portions of Land but into larger or lesser parts according to their fertility or barrenness And this seems to have been a very fruitful place See 2 Sam. 17. 27. Or to Mahanaim So he may understand all the space from the parts last mentioned to Mahanaim which was in the Tribe of Gad. 15 Ahimaaz was in Naphtali he also took Basmath the daughter of Solomon to wife 16 Baanah the son of Hushai was in Asher and in Aloth 17 Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah in Issachar 18 Shimei the son of Elah a Which he adds to distinguish him from that cursed and cursing Shimei 2 Sam. 16. 5. in Benjamin 19 Geber the son of Uri was in the countrey of Gilead b i. e. In the remaining part of that Land of Gilead which was mentioned above v. 19. in the countrey of Sihon king of the Amorites and of Og king of Bashan and he was the onely officer which was in the land c Or rather in that land for the Hebrew points intimate that the emphatical Article is there understood to wit in all Gilead excepting the parcels mentioned before in all the Territories of Sihon and Og which because they were of large extent and yet all committed to this one man it is here noted concerning him as his priviledge above the rest whose Jurisdictions were of a narrower extent 20 ¶ Judah and Israel were many as the sand which is by the sea in multitude eating and drinking and making merry 21 And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the river d Euphrates for so far David having conquered the Syrians extended his Empire which Solomon also maintained in that extent And so Gods promise concerning the giving of the whole Land as far as Euphrates to the Israelites was fulfilled And if the Israelites had multiplied so much that the Land of Canaan would not suffice them having Gods grant of all the Land as far as Euphrates they might have seized upon it whensoever occasion required unto the land of the Philistines e Which is to be understood inclusively for it is unreasonable to think that the Philistines were not within Solomon's dominion and unto the border of Egypt f Unto the River Sihor which was the border between Egypt and Canaan Ios. 13. 3. Compare Gen. 15. 18. they brought presents and served Solomon g By Tribute or other ways as he needed and required all the days of his life 22 ¶ And Solomons ‡ â—…eb bread provision for one day was thirty ‡ Heb. Corâ—… measures h Heb. Cors each of which contained ten Ephah's Exod. 16. 36. So this Provision was sufficient for near three thousand persons of fine flour and three score measures of meal i Of a courser sort for common use and for the inferior sort 23 Ten fat oxen k Fatted in stalls and twenty oxen out of the pastures l Well fleshed tender and good though not so faâ—… as the former and an hundred sheep beside harts and ro-bucks and fallow deer and fatted fowl 24 For he had dominion over all the region on this side the river from Tiphsah m Either that Tiphsah 2 King 15. 16. which was in the Kingdom of Israel within Iordan Or rather another place of that name upon the river now mentioned to wit Euâ—…ates even that eminent City which is mentioned by Ptolemy and Strabo and Pliny called Thapsarum And this best agrees with the following Azzah which was the border of Canaan in the South and West Gen. 10. 19. Deut. 2. 23. as Tiphsab was in the North and East And so his Dominion is described by both its borders even to Azzah over all the kings on this side the river n Who owned subjection and payed Tribute to him and he had peace on all sides round about him 25 And Judah and Israel dwelt ‡ Heb. confidently safely * 〈◊〉 4. 4. every man under his vine and under his fig-tree o Enjoying the fruit of his own labours with safety and comfort Under these two Trees which were most used and cultivated by the Israelites he understands all other Fruit-bearing Trees and all other comforts by a Synecdoche And they are brought in as sitting or dwelling under these Trees partly for recreation or delight in the shade and partly for the comfort or advantage of the Fruit and withal to note their great security not onely in their strong Cities but even in the Country where the Vines
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
their Inheritance with that Ios. 13. 15 16. dwelt in * Josh. 13. 15 16. Aroer even unto Nebo and Baalmeon 9 And eastward he p i. e. The Tribe of Reuben inhabited unto the entring in of the wilderness from the river Euphrates q From Iordan and the Wilderness beyond it unto Euphrates Or of the Wilderness which lies towards or reacheth to the River Euphrates namely the great Wilderness of Kedemoth Deut. 2. 26. which was extended far and wide towards Euphrates for that was the Eastern Border of Reubens Possession and not Euphrates to which their Habitation never reached because their cattel were multiplied r Which forced them to enlarge their Habitation as far as they could Eastward towards Euphrates in the land of Gilead 10 And in the days of Saul they made war s The Gadites and Marassites joyning with them in the War v. 18 19. with the Hagarites t The Ishmeelites who dwelt in Arabia the Desert who fell by their hand and they dwelt in their tents u The Israelites took possession of their Lands and Tents or Houses †Heb. upon all the face of the east throughout all the east land of Gilead x Which lay Eastward from the Land of Gilead 11 And the children of Gad who dwelt over against them in the land of * Josh. 13. 11. Bashan unto Salcah were as followeth 12 Joel the chief y The Prince of the Tribe or at least of his Family when they were numbred to wit in the days of Iotham v 17. and Shapham the next and Jaanai and Shaphat in Bashan z i. e. Who dwelt in the City of Bashan Others thus Who abode in Bashan to defend the City and Country when their Brethren went out to War against the Hagarens v. 18. 13 And their brethren of the house of their fathers were Michael and Meshullam and Sheba and Jorai and Jachan and Zia and Heber seven 14 These a These seven last named are the children of Abihail the son of Huri the son of Jaroah the son of Gilead the son of Michael the son of Jeshishai the son of Jahdo the son of Buz 15 Ahi the son of Abdiel the son of Guni chief of the house of their fathers b This Aâ—…i was the Head or Chief of the Houses or Families either 1. of those seven named v. 13 or 2. of Abdiel and Guni 〈◊〉 named and of their Fathers 16 And they c i. e. The Children or Tribe of Gad. dwelt in Gilead d i. e. In part of Giâ—… for the Reubenites and Manassites dwelt in other parts of it Deut. 3. 12 13 16. in Bashan e In the Land of Bashan as it is said v. 11. Qu. How come the Gadites to dwell in Bashan when all Bashan is expresly said to be given to the half Tribe of Manasseh Deut. 3. 13. Ios. 13. 29 30 Ans. All Bashan is put for the greatest Part of it by a Synecdoche very frequent in Scripture and all Authors and so the Gadites might possess a Part of it And thus both Bashan and Gilead are used for Parts of them Ios. 17. 1. where it is said of Machir a Manassite that he had Gilead and Bashan And as it is unquestionably true that Gilead is taken sometimes more largely for all the Land of the Israelites beyond Iordan sometimes more strictly for that part of it which Borders upon Mount Gilead of which see my Notes on Ios. 17. 1. The like may be presumed concerning Bashan and so in its strictest Sence it might be all given to the Manassites and yet in its largest â—…ence might comprehend a Part of the Land belonging to the Gadites and in her †〈…〉 towns f i. e. In some of her Cities and Towns and in all the suburbs g i. e. In its Fields and Pasture-grounds 1 Chron. 27. 29. of * Ch 2â—… 29. Sharon h Not that within Iordan Isa. 35. 2. but another without Iordan upon †〈…〉 their borders i To wit of Gilead and Bashan For Gilead properly so called or the greatest Part of it belonged to the Reubenites and Bashan or the greatest Part of it to the Manassites and so the Gadites whose Habitation was between the Reubenites and Manassites had those Parts of both their Countries which were towards their Borders Or unto their Borders i. e. as far as the Suburbs or Fields of Sharon which were last mentioned were extended 17 All these were reckoned by Genealogies in the days of * 2 Kin. 15. 5. 32. Jotham king of Judah k Who reigning long partly in his Fathers days and partly by himself 2 Kings 15. And being at leasure as to Wars or Troubles thought this a fit Season to examine the state of his People and in the days of * 2 Kin. 14. 16 28. Jeroboam l Either the second of that Name of whom see 2 Kings 13. 13 14. Oâ—… rather the first Ieroboam partly because he is called simply Ieroboam without any Addition which shews that he speaks of the most Famous of the two and partly because this Work of taking an Account of the People doth far better agree to the Times of Ieroboam the First when the Kingdom of â—…srael was first erected and established and broken off from that of Iudah when it was necessary for Ieroboam to know his own Strength and the Numbers of his People than to the Times of Ieroboam the second when the Kingdom of Israel was broken and near to its Ruine King of Israel 18 The sons of Reuben and the Gadite and half the tribe of Manasseh †Heb. sons of valour of valiant men men able to bear buckler and sword and to shoot with bow and skilful in war were four and forty thousand seven hundred and threescore that went out to the war 19 And they made war with the Hagarites with * Gen. 25. 15. Ch. 1. 31. Jetur and Nephish and Nodab m i. e. With the Posterity of Ietur c. who were Ishmeelites appears from Gen. 25. 15. 20 And they were helped against them n To wit By God v. 22. who gave them extraordinary Courage and Success and the Hagarites were delivered into their hand and all that were with them o Their Friends and Allies in this War for they cried to God in the battel and he was intreated of them because they pâ—…t their trust in him 21 And they †Heb. led captive took away their cattel of their camels fifty thousand p For Camels were very numerous in Arabia being used in War and for Burdens c. and being very patient of thirst and therefore most fit for those hot and dry Countries and of sheep two hundred and fifty thousand and of asses two thousand and of †Heb. soulâ—… of men as Num. 31. 35. men an hundred thousand q Whom they took
him was a very unclean and loathsome Creature another thing And it must be remembred that the Tribe of Dan had made themselves and their Memory Infamous and Detestable by that gross Idolatry which began first and continued longest in that Tribe Iudg. 18. For which reason many Interpreters conceive this Tribe is omitted in the numbring of the sealed Persons Rev. 7. 13 The sons of Naphtali Jahziel and Guni and Jazer and * 〈◊〉 46. 24. 〈◊〉 Shallum the sons k i. e. The Grandchildren for Bilhah was Iacobs Concubine and Mother both to Napthali the Father of these last named Persons and to Dan. See on v. 12. of Bilhah 14 The sons l i. e. Grandehildren as v. 13. For both Ashriel and Zelophehad were the Grandchildren of Machir Son of Manasseh Numb 26. 29 c. and 27. 1. of Manasseh Ashriel whom she bare m To wit his Wife as may be thought because his Concubine is here opposed to her Or whom he got for the Hebrew Word yalad is sometimes used of Mens begetting as Gen. 5. 18 c Compare Psal. 2. 7. But these and the following words may be otherwise rendred according to the Hebrew Text whom his Concubine the Aramitess bare who bare him which Ellipses are very frequent in the Hebrew for meeth of or by Machir So this was a differing Ashriel from him named Numb 26. 31. for that was Gileads Son and this his Brother but his concubine the Aramitess bare Machir the father of Gilead n A Person so called as is manifest from v. 17. Numb 26. 29. 15 And Machir took to wise the sister o Which Word is here fitly understood out of the following Clause where it is expressed and she is called Maachah who also is called the wife of Machir v. 16. of Huppim and Shuppim whose sisters name was Maachah and the name of the second p Of the second Son or Grandson of Machir for so Zelophehad was Numb 26. 29 c. Or Zelophehad is here called the second because he was the younger Brother of Ashriel who was the eldest Son of Hepher the Son of Gilead the Son of Machir was Zelophehad and Zelophehad had daughters q i. e. Onely Daughters and no Sons 16 And Maachah the wife of Machir bare a son and she called his name Peresh and the name of his brother was Sheresh and his sons were Ulam and Rakem 17 And the sons of Ulam * 1 Sam. 12 1â—… Bedan These r To wit Ashriel and Zelophehad named v. 14 15. the Relative being here referred to the remoter Antecedent as is frequent in the Hebrew were the sons of Gilead the son of Machir the son of Manasseh 18 And his sister s i. e. Gileads Sister Hammoleketh bare Ishod and Abiezer and Mahalah t Understand and Shemida out of the next Verse 19 And the sons of Shemida were Ahian and Shechem and Likhi and Aniam 20 And the sons of Ephraim Shuthelah and Bered his son u Either 1. the son of Shatelah and so Tahath the son of Bered and so the rest which make up seven succeeding Generations Or 2. the son of Ephraim and so Tahath is the son not of Bered but of Ephraim and so forward And thus all these were Brethren and Sons or Grandchildren of Ephraim living together at one time with their Father Obj. This cannot be because then Ephraim had two sons called Shathelah and two called Tahath Ans. That might easily happen either because the first Shathelah and Tahath were dead before the other two of those Names were born or because two of them were Ephraims Sons and two of them his Grandchildren called after their Uncles Names For this is certain the Name of Sons is promiscuously used concerning immediate Children and Grandchildren and Great Grandchildren and Tahath his son and Eladah his son and Tahath his son 21 And Zabad his son and Shutelah his son and Ezer and Elead whom the men of Gath that were born in that land slew x This History is not recorded elsewhere in Scripture but it is in the Ancient Hebrew Writers though mixed with many Fables The Philistins one of whose Cities this Gath was and the Egyptians were next Neighbours and in those Ancient Times it was usual for such to make Inroads one into anothers Country and to carry thence what Prey they could take as we find both in Scripture and in Profane Writers And as the Philistins had probably made such Inroads formerly into Egypt and particularly into the Land of Goshen which was the utmost part of Egypt bordering upon the Philistins Land so the Israelites might requite them in the like kind and particularly the Children of Ephraim either presuming upon their Numbers and strength or having possibly received the greatest Injury from the Philistins in their last Invasion might make an Attempt upon the Philistins to their own great loss as is here related And this seems to have happened a little before the Egyptian Persecution and before the Reign of that new King mentioned Exod. 1. 8. The Philistins are here called the men of Gath either because they were Subject to the King of Gath as afterwards that People were or because they lived about Gath. And this Clause that were born in that land may be added emphatically as the motive which made them more resolute and furious in their Fight with the Ephraimites because they fought in and for their own Land wherein all their wealth and concerns lay and against those that unjustly endeavoured to turn them out of their Native Country because they came down to take away their cattel 22 And Ephraim their father y Either 1. that Ephraim of whom he speaks v. 20 whose sons are here named But that to many seems hard especially if these several sons named v. 20 21. be understood successively so as each Man be the Son of him who is named next and immediately before him which seems most probable for so here are 7 successive Generations of Ephraim which it is not likely that 〈◊〉 lived â—…o see for then he must have been near 200 years old Although it is not necessary that the Persons here said to be slain should be that Generation which was last mentioned but the Particle whom may belong to the other Sons of Ephraim of the Fourth or Fifth or Sixth Generation Nor is the word whom in the Hebrew Text which runs thus and the men of Gath slew them i. e. the Sons of Ephraim in the general as they are expressed in the beginning of v. 20. without respect to this or that particular Generation And the relative Particle them may be referred not unto the Persons last named but unto some of the other and more remote persons this being a common Observation of Hebricians that the Relative oft belongs to the remoter Antecedent Or 2. Zabad the Father of the three Persons and Families last named who might possibly have
confessed by all to be often used at large and indefinitely for about or after that time and * 〈◊〉 21. 39. anointed him unto the LORD to be the chief governour b i. e. To be King after Davids death and Zadok to be priest c Of which the last Note but one 23 Then Solomon sat on the throne of the LORD d i. e. On the Throne of Israel which is called the Throne of the Lord either more generally as all Thrones are the Lords by whom Kings reign Prov. 8. 15. and Magistrates are ordained Rom. 13. 1 2. or more specially and peculiarly Either 1. because the Lord himself was in a peculiar manner the King and Governour of Israel not onely in the time of the Judges but afterward Psal. 44. 4. 89. 18. 149. 2. Isa 33. 22. or 2. because it was the Throne of Christ the Lord whose Vicegerents David and Solomon and their Successors were for whom this Throne was reserved and by whom it was to be established and enjoyed for ever Luke 2. 32. 33. Or 3. The Throne of the Lord is put for The Throne of the People of the Lord by a concise and short manner of Speech which is frequent in the Hebrew Language as when the Key of David is put for the Key of the House of David and the Mountain of the Lord for the Mountain of the Lords House Or 4. Because this Throne fell to Solomon not by right of Inheritance for he had Elder Brethren but by the special Appointment and Gift of the Lord. And so this of the Lord is the genitive case of the Efficient as the Learned call it and signifies which the Lord gave him as king in stead of David his father and prospered and all Israel obeyed him 24 And all the princes and the mighty men and all the sons likewise of king David †Heb. gave the hand under Solomon Gen. 24. 2 3. 47. 29. submitted themselves unto Solomon e Heb. Put their Hands under Solomon i. e. They owned him for their King and themselves for his Subjects and sware Fealty to him which possibly they now did after the ancient manner with that Ceremony of putting their Hands under his Thigh which was used in Swearing Gen. 24. 2. 47. 29. or at least the thing is signified by a Phrase taken from that practice formerly used though now neglected it being usual in all Nations and Languages to signifie present things by Phrases taken from Ancient Customs the king 25 And the LOâ—…D magnified Solomon exceedingly in the sight of all Israel and * 1 Kin. 3. 13. 2 Chr. 1. 12. Eccles. 2. â—… bestowed upon him such royal majesty f i. e. Such Honour and Reputation together with Power and Riches and all things which make a King Great and Glorious as had not been on any king g Either David or Saul or any of the former Governours of Israel the Word King being oft used in a large sence for any Governour before him in Israel 26 Thus David the son of Jesse reigned over all Israel h This Sacred Writer having mentioned the Anointing of Solomon to be King v. 22. and upon that occasion proceeded to give a further Account of Solomons Actual Settlement in his Kingdom and of his prosperous and glorious Management of it v. 23 24 25. he now returns to his main and proper Business to give an Account of the Close of Davids Reign and Life Thus i. e. in manner hitherto expressed David reigned c. 27 And the time that he reigned over Israel was * 1 Kin. 2. 11. forty years * 2 Sam. 5. 5. Ch. 3. 4. seven years reigned he in Hebron and thirty and three years reigned he in Jerusalem 28 And he died in a good old age full of days i Fully satisfied with the days which God had given him having had the Happiness to see his Beloved Solomon settled in his Throne being now weary of this Life and desiring to be with God riches and honour and Solomon his son reigned in his stead 29 Now the acts of David the king first and last behold they are written in the ‖ Or history †Heb. words book of Nathan the prophet and in the book of Gad the seet k Either in the two Books of Samuel as they are now called which were written part by Samuel and part by Nathan and Gad. Or in the Annals or Chronicles of that Kingdom which were written by Nathan and Gad who were not onely Prophets but Historiographers or Annalists out of which either they or some other Prophets took out by the direction of Gods Spirit such Passages as were most important and useful to the Church and to the World in succeeding Ages 30 With all his reign and his might and the times that went over him l i. e. The Changes which befel him both his Persecutions and manifold Troubles and his great Successes and Atchievements The Word time or times being oft put for things done or happening in them as Psal. 31. 15. 77. 5. and over Israel and over all the kingdoms of the countries m Heb. Of these Countries to wit bordering upon the Land of Canaan or not far from it II CHRONICLES CHAP. I. 1 ANd * 〈◊〉 2. 45. Solomon the son of David was strengthned a Or established after his Seditious Brother Adonijah and his Partisans were suppressed and he was received with the universal Consent and Joy of his Princes and People in his kingdom and the LORD his God was with him and magnified him * 〈◊〉 23. 17. exceedingly 2 Then Solomon spake b To wit concerning his Intention of going to Gibeon and that they should attend him thither as the next Verse shews unto all Israel to the captains of thousands and of hundreds and to the judges and to every governour in all Israel ‖ â—… 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the chief of the fathers 3 So Solomon and all the congregation with him went to the high place c Upon which the Tabernacle was placed whence it is called the great high Place 1 King 3. 4. that was at * 〈◊〉 34. 〈◊〉 16. 39. 129. Gibeon for there was the tabernacle of the congregation of God which Moses the servant of the LORD had made in the wilderness 4 * 〈◊〉 6. 17. 〈◊〉 16. 1. But the ark of God had David brought up from Kirjath-jearim to the place which David had prepared for it for he had pitched a tent for it at Jerusalem d He separated the Ark from the Tabernacle and brought it to Jerusalem because there he intended to build a far more noble and lasting Habitation for it 5 Moreover * 〈◊〉 38. 1. the brazen altar that Bezaleel the son of Uri the son of Hur had made ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he e Either Moses mentioned v. 3. or Bezaleel here last named by the
host of a thousand thousand and three hundred chariots and came unto Maresha g A City upon and within the Borders of Judah Ios. 15. 44. 10 Then Asa went out against him and they set the battel in aray in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah 11 And Asa cried unto the LORD his God and said LORD †Heb. it is not for 〈◊〉 to help amongst many him that hath no strength it is * 1 Sam. 14. 6. nothing with thee h i. e. Theâ—…e is no difference or no difficulty with thee to help whether with many or with them that have no power Help us O LORD our God for we rest on thee and in thy Name i By thy 〈◊〉 in confidence of thy Assistance and for the maintenance of thy Honour and Service and People we go against this multitude O LORD thou art our God let not ‖ Or mortal man man prevail against thee 12 So the LORD smote the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah and the Ethiopians fled 13 And Asa and the people that were with him pursued them unto Gerar k A City of the Philistins who probably were Confederatâ—… with them in this Design and the Ethiopians were overthrown that they could not recover themselves for they were †Heb. broken destroyed before the LORD and before his host and they carried away very much spoil 14 And they smote all the cities round about Gerar l Partly because they had joyned with Zerah in this War and partly because the Ethiopians had sheltred a great part of the Remains of the Army in them for * Gen. 35. 5. Chap. 17. 10. the fear of the LORD came upon them and they spoiled all the cities for there was exceeding much spoil in them 15 They smote also the tents of cattel m i. e. The dwellers in Tents which were either a Part of Zerahs Company or joyned with them or had come along with them to furnish that Great Host with necessary Provisions which their Custom of dwelling in Tents made them more capable of doing and carried away sheep and camels in abundance and returned to Jerusalem CHAP. XV. 1 ANd the spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded 2 And he went out †Heb. before Asa. to meet Asa and said unto him Hear ye me Asa and all Judah and Benjamin * Jam. 4. 8. The LORD is with you a To defend you against all your Enemies as now you have seen and you may hereafter expect if you persist in that good Course into which you are entred while ye be with him and if ye seek him he will be found of you but if ye forsake him he will forsake you b But let not this Victory make you presumptuous or self-confident for you are upon your good Behaviour and if you leave God he will leave and destroy you after he hath done you Good 3 Now for a long season * Ch. 12. 1. Israel hath been without the true God and without a teaching priest and without law c Heb. For many days have been to Israel without the true God c. i. e. They have long lived without the sound Knowledge and Worship of the True God The Prophet confirms his foregoing Exhortation and the Threatning annexed to it that if they forsook God he would forsake him from the usual manner of Gods dealing with Israel formerly and therefore in the same case they may expect the same usage Israel here mentioned and â—…ed as an Example is here understood either 1. Specially of the Ten Tribes distinguished by that name from the Kingdom of Judah whose Condition had been since Jeroboams Revolt and now wâ—…s such in some measure as is here described they having been 〈◊〉 still being without God and his True Worship and 〈◊〉 exposed to many Vexations and Wars and Miseries But theâ—…e hâ—…d not as yet turned unto God or sought him nor was God yet found of them as is said of this Israel v. 4. Nor had they as yet been exercised with those grievous and continual Vexations and Wars and mutual Destructions of which he here speaks v. 5 6. and which in succeeding times they felt For except that one Blow which they had from Aâ—…ijah ch 13. we read of none other great Miseries which befel them Or rather 2. Generally of the whole 〈◊〉 of Israel in former times and especially in the times of the Judges to which all that follows suits very well For then many times they were though not wholly and universally yet in a very great measure and for the generality of them without God and his Law and Teaching Priests as plainly 〈◊〉 from diveâ—…s Passages in the Book of the Judges and then indeed they were brought to all the Exigeâ—…cies and Calamities 〈◊〉 following then they had grievous Wars both Foreign and 〈◊〉 and then they did sometimes turn to the Lord aâ—…d 〈◊〉 him and he was found of them and did raise up Judges and Saviours to them of which see Iudg. 2. at large Iudg. 3. 9 15. 10. 10 c. 4 But when they d i. e. Israel mentioned v. 3. in their trouâ—…le did turn unto the LORD God of Israel and sought him he was found of them 5 And in those times e When Israel lived in the gross Neglect and Contempt of God and his Law and Worship there was no peace to him that went out nor to him that came in f Men could not go abroad about their private Occasions without great Danger as it was in the days of Shamgar Iudg. 5. 6. which is a good Comment upon this Text. but great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of the countries g Heb. of these Countries i. e. The divers Parts of the Land of Israel both within and without Jordan 6 And nation was †Heb. in 〈◊〉 destroyed of nation h i. e. One part of the People of Israel destroyed the other by Civil Wars of which see Instances Iudg. 9. 23 c. and 12. 1 c. As all the people of Israel are called a Nation so the several Tribes and Families of them are sometimes called Nations as Gen. 17. 4. Ezâ—…k 2. 3. Act. 4. 27. compared with Psal. 2. 1. and city of city for God did vex them with all adversity 7 Be ye strong therefore i Go on therefore Couragiously and Resolutely to maintain Gods Worship and to root out Idolatry as you have begun to do for this is the onely right Method of preserving your selves from such Calamities as your Predecessors have felt and let not your hands be weak k â—…e not discouraged with the Opposition which you may possibly meet with for your work shall be rewarded l What you do for God and for his Honour and Service shall not go unrequited 8 And when Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Oded the prophet m To wit
as that word is elsewhere used of Seraiah Ezra 7. 1. who was the High-Priest 2 Kin. 25. 18. 1 Chr. 6. 14. and he was a ready Scribe in the Law of Moses Ezra 7. 6 and endowed with a more than ordinary measure of Gods Spirit as is evident from this Book and was himself an Eye-witness of all these Transactions In his time also there lived divers other holy men of God as Daniel and Nehemiah and Mordecai and Zorobabel and Joshuah Which makes that probable which the Iews report that these Prophets and other holy and learned men did review the Canonical Books of the Old Testament and added here and there some few passages in the historical Books and digested them into that order in which now we have them in our Hebrew Bibles This being a work most suitable to the Prudence and Piety and sacred Function of these Persons and to the present Estate of the Iewish Nation who had been long in Captivity in Babylon where it was to be feared that many of them were ignorant or corrupt in the Principles of Religion and who were yet in a broken condition and likely to be exposed to farther calamities and dispersions which also might be signified to some of them and to that care which the wise and gracious God hath ever used for the guidance of his Church according to their several occasions and necessities CHAP. I. 1 NOw in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia a To wit of his Empire or Reign in Babylon For he had now been King of Persia for many Years that the word of the LORD * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 22 〈◊〉 25. 12. 〈◊〉 10. by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus b i. e. Put into him a Mind and Will to this work king of Persia that he †〈…〉 made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and put it also in writing saying 2 Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia The LORD God of Heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth c To wit in those parts of the World all that vast Empire formerly under the Assyrians and Babylonians The Gift of which he ascribes to the great God either by virtue of those common notions which were in the Minds of the Heathens who though they worshipped Idols yet many of them did acknowledge a true and supream God Or by that clear and express Prophecy of Isaiah concerning him Isa. 44. 28. 45. 1 13. so long before he was born which Prophecy the Jews had doubtless shewed him which also carried a great evidence with it especially to him who was so highly graâ—…ified and incouraged by it or by a special Illumination which God vouchsafed to him as he did to Nebuchadnezzar and Darius and some others of the Heathen Princes and he hath * 〈◊〉 44. 28. â—…â—…5 13. charged me d Either by his Prophets Isaiah formerly or Daniel now or by an inward suggestion to his Mind to build him an house at Jerusalem which is in Judah 3 Who is there among you of all his people d To wit of Israel A material clause by vertue of which they justly refused the help of those Aliens who pretended to join with them in the building ch 4. 2 3. his God be with him e Let his God help him as I also shall do and let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah and build the house of the LORD God of Israel he is the God which is in Jerusalem f Or only in Ierusalem as it is in the Hebrew So it notes the place where he allows and requires them to build it 4 And whosoever remaineth g Who when his Brethren were gone up was desirous to go with them but forced to tarry there for want of necessaries for his Journey in any place where he sojourneth let the men of his place †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…im 〈◊〉 help him h I require my Officers to take care that they may be supplied either by the voluntary Contributions of the People or by a moderate Tax to be laid either only upon those Jews who were resolved to stay or upon the Gentiles also which the Persian Monarchs being absolute had a power to do and which was the more reasonable because the King himself submitted to it and bore a great part of the burden and because it was for the House of that great God to whom they all owed their present Peace and great felicity with silver and with gold i Which upon this occasion I give you leave to transport and with goods and with beasts besides the free-will-offering for the house of his God that is in Jerusalem 5 Then rose up the chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin i And with them some of other Tribes as appears from 1 Chr. 9. 3. but these only are named because they were most considerable for number and quality and the priests and the Levites with all them whose spirit God had raised to go up k To whom God had given that pious Disposition and that Fortitude and Resolution which it required to break through their difficulties which were great and many such as their present penury the length and hazards and costliness of the journey their settlements in comfortable Habitations their dispersion in several and distant places which hindred the Conjunction of their Counsels and Actions the multitude of their Enemies the actual possession of their Country by others the great backwardness of many of their own Brethren to go with them and many other discouragements to build the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem 6 And all they that were about them ‖ That is helped them strengthened their hands l Either because they had embraced or at least favoured the Jewish Religion concerning which they were instructed by the Israelites that had now for a long time dwelt among them or rather that they might hereby gratifie the Kings humour and purchase his favour for they perceived him to be hearty and forward in the work with vessels of silver with gold with goods and with beasts and with precious things besides all that was willingly offered 7 Also Cyrus the King brought forth the vessels of the house of the LORD * 2 Kin. 24. 13. 2 Chr. 36. 7. which Nebuchad-nezzar had brought forth out of Jerusalem m Obj. These are said to have been cut in pieces 2 Kin. 24. 13. how then are they here returned Ans. That Hebrew word used 2 Kin. 24. 13. signifies not so properly to cut in pieces as to cut off as from the use of the word Deut. 25. 12. 2. Sam. 4. 12. 2 Kin. 18. 16. Ier. 9. 26. And these vessels when they were taken away from the Temple might very well be said to be cut off from it because they had for so long time been so constantly and as it were inseparably united to
the men that made this building i. e. who were the chief undertakers and encouragers of this work For although the Hebrew particle mah rendred what seems always to be used interrogatively yet the Chaldee particle man here rendred what is used otherwise as is manifest from Dan. 4. 17. unto them after this manner What are the names of the men †Chal. that build this building that make this building 5 But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews that they could not cause them to cease f Because God over-ruled their Hearts and Hands that they did not hinder them by force as they could have done till the matter came to Darius and then they returned answer by letter concerning this matter 6 The copy of the letter that Tatnai governour on this side the river and Shethar-boznai and his companions the Apharsachites g A People so called sent hither as a Colony As for the other people mentioned chap. 4. 9. they seem to have had a greater Power with Rehum and Shimshai than with these new Officers who made choice of other companions which were on this side the river h Whereby they are distinguished from those of their Brethren who yet continued in their native Countrey beyond the River and were not transplanted hither sent unto Darius the king 7 They sent a letter unto him †Chal. in the midst whereof wherein was written thus Unto Darius the king all peace 8 Be it known unto the king that we went into the province of Judea to the house of the great God i Whom the Jews account the great God the God of Gods esteeming all others to be but little and false gods which is built with †Chal. stones of rolling great stones and timber is laid in the walls and this work goeth fast on and prospereth in their hands 9 Then asked we those elders and said unto them thus who commanded you to build this house and to make up these walls 10 We asked their names also to certifie thee that we might write the names of the men that were the chief of them 11 And they returned us answer saying We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth and build the house that was built many years ago which a great king of Israel built * 1 Kin. 6. 1. and set up 12 But after that our fathers had provoked the God of heaven unto wrath he gave them into the hand of * 2 Kin. 24. 2. 25. 8. Nebuchad-nezzar the king of Babylon the Chaldean who destroyed this house and carried the people away into Babylon 13 But in the first year of * Ch. 1. 1. Cyrus the king of Babylon the same king Cyrus made a decree to build this house of God 14 And * Ch. 1. â—… â—… 6. 5. the vessels also of gold and silver of the house of God which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that was in Jerusalem and brought them into the temple of Babylon those did Cyrus the king take out of the temple of Babylon and they were delivered unto one whose name was Sheshbazzar whom he had made ‖ Or 〈◊〉 governour 15 And said unto him Take these vessels go carry them into the temple that is in Jerusalem and let the house of God be built in his place 16 Then came the same Sheshbazzar and laid the foundation of the house of God which is in Jerusalem And since that time even until now k Allowing for some interruptions hath it been in building and yet it is not finished 17 Now therefore if it seem good to the king let there be search made in the kings treasure-house which is there at Babylon whether it be so that a decree was made of Cyrus the king to build this house of God at Jerusalem and let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this matter CHAP. VI. 1 THen Darius the king made a decree a Either 1. To search the Rolls Or rather 2. To permit and promote the building of the Temple And so the following words may be rendred after search was made c. the Hebrew particle vau being oft so used as hath been noted before and search was made in the house of the †Chal. 〈◊〉 rolls where the treasures †Chal. 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 were laid up in Babylon b Either 1. In the Kingdom or Empire of Babylon which he now possessed Or rather 2. In the City of Babylon where search was first made supposing that this Edict which was made presently after Cyrus had taken Babylon was kept there but not finding it there they searched in Ackmetha and found it there 2 And there was found c Here the Kings answer may seem to begin and this following account he sends to them and after that lays down his commands at ‖ Or 〈◊〉 or iâ—… 〈◊〉 Achmetha d The Royal City of the Medes and Persians in the palace that is in the province of the Medes a roll and therein was a record thus written 3 In the first year of Cyrus the king the same Cyrus the king made a decree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem Let the house be built the place where they offered Sacrifices and let the foundations thereof be strongly laid the height thereof threescore cubits and the breadth thereof threescore cubits e He did not command them to make it so large for he left the ordering of the proportions of the Building to their skill and choice but he restrained them that they should make it no larger lest they should hereafter make use of it to other purposes against himself But those proportions differ much from those of Solomon's Temple which was but Thirty Cubits high only the porch was 120 Cubits high and but 20 Cubits in breadth Either therefore Solomons Cubits were sacred Cubits which were larger than the other and these were but common Cubits Or the 60 Cubits of heighth are meant only of the Porch which he would not have to be so high and magnificent as that of Solomons was lest they should be puffed up with it and by degrees arrive at their former heighth and insolence And the word rendred breadth may be and is by some rendred more generally the extension or amplitude or the length of it it being improbable that the King should give orders about the breadth and none about the length of it 4 With three rows of great stones and a row of new timber f As Solomon's Temple was built 1 Kin. 6. 36. Whereof Darius was informed by some of the Jews who also desired that it might be done in this manner and let the expences be given out of the kings house 5 And also let the golden and silver vessels of the house of God which Nebuchadnezzar took forth out of the temple which is at Jerusalem and brought unto Babylon be restored g To
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
some of his brethren who were lately sent to Hamans house ch 6. 14. where they might easily see it or at least hear of it And this he said either out of a distast which he had taken against Haman for his great insolency and barbarous cruelty or in compliance with the Kings inclinations and the Queens desires said before the king Behold also the †Heb. 〈◊〉 gallows fifty cubits high which Haman had made for Mordecai who had spoken good for the king u Even to the saving of the Kings life ch 2. 21 22 23. and therefore deserved a better requital than this even from Haman if he had not basely preferred the satisfaction of his own revenge before the preservation of the Kings life standeth in the house of Haman Then the king said Hang him thereon 10 So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared x Which stood in his own house as was now said and made the punishment more grievous and ignominious for Mordecai Then was the kings wrath pacified y Judgment being now most justly executed upon this abominable criminal CHAP. VIII 1 ON that day did the king Ahasuerus give the house of Haman a With all his Goods and Estate which being justly forfeited to the King he no less justly bestows it upon the Queen to compensate the danger to which Haman had exposed her the Jews enemy unto Esther the queen and Mordecai came before the king b i. e. Was by the Queens desire admitted into the Kings Presence and Favour and Family and as it seems made one of the seven Princes for Esther had told what he was unto her c i. e. How nearly he was related to her which till this time she had wisely concealed this being the fit season to declare it 2 And the king took off his ring d That Ring which he had formerly given to Haman for that present or any further use ch 3. 10. he now gives to Mordecai with it that Power and Authority whereof this Ring was a sign making him as Haman had been the keeper of his signet which he had taken from Haman and gave it unto Mordecai And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman e As her Steward to manage that great Estate for her as he thought fittest 3 And Esther spake yet again before the king and fell down at his feet and †〈…〉 besought him with tears to put away the mischief of Haman f To repeal that cruel Decree of which see ch 3. 13. the Agagite and his device that he had devised against the Jews 4 Then the king held out the golden scepter g In token that he accepted her Person and Petition and that she should stand upon her feet toward Esther So Esther arose and stood before the king 5 And said If it please the king and if I have found favour in his sight and the thing seem right before the king and I be pleasing in his eyes h She useth various Expressions that she might insinuate her self into the Kings Favour by such a full and repeated resignation and submission of her self to the kings good pleasure let it be written to reverse †〈…〉 the letters devised by Haman i She prudently takes off all the Envy and hatefulness of the action from the King and lays it upon Haman who had for his own wicked and selfish ends contrived the whole business and circumvented the King in it which she alledgeth as a reason why it should be repealed because it was surreptitiously and craftily procured the son of Hammedatha the Agagite ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which he wrote to destroy the Jews which are in all the kings provinces 6 For how can I †〈◊〉 able 〈◊〉 see endure to see the evil k My heart will sink under it and I shall never be able to survive it that shall come unto my people or how can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred 7 Then the king Ahasuerus said unto Esther the queen and unto Mordecai the Jew Behold I have given Esther the house of Haman and him they have hanged l You see how ready I have been to grant your requests and I do not repent of my Favour to you and am ready to grant your further Desires as far as the Law will permit me to do upon the gallows because he laid his hand upon the Jews 8 Write ye also for the Jews m On their behalf to the Governours and Commanders of the Kings Forces or to whom you please as it liketh you in the kings name and seal it with the kings ring n I offer you my Authority and Seal to confirm whatsoever you shall think fit to write for the writing which is written in the kings name and sealed with the kings ring * 〈◊〉 1. 19. 〈◊〉 6. 8 12 〈◊〉 may no man reverse o This reason may belong either 1. To the writing of these present Letters and so the sense is These letters will be most effectual being no less irrevocable than the former and coming last will repeal the former Or 2. To the former Letters as a reason why he could not grant their Desires in recalling them because they were irrevocable by the Law of the Medes and Persians And this sense though rejected by many seems to be the truest because here is no mention of reversing Haman's Letters which Esther had desired v. 5. and the King denied for the reason here alledged and because the following Letter doth not contain one word about the reversing of the former nor doth it take away that Power which was given to all Rulers to destroy all the Jews ch 3. 12 13. but only gives the Jews Power and Authority to stand up in their own defence v. 11. which all circumstances considered was sufficient for their preservation 9 Then were the kings scribes called at that time in the third month that is the month Sivan on the three and twentieth day thereof p Which was above two months after the former decree All which time God suffered the Jews to lie under the terrour of this dreadful day partly that they might be more throughly humbled for and purged from those many and great sins under which they lay partly and particularly that they might be convinced of their great sin and folly in neglecting the many offers and opportunities they had of returning to their native Country and to the free and full exercise of the true Religion which could be had no where but in Ierusalem by which means they being now dispersed in the several parts of this vast Dominion were like to be a very easie prey to their Enemies whereas their Brethren in Iudaea were in a better capacity to preserve themselves partly that their most malicious and inveterate Enemies might have an opportunity of discovering themselves to their ruine as the event shewed
lifting up a Or there shall be lifting up either 1. for them if they repent and humble themselves they shall be preserved or restored And this thou wilest assure them of from thy own experience Or 2. for thee and thine God will deliver thee when others are crushed and destroyed and b Or for this Particle being oft put causally as hath been formerly noted So the following words contain a Reason why he might confidently say that there would be such a lifting up for a person so humbled he c i. e. God unto whom onely salvation belongeth Psalm 3. 8. shall save d Either 1. eternally or 2. temporally to wit from the evils here mentioned * Jam. 4. 6. 1 Pet. 5. 5. †Heb. him that hath low eyes the humble person e Heb. Him that hath low or cast down eyes Which phrase may here note either 1. humility and lowliness of mind and disposition as pride is oft expressed by high or lofty looks as Psalm 18. 27. 101. 5. 131. 1. Prov. 6. 17. And so this is a tacit admonition and reproof for Iob whom for his confident justification of himself and his contemptuous expressions and censures concerning them they judged to be guilty of intolerable pride of heart Or 2. Lowness of Estate or Condition as Iames 1. 10. So it notes him whose Eyes and Countenance are dejected by reason of his great troubles and miseries as on the contrary prosperity makes persons lift up their Eyes and Faces 30. He f i. e. God as v. 29. whose Prerogative it is to give deliverances shall deliver g To wit upon thy request as the following Clause sheweth God will hear thy prayers even for others which is a great honour and comfort and much more for thy self the Island of the innocent h Not onely thy self when thou shalt become innocent and pure but for thy sake he will deliver the whole Island or Country that word being oft used not onely for such Lands or Countries as were separated from Canaan by the Sea as is commonly observed but also for such as were upon the same Continent with it as appears from Gen. 10 5 c. Psalm 72. 10. 97. 1. Isa. 41. 5. in which thou dwellest Or the guilty or him that is not innocent For the word here rendred Island is sometimes used for not both in Scripture as 1 Sam. 4. 21. Prov. 31. 4. So the sense is God will have so great a respect to thy innocency and purity that for thy sake he will deliver those that belong to thee or live with thee or near thee though in themselves they be sinful Creatures and ripe for destruction See Gen. 18. 32. ‖ Or the innocent shall deliver 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it i To wit the Island Or he i. e. the guilty person is delivered by the pureness of thine hands k i. e. By thy prayers proceeding from a pure heart and conscience when thou shalt lift up pure hands to God in prayer as it is expressed 1 Tim. 2 8. Whereby as he asserts the prevalency of the righteous man's prayers with God for mercy both for himself and others and by this Argument he perswadeth Iob to repentance so withal he alledgeth this as an Argument or evidence that Iob did not stretch out pure hands to God in prayer as he pretended because his prayers could not prevail for the preservation of himself or his Children and much less for others at a greater distance CHAP. XXIII 1. THen Job answered and said 2. Even to day a i. e. Even at this time notwithstanding all your promises and pretended consolations I find no ease nor satisfaction in all your discourses And therefore in this and the following Chapters Iob seldom applies his discourse to his Friends but only addresseth his speech to God or bewaileth himself is my complaint bitter b i. e. I do bitterly complain and have just cause to do so But this Clause is and may be otherwise rendred Even still Heb. at this day is my complaint called or accounted by you rebellion or bitterness or the rage of an exasperated mind Do you still pass such harsh censures upon me after all my declarations and solemn protestations of my Innocency Heb. my hand passively i. e. the hand or stroke of God upon me as the same phrase is used Psal. 77. 2. and mine arrow Iob Chap. 34. 6. †Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my stroke c is heavier than my groaning d i. e. Doth exceed all my Complaints and expressions So far are you mistaken that think I complain more than I have cause Some render the words thus My hands are heavy i. e. feeble and hanging down as the Phrase is Heb. 12. 12. My strength and spirit faileth because of my groaning 3. * Ch. 13. 3. O that I knew where I might find him e To wit God as his Friends well knew and the thing it self sheweth Thou bidst me acquaint my self with him Chapter 22. 21. I desire nothing more than his acquaintance and presence but alas he hides his Face from me that I cannot see him nor come near him that I might come even to his seat f i. e. To his Throne or Judgment-seat to plead my Cause before him as it here follows Verse 4. not upon terms of strict justice but upon those terms of grace and mercy upon which God is pleased to deal with his sinful Creatures See before Chapter 9. 34 35. 16. 21. 17. 3. And this my confidence may be some evidence that I am not such a gross Hypocrite as you imagine me to be 4. I would * Ch. 13 3 1 order my cause g i. e. Orderly declare the things which concern and prove the right of my Cause before him h not only debating the Controversie between my Friends and me concerning my sincerity or hypocrisie before God as a Witness or Judge but also pleading with God as a Party and modestly enquiring whether he doth not deal more rigorously with me than I might reasonably expect wherein I desire no other Judge but himself and fill my mouth with arguments i To prove my Innocency and sincerity towards God and consequently that I am severely used 5. I would know the words which he would answer me and understand what he would say unto me k I long to know what he would say either to prove me an hypocrite or to justifie his harsh proceedings against me and if he should discover to me any secret and unknown sins for which he contendeth with me I should humble my self before him and accept of the punishment of mine Iniquity 6. Will he plead against me with his great power l i. e. Oppress me with his soveraign and absolute Power as men do those whom they cannot fairly and justly conquer No but he would put strength in me m The word Strength or Power
live in desert places are furnished with necessary provisions This is justly mentioned as another wonderful work of God or fill †Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the appetite of the young Lions 40. When they couch in their dens b When through age and infirmity they cannot range abroad for Prey as the young Lions do but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in their Dens as it were expecting their food from God from whom also they receive it and abide in the covert to lie in wait c Watching till some Beast comes that way upon which they may Prey 41. * 〈◊〉 147. 9. 〈◊〉 6. 26. Who provideth for the Raven d Having mentioned the noblest of Brute-creatures he now mentions one of the most contemptible and loathsome to shew the care of God's Providence over all Creatures both great and small Which is more remarkable in Ravens because 1. they devour flesh which it is not easie for them to find 2 they are greedy and eat very much 3. they are generally neglected and forsaken by Mankind 4. their young ones are so soon forsaken by their Dams that if God did not provide for them in a more than ordinary manner they would be starved to death his food when his young ones cry unto God they wander for lack of meat CHAP. XXXIX 1. KNowest thou the time a That thou mayest then go to them and afford them thy help in their hard work when the wild goats of the rock b Which dwell in high and steep Rocks where no Man can come See 1 am 24. 2. Psal. 104. 18. bring forth c Which they do with great difficulty as is implied Psal. 29. 9. and noted by Philosophers wherein they have no assistance from men but onely from God or canst thou mark when the * 〈◊〉 â—…9 9. hinds do calve d When God by his secret instinct directs them to a certain Herb called Seseli which as Naturalists report doth hasten and help forward their Birth 2. Canst thou number the months that they fulfil or knowest thou the time when they bring forth e Dost thou exactly know when they did conceive and when they will bring forth which is more uncertain in these than in other Creatures because there fall out many accidents which cause them to bring forth before their time as thunder Psal. 29. 9. and other like causes of sudden fear which may be many and various in those desert places where they live 3. They bow themselves f Being taught by a Divine instinct to dispose themselves in such a posture as may be fittest for their safe and easie bringing forth they bring forth their young ones g To wit with great pain being almost torn or rent asunder with the Birth as the word signifies or without any of that help which tame Beasts oft have they cast out their sorrows h i. e. Their young ones and their sorrows together Or though which Particle is oft understood they remit or put away their sorrows i. e. Though in stead of cherishing and furthering their sorrows which for their own ease and safety they should do they foolishly hinder them and so increase their own danger yet by God's good Providence to them they are enabled to bring forth as was now said 4. Their young ones are in good liking i Or grow strong or fat notwithstanding their great weakness caused by their hard entrance into the World they grow up with corn k Which they find and feed upon in the Fields they go forth and return not unto them l Or as with Corn i. e. as if they were fed with Corn the Particle as being oft deficient and to be supplied Or in the Field as this word in the Chaldee or Syriak Dialect signifies l Finding sufficient Provisions abroad by the care and conduct of God's Providence 5. Who hath sent out the wild ass free m Who hath given him this disposition that he loves freedom and avoids and hates that subjection which other Creatures quietly and contentedly endure or who hath loosed the bands of the wild ass n Which is not to be understood privatively as if God took off the bands which men had put upon him but Negatively that he keeps him from receiving the bands and submitting to the service of Man Who hath made him so untractable and unmanageable Which is the more strange because home-bred Asses are so tame and tractable 6. * Chap. 24. 5. Whose house I have made the wilderness o Who useth and loveth to dwell in desert Lands Ier. 2. 24. Hosâ—…a 8. 3. 9. and the †Heb. Salt places barren land p Called barren not simply for then he must be starved there but comparatively unmanaged and therefore in a great measure unfruitful Land his dwellings 7. He scorneth q Either 1. he feareth them not when they pursue him because he is swift and can easily escape them Or 2. he values them not nor any provisions or advantages which he may have from them but prefers a vagrant and solitary life in the Wilderness before them Or 3. he disdains to submit himself to them and resolutely maintains his own freedom the multitude of the city r He mentions the City rather than the Countrey partly because there is the greatest Multitude of People to pursue and overtake and subject him and partly because there is the greatest plenty of all things to invite him the Fruits of the Countrey being said up in Cities in greatest abundance neither regardeth s Heb. heareth i. e obeyeth he the crying †Heb. of the Exactour of the driver t Heb. of the Taskmaster or Exactor of Labour i. e. He will not be brought to receive his Yoke nor to do his Drudgery nor to answer to his cries or commands as tame Asses are forced to do 8. The range of the mountain u That which he searcheth out or findeth in the Mountains He prefers that mean provision and hardship with â—…is freedom before the fattest Pastures with servitude Why so weak and harmless a Creature as the wild Ass should be untamable when the most savage Lions and Tigers have been tamed and how there comes to be so vast a difference between the tame and the wild Ass thou canst give no reason but must refer it wholly to my good pleasure to which also thou shouldst upon the same grounds refer all the various methods of my providence and dealings with thee and with other men and not so boldly censure what thou dost not understand is his pasture and he searcheth after every green thing 9. Will the Unicorn z Will he suffer himself to be tied or confined there all Night and to be reserved to the work of the next day as the oxen do Surely no. And if thou canst not rule such a Creature as this much less art thou able to govern the World or to teach me
or Error and in their Effect as guiding and directing men in the right and ready way to eternal Happiness Which also reflects upon that knowledge of Divine things which men have by the light of Nature and works of God or by the Doctrines of the Philosophers or others that wanted or neglected the light of God's word wherein there is a great deal of darkness and uncertainty and Error and Danger rejoycing the heart m Partly by that clear and certain knowledge of Divine things which it gives for knowledge is pleasant to the Soul Prov. 2. 10. and partly by the discoveries of God's Love and Grace to sinful men in Offers and Promises of Mercy therein contained the commandement of the LORD n i. e. All his Commands is * Psal. 119. 140. pure o Without the least mixture of Error or injustice or Deceit Which cannot be said of humane Laws enlightning the eyes p To wit of the Mind with an evident and compleat manifestation of God's Will and Man's Duty both which the works of Nature and all the Writings of men discover but darkly and imperfectly 9. The fear of the LORD q By which he understands not the Grace of God's fear as this Phrase is commonly taken nor the whole Worship of God as it is taken Psal. 34. 9. 11. Mat. 1â—… 9. but the Law and Word of God which is the only thing that is hâ—…re commended and which is meant by all the other parallel Titles of his Testimony and Statutes and Commandements and Iudgments and consequently by this of his â—…ear which is as it were hemmed in within them And this may well be so called by an usual Metonymy because it is both the Object and the Rule and the Cause of this Grace of holy Fear as God himself is called Fear for the like reason Gen. 31. 53. and in the Hebrew Psal. 76. 11. is clean r i. e. Sincere not adulterated with any mixture of Vanity or Falshood or Vice not requiring noâ—… allowing any uncleanness or wickedness as the Religion of the Gentiles did enduring for ever s Constant and unchangeable the same for Substance in all the Ages of the Church and the World Which is most true both of the moral Law and of the Doctrine of God's Grace and Mercy to sinful and miserable man which two are the Principal partâ—… of that Law of which he here speaks as is Evident from the whole Context For as the difference between the Old and the New Testament that lyes only in Circumstantial and Ceremonial or Ritual things which are not here intended and that Alteration also was foretolâ—… in the Old Testament and consequently the accomplishment of it did not destroy but confirm the certainty and constancy of God's word This also is opposed to humane Laws wherein there are and ought to be manifold Changes according to the difference of Times and People and Circumstances the judgments of the LORD t i. e. God's Laws frequently called his Iudgments because they are the Declarations of his righteous Will and as it were his legal oâ—… judicial Sentence by which he expects that men should govern themselves and by which he will judge them at the last day are †Heb. truste true and righteous altogether u. 10. More to â—…e desired are they than gold * Psal. 1â—…9 12. 127 Prov. 8. 11. 19. yea than much fine gold x Than Gold of the best quality and in the greatest quantity * Psal. 119. 103. sweeter also than honey y Which was most sweet in those Eastern Countries and †Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 the honey comb z Than that Honey which the Bees have most diligently wrought in their Combs and which freely flows from them which is sweeter than the rest 11. Moreover by them is thy servant a I thy servant though a King and a Prophet and of some Repute for Wisdom and Knowledge yet I am daily taught by them Or 〈◊〉 as Dan. 12. 3. or clearly admonished as this word signifies 〈◊〉 18. 20. 2 Kings 6. 10. Eccles. 4. 13. 〈◊〉 3. 17 c. and 33. 3. 9. It is a faithful and excellent Monitor to shew me my Duty in all Conditions and to preserve me from falling into sin and danger and Mischief warned and in keeping of them b To those that make it their great Design and care to conform their whole Lives to them For he speaks not of a Legal and perfect keeping of them which no man attaineth to in this Life 〈◊〉 7. 20. Gâ—…l 3. 10 11 12. 1 Ioh. 1. 8. but of doing it in an Evangelâ—…al Sence with the allowances which God through Christ makes for Humane infirmities there is great reward c In this Life and especially in the next 12. * Psal. 40. 12. Who can understand d This may be here added Either 1. As a further Proof of the Excellency and necessity of God's Law because mens Errors are so many and hard to be discovered and prevented that they indispensably need such a Friend and Counsellor as the Law is to give them the true knowledge of themselves and of their sins Or 2. As a just and sorrowful Censure of himself upon the Consideration of the exact Purity of God's Law and the Comparing of his Life with it Thy Law O Lord is Holy and just and Good But I am a poor sinful Wreâ—…ch falling infinitely short of it and Condemned by it Or 3. As a signification of the insufficiency of God's Law strictly so called for the healing and saving of mens Souls and of the necessity of further supplies of the Gospel and grace of God whereby the eyes of their Minds may be enlightned to see that light which shines in God's Law and their Hearts may be renewed to yield universal Obedience to it for which therefore he prays in the following words And withal he implies that he did not expect that reward which he last mentioned as a just Recompence to his Obedience which he confesseth to need a Pardon more than to deserve a reward but only as an effect of God's grace and goodness his Errors e Either 1. His sins of ignorance of which this word is used Levit. 4. 2 22 27. 〈◊〉 5. 6. Or rather 2. His sins in general â—…â—…ich afterwards he divides into secret and presumptuous sins Or all deviations from God's Law which are thus called 1 Saâ—… 26. 21. Psal. 119. 67 118. Heb. 9. 7. Iam. 5. 20. The Sence is I cannot comprehend the numbers or the several kinds or all the Hainous Aggravations of my sins cleanse thou me f Both by justification or the Pardon of my sins through the Blood of thy Son which is to be shed for me and by Sanctification through thy holy Spirit co-working in and with thy Word to the further Renovation of my Heart and Life For these are the two ways of câ—…eansing Sinners
Ruler of many Countries and indeed of all Nations except that of Israel or the Roman Empire which was the great enemy and obstructer of Christs Kingdom and therefore was to be destroyed by him as is declared Dan. 2. 44. 45. 7. 7 c. or the great Antichrist or the Beast after which the whole World wondered Revel 13. 3. which Christ will destroy as we read 2 Thess. 2. 8. and in divers places of S. Iohns Revelation Or 2. of all those Heads or Princes which oppose him the Singular number Head being here put collectively for Heads as is very usual in the Hebrew Tongue and Text. And so the meaning is that none of Christs enemies though never so many or great and their Empire be never so large and potent shall be able to withstand his force or escape out of his hand and that he shall not onely destroy the common Souldiers but also their greatest Commanders and Princes who in such cases do frequently make their escape But this and the other like passages both here and in the Prophets are not to be understood grosly and carnally but spiritually according to the nature of Christs Kingdom the weapons of Christs warfare by which he accomplisheth his great works being spiritual and therefore such must be his battels and judgments as is evident from many other Scriptures although these also are followed many times with temporal plagues over ‖ Or great many countries 7 He shall drink of the brook in the way g This may be understood either 1. properly to express the great fervency and diligence of the Messias in the prosecution of his business who having routed and destroyed the main body of his enemies forces pursues those that fled with such eagerness that he will not lose any time in refreshing himself as might seem necessary after such hot and hard service but will content himself with drinking a little water out of the brook which he finds in his way that being a little refreshed therewith he may proceed with more vigour and efficacy in his work And so this place alludes to the History of Gideons 300 men who onely lapped a little of the water of whom see Iudg. 7. Or 2. metaphorically to express the humiliation and Passion of the Messias and thereby to prevent a great mistake which might arise in mens minds concerning him from the great successes and victories here ascribed to him which might induce them to think that the Messias should be exempted from all sufferings and be crowned with constant and perpetual Triumphs To 〈◊〉 this conceit he intimates here that the Messias before 〈◊〉 obtain that power and glory mentioned in the foregoing verses should have a large portion of afflictions in the way to it or whilst he was in the way or course of his life before he came to his end or rest and to that honour of sitting at his Fathers right hand Waters in Scripture do very frequently signifie afflictions or sufferings as Psal. 42. 7 c. To drink of them signifies to feel or bear them as Isa. 51. 17. Ier. 25. 15. 49. 12. Mat. 20. 22. and in this case it may note Christs willing submission to them A brook or river of water is oft used in Scripture to express a great abundance either of comforts as Psal. 36. 8. or of tribulations as Psal. 18. 4. 124. 4. and therefore may be more fitly used in this place than a cup by which the afflictions of other men are commonly expressed to intimate that the sufferings of the Messiah were unspeakably more and heavier than the sufferings of other men and that he should drink up not a small cup but the whole river or Sea of his Fathers wrath due to our sins therefore h Which word may note either the effect or the consequent of his sufferings shall he lift up the head i i. e. Shall be delivered from all his sorrows and sufferings and exalted to great glory and joy and felicity as this phrase usually signifies as Psal. 3. 4. 27. 6. Ier. 52. 31. and oft elsewhere as on the contrary to hang down the head is a signification of great grief and shame as Lament 2. 10. PSAL. CXI The excellency of this Psalm appears as from other things so from the Psalmists care to digest the several parcels of it into an exact order according to the order of the letters of the Hebrew Alphabet that it might be better fixed in the memories of those who read it It is a short yet full commemoration of Gods works 1 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 PRaise ye the LORD I will praise the LORD with my whole heart in the assembly of the upright a Of the sincere Worshippers of God of the Israel of God as this very word is explained Numb 23. 10. where they who are called Israel in one clause are called righteous or upright in the next And this title he gives to the Assembly or Congregation of Israelites partly because many of them were such and he was obliged in charity to judge all of them to be so of whom he had no evidence to the contrary partly because upright persons do most exercise and delight themselves in this duty of praising God and hypocrites though sometimes they give themselves to prayer yet are very apt to neglect the duty of thanksgiving partly because this duty of praise is most comely for the upright Psal. 33. 1. and partly because Davids heart was most united to the sincere Israelites and his desire was as far as he could to associate himself with such in the worship and service of God and in the congregation 2 The works of the LORD b Either 1. the works of Creation or rather 2. the works of his Providence in the World and especially in and for his Church and people of which he speaks in the rest of the Psalm are great c For the infinite power and wisdom and goodness manifested in them sought out d Highly valued and regarded as this very word and phrase is used Deut. 11. 12. Isa. 62. 12. or frequently called to mind and diligently meditated upon when others either never regard them or instantly forget them or found out as this word is taken Isai. 65. 1. the antecedent being put for the consequent which is frequent in Scripture as Rom. 12. 2. where proving or trying for so the Greek word there signifies is put for approving which follows after it And found out i. e. truly and throughly understood both as to the nature of them and Gods counsels and ends in them whereas the works of God are oft-times not apprehended or minded or are mistaken and misconstrued by ungodly men of all them that have pleasure therein e Of all them who take delight in observing and considering the works of God 3 His work f Either all his works of which see the Note 〈◊〉 v. 2. or that eminent branch of
long and loose garments about their loins and strengtheneth her arms i Putteth forth her utmost strength in her business 18 †Heb. she tasteth She perceiveth that her merchandise is good k She finds great comfort and good success in her labours her candle goeth not out by night l Which is not to be taken strictly but only signifies her unwearied Care and Industry which is oft expressed by labouring day and night or continually 19 She layeth her hands to the spindle m By her own example she provoketh her servants to labour And although in these later and more delicate and luxurious times such mean employments are grown out of fashion among great persons yet they were not so in former ages neither in other Countries nor in this Land whence all Women are to this day called in the language of our Law Spinsters and her hands hold the distaff 20 †Heb. she spreadeth She stretcheth out her hand to the poor n To relieve their necessities Her designs are generous and noble for she labours not only to supply her own and her Houshold necessities or to support her own state much less to feed her Pride and Luxury but that she may have wherewith to supply the wants of others who crave or need her assistance Which also procures Gods blessing upon her Husband and Children and whole Family to whom by this means she brings both Honour and advantage yea she reacheth forth her hands to the needy 21 She is not afraid of the snow o Or of any injuries of the weather for her houshold for all her houshold are cloathed with ‖ Or double garments scarlet p She hath provided enough not only for their necessity and defence against cold and other inconveniences which is here supposed but also for their delight and ornament so that not only her self and Husband and Children but some of the better rank of her servants wear scarlet which was more cheap and familiar in those times and Countries than now it is with us Or as it is rendred in our margent and by divers others are cloathed with double garments which is necessary and customary in cold seasons 22 She maketh her self coverings of tapestry q For the furniture of her house her cloathing is silk and purple r Which was very agreeable to her high quality though it doth not justifie that Luxury in attire which is now usual among persons of far lower ranks both for Wealth and Dignity 23 Her husband is known s Observed and respected not only for his own worth but for his Wife's sake not only for those rich Ornaments which by her care and diligence she provides for him which others of his Brethren by reason of their Wives sloth or luxury are not able to procure but also for his Wisdom in chusing and his Happiness in enjoying so excellent a Wife by whose prudent care in the management of his domestick concerns he hath perfect freedom wholly to attend upon publick affairs in the gates when he sitteth among the Elders of the land t In counsel or judgment 24 She maketh fine linnen and selleth it and delivereth girdles u Curiously wrought of Linnen and Gold or other precious materials Ier. 13. 1. Dan. 10. 5. which in those parts were used both by Men 2 Sam. 20. 8. and by Women Isa. 3. 24. Cant. 7. 1. unto the merchants 25 Strength x Not strength of Body which is no ornament of that sex save only as she preserves her health and strength by Sobriety and Exercise which other Women waste by Intemperance and Idleness but strength of Mind Magnanimity Courage Resolution Activity and honour y Either 1. Her prudent and pious and amiable behaviour in which true Honour principally consists Or 2. That good Name and honourable Esteem which she hath gained amongst all that know her by her virtuous disposition and carriage are her cloathing z These and not her rich Garments mentioned before are her great ornament and glory and she shall rejoice †Heb. in the latter day Gr. in the last days 2 Tim. 3. 1. in time to come a The sense is either 1. In her old Age she reaps the comfort and benefit of her youthful Labours Or rather 2. She lives in constant tranquillity of mind and a confident and chearful expectation of all future events how calamitous soever partly because she hath laid in provisions for a rainy day and chiefly because she hath the comfortable remembrance of a well-spent Life and which follows thereupon a just confidence in Gods gracious Providence and promises made to such persons 26 She openeth her mouth with wisdom b She is neither â—…ullenly silent nor full of vain and impertinent talk as many Women are but speaks discreetly and piously as occasion offereth itself and in her tongue is the law of kindness c Her Speeches are not froward and provoking as those of foolish Women frequently are but most obliging and amiable as being guided by Wisdom and Grace and not by inordinate Lusts and Passions And this practice is called a law in her tongue because it is constant and customary and proceeds from an inward and powerful Principle of true Wisdom which in a manner necessitates and constrains her to discourse like her self so that in a moral sense she cannot speak otherwise unless she offer violence to her self or the nature of the thing require sharp and severe Expressions 27 She looketh well to the ways of her houshold d She diligently observeth the management and progress of her domestick business and the whole carriage and conversation of her Children and Servants Whereby also he intimates that she spends not her time in gadding abroad to other Houses and idle Discourses about the concerns of other persons as the manner of many Women is but is wholly intent upon her own house and proper business and eateth not the bread of idleness e That which is got by idleness or without labour 28 Her children f Whose testimony is the more considerable because they have been constant eye-witnesses of her whole carriage and therefore must have seen her misdemeanors if there had been any as well as her Virtues arise up g Either 1. In token of Reverence to her which agrees not to the following clause wherein the same Phrase is understood concerning her Husband Or rather 2. That they may seriously and industriously apply themselves to the work of setting forth her praises as this Phrase is used Gen. 37. 25. Exod. 2. 17. and oft elsewhere For sitting being commonly the posture of idleness men that set about any work are said to rise in order thereunto and call her blessed h Both for her own excellency and for many happy fruits which they have gathered from her wise and godly education her husband also and he praiseth her
†〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of the than the wandring of the desire f Restless and insatiable Desires of what a man hath not wherewith covetous rich men are perpetually haunted and tormented This g This wandring of the desire wherein most men indulge themselves is also vanity and vexation of Spirit h Is not the way to satisfaction as they imagine but to vexation 10 That which hath been is named already h This verse is added either as a proof of what he last said concerning the vanity and wandring of unsatiable desires or as a further instance of the vanity of all things in this Life That which hath been or is for the Hebrew verb may be rendred either way to wit Man considered with all his endowments and enjoyments whether he be wise or foolish rich or poor Man who is the chief of all visible and sublunary beings for whom they were all made is named already to wit by God who presently after his Creation gave him the following name to signifie what his nature and condition was or would be Heb. What is that which hath been or is it is or hath been named already Others understand it thus All the several conditions which men have had or shall have in the World Riches or Poverty c. are already named i. e. appointed or determined by Gods unchangeable Counsel and invincible Providence But though this be true it seems not to suit so well with the following clause as the other Interpretation doth and it is known that it is man i This is certain and manifest that that being which makes all this noise and stir in the world howsoever magnified by themselves and somtimes adored by Flatterers and howsoever differenced from or advanced above others by Wisdom or Riches or the like is but a Man i. e. a mean earthly mortal and miserable Creature as his very name signifies which God gave him for this very end that he might be always sensible of his vain and base and miserable estate in this world and therefore never expect satisfaction or happiness in it neither may he contend with him that is mightier than he k i. e. With Almighty God with whom Men are very apt to contend upon every sleight occasion and against whom they are ready to murmur for this Vanity and Mortality and Misery of Mankind although they brought it upon themselves by their own sins So this is seasonably added to prevent the abuse of the foregoing passage 11 Seeing there be many things that increase vanity l This seems to be added as a Conclusion of the Disputation managed in all the foregoing Chapters seeing not only Man is a vain Creature in himself as hath been now said but there are also many other things in the world which instead of removing or diminishing as might be expected do but increase this vanity as Wisdom Pleasure Power Wealth and the like the vanity of all which hath been fully and particularly declared Seeing even the good things of this Life bring so much Toil and Cares and Fears c. with them what is man the better m To wit by all that he can either desire or enjoy here Hence it is evident that all these things cannot make him happy but that he must seek for happiness elsewhere 12 For who knoweth what is good for man n No man certainly knows what is best for him here whether to be high or low rich or poor because those great things which men generally desire and pursue are very frequently the occasions of Mens utter Ruine as hath been noted again and again in this Book in this life †〈◊〉 the numâ—… of the days 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 life of his 〈◊〉 all the days of his vain life o Life itself which is the foundation of all mens Comforts and Enjoyments here is a vain and uncertain and transitory thing and therefore all things which depend upon it must needs be so too which he spendeth as * Ps. 102. 11. â—… 109. 23. â—… 144. 4. Ch. 8. 13. Jaâ—… 4. 14. a shadow p Which whilest it abides hath nothing real and solid or substantial in it and doth speedily pass away and leaves no sign behind it for who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun q And as no man can be happy with these things whilest he liveth and enjoyeth them so he can have no content in leaving them to others because he knoweth not either who shall possess them or how the future owners will use or abuse them or what mischief they may do by them either to others or even to themselves CHAP. VII Having largely discoursed of the vanity of all worldly things and having now said in the foregoing verse that no man knew what was best for him he now proceeds to prescribe some Remedies against these Vanities and to direct men to the right method of obtaining that felicity which is not to be expected or found in this World 1 A * Prov. 15. 30. 22. 1. Good name a A good and well-grounded report from wise and worthy persons is better than precious Ointment b Heb. A name which is put for a good name by a Synecdoche that only being worthy to be called a name because evil and worthless men quickly lose their Name and Memory Thus a Wife is put for a good Wife Prov. 18. 22. and a day for a good day Luk. 19. 41 44. and the day of death c To wit of a good man or one who hath left a good Name behind him which is easily understood both from the former clause and from the nature of the thing for to a wicked man this day is far worse and most terrible Yet if this passage be delivered with respect only to this Life and abstracting from the future Life as many other passages in this Book are to be understood then this may be true in general of all men and is the consequent of all the former discourse Seeing this Life is so full of Vanity and Vexation and Misery it is a more desirable thing for a man to go out of it than to come into it Which is the more considerable note because it is contrary to the Opinion and Practice of almost all Mankind to celebrate their own or Childrens Birth-days with solemn Feasts and rejoicings and their deaths with all expressions of sorrow than the day of ones birth b Which was very fragrant and acceptable and useful and of great price especially in those Countries See Deut. 33. 24. Psal. 92. 10. 133. 2. Isa. 39. 2. 2 It is better to go to the house of mourning d Where Mourners meet together to celebrate the Funerals of a deceased Friend than to go to the house of feasting for that e To wit death the cause of that mourning is the end of all men f It brings men to the
distinct Member or Grace of the Church this being the chief design of this description of a Bride which is beautiful in all points to shew that compleatness and absolute perfection which the Church hath in part received and shall more fully receive from Christ in the future Life Yet because the Church is a Body consisting of divers Members and enriched with variety of Gifts and Graces I know no reason but the several parts of this description may have a more special regard to one or other of them And so her Eyes may here note either 1. Her Teachers who are instead of Eyes to her as the Phrase is Num. 10. 31. whence they are called Seers and Guides c. Or 2. The disposition of her Mind or Heart which is compared to the Eye Mat. 6. 22 23. and is oft discerned in the Eye within thy locks e Which being decently composed make the Eyes appear more amiable withal this intimates the modesty of her Looks her Eyes are not wanton and wandring or lofty but sober and humble and confined within their proper bounds looking directly upon her Husband not looking asquint upon other Lovers nor minding other Gods or Christs If the Eyes signifie Teachers the Locks may note the People assembled together to hear their Teachers to whom they are a great Ornament when they thrive by his Teaching thy hair f The Hair of thine Head which is a great Ornament to the Female Sex 1 Cor. 11. 15. This Hair may signifie either 1. The inward Thoughts and Meditations Or rather 2. The outward Conversation and visible fruits of Holiness which do greatly adorn the Professors and Profession of Religion as Hair doth the Head as is implied 1 Tim. 2. 9 10. 1 Pet. 3. 3 4 5. is as a * Ch. 6. 5 6. flock of goats g Which are comely and orderly in going Prov. 30. 29 31. and afford a goodly prospect Or rather as the hair which word is here to be understood as appears both from the comparison itself and from divers places where Goats are put for goats hair as it is in the Hebrew Text Exod. 25. 4. 26. 7. 35. 26. of a flock of goats which in these parts was of extraordinary length and thickness and softness and comeliness and much more like to the Hair of a Man or Woman than the Hair of our Goats is as is evident both from Scripture as Gen. 27. 16. 1 Sam. 19. 13. and from the Testimony of other ancient Writers as Apuleius Martial c. ‖ Or that 〈◊〉 of c. that appear from h That feeding there or coming down thence or going up thither shew themselves evidently to those who stand below it or near them Or as it is rendred in our margent and by others that eat or graze of or upon mount Gilead i Which he mentions as a very fruitful place and fit for the breeding of all sorts of cattle as is manifest from Num. 32. 1. Ier. 50. 19. Mich. 7. 14. and especially of Goats partly because it was an hilly and woody country and partly because it abounded with rosinous and oily and gummy Trees as appears from Gen. 37. 25. Ier. 8. 22. 46. 11. wherewith the Goats are much delighted as Dioscorides observes And some affirm that the Hair of these Goats was commonly of a yellow colour as may seem probable from 1 Sam. 19. 13 16. compared with 1 Sam. 16. 12. and from Cant. 7. 5. which also was in ancient times esteemed a beauty in Men or Women as the Learned know 2 Thy teeth are like a flock k Numerous and placed in due order of sheep l Which is here fitly supplied out of Cant. 6. 6. where it is expressed Smooth and even as also clean and white whereas unshorn sheep retain much filth in their wool even after their washing that are even shorn m which came up from the washing whereof every one bear twins n Which seems to note the two rows of Teeth like Twins one directly answering to the other which is a great part of the Beauty or comeliness belonging to the Teeth Nor let any wonder to hear of sheep bearing Twins for that there were many such in the Eastern Countries is apparent not only from holy Scripture but also from the express Testimony of Aristotle and other ancient Writers and none is barren among them o Not one Tooth is lacking By the Teeth some understand the Teachers which may be compared to Teeth because they prepare and as it were chew spiritual Food for the People and to such Teeth as are here described for their great number and excellent order and for that purity and fruitfulness which is required of them others understand some gracious qualification or action of the faithful either their Faith which is compared to eating Ioh. 6. 41 c. and elsewhere which also purifies the Heart and Life and produceth good works in abundance or their Meditation or study of God and of his word whereby like the clean Beasts under the Law they chew the cud which also much promotes their purity and fertility But as I said on the first verse there is no need of a distinct Application of every particular as it is in Parables where many things are added for decency which belong not to the main scope and therefore are neglected in the interpretation of them The scope of this place is onely to set forth the Churches perfection and beauty by the resemblance of a beautiful Woman and one part of beauty consists in the colour and order of the teeth 3 Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet p Fine and smooth and soft and round and red in which the beauty of the Lips consisteth and thy speech is comely q Which is added partly as another ingredient of an amiable Person and partly to explain the foregoing Metaphor The Communication or Discourse of Believers is edifying and comfortable and acceptable to God and to serious men Compare Psal. 45. 2. Col. 4. 6. * Ch. 6. 7. thy temples r Under which doubtless he comprehends the cheeks which are joined to them and in which a great part of beauty lies which therefore would not have been omitted in this description are like a piece of a pomgranate s In which there is a lovely mixture of red and white This may note both the Churches beauty and her modesty which sheweth itself by blushes in those parts when she hath falln into any sin as the highest Believers in this World somtimes do within thy locks t A further evidence both of beauty and modesty See on v. 1. 4 Thy neck s This may seem to represent the Grace of Faith by which we are united to Christ as the Body is to the Head by the Neck and through which Christians receive their spiritual Food and consequently their strength and ability for Action is like the
thinks to affright us with Bugbears but he either cannot or will not do us any harm we do not fear him let him do his worst let him begin as soon as he pleaseth Not that any of the Israelites were so impudent as to use these Expressions but this was the plain Language of their Actions they lived as if they were of this Opinion their Presumption and Security shewed their desperate Contempt of God and of all his Judgments and let the counsel of the holy One of Israel g Who by his 〈◊〉 is engaged to punish us They scornfully repeated the Title usually given by the Prophets unto God draw nigh and come that we may know it 20 Wo unto them †Heb. that say concerning evil It is good c. that call evil good and good evil h That take away the difference between Good and Evil that justifie and approve wicked Men and Things and condemn Piety or Vertue or righteous Persons Compare 〈◊〉 17. 15. Thus many call Serious Godliness Humourous Singularity and Justice Morofity and Meekness Stupidity c. as on the contrary 〈◊〉 call Pride Magnanimity and Covetousness Good â—…andry And men are very apt to follow the Course of the World in their false Judgments of things which therefore the Prophet so severely forbids that put darkness for light and light for darkness that put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter 21 Wo unto them that are * Prov. 3â—… 7. Rom. 12. 16. wise in their own eyes and prudent †Heb. before their face in their own sight i That being puffed up with an Opinion of their own Wisdom despise the Counsels and Instructions of God by his Prophets and prefer their own vain Fancies before the Judgment of the All-wise God as appears by the Errour beforementioned v. 20. that they affirmed that to be Evil which God had declared to be Good 22 Wo unto them that are mighty to drink wine k That can drink much without Intoxication in which they gloried as too many do at this day and men of strength to mingle l i. e. To drink the Antecedent being put for the Consequent which is usual for they mingled it in order to drinking strong drink 23 Which * Prov. 17. 15 24. 24. justifie the wicked for reward m Not by mistake or incogitancy but wilfully for Bribes and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him n To wit juridically they pronounce Sentence against him as if he and his Cause were unjust 24 Therefore as †Heb. the tongue of fire the fire devoureth the stubble and the flame consumeth the chaff so their root shall be as rottenness o They shall be like a Tree which not onely withers in its Branches but dies and rots at the Roots and therefore is past all hopes of recovery The sence is They shall be destroyed both Root and Branch and their blossom shall go up as dust p Shall vanish for so the Word ascend or go up is oft used as Exod. 16. 14. Iob 5. 26. Ier. 48. 15. Ezek. 11. 23 24. as the Dust which is blown away with every Wind or shall be resolved into Dust and yield no Fruit. because they have cast away q Which implies Disobedience joyned with Contempt the law of the LORD of hosts and despised the word of the hole One of Israel 25 Therefore is the anger of the LORD kindled against his people and he hath stretched forth his hand against them and hath smitten them and the hills did tremble r A Metaphorical and Hyperbolical Description of a grievous Calamity familiar in the Prophets as Isa. 64. 1 2. Ier. 4. 24. and in other Authors and their carcases were ‖ Or as dung torn in the midst of the streets * Ch. 9. 12. 17. 21. 10. 4. For all this his anger is not turned away but his hand is stretched out still s Ready to give you another and a â—…orer Blow This is not the end as you vainly imagine but if you repent not the beginning of your Sorrows and an Earnest of further Calamities 26 And he will lift up an ensign t To call them together for this Service as Generals use to do for the raising of Armies to the nations from far u Either 1. to the Assyrians of whom he speaks more particularly ch 10. and that under this same Character of a People that come from far v. 3. and who did not long after this Prophecy invade Iudaea and did much mischief in it Although that part of the Prediction v. 29. they 〈◊〉 lay hold of the prey and shall carry it away safe and none shall deliver it do not seem to agree to them nor that Invasion for the Assyrians were forced to retreat with great shame and loss and the Iews were delivered from them Or 2. to the Chaldaeans for even Babylon is called a far countrey Isa. 39. 3. And he saith nations because the Chaldaean Army was made up of several Nations and will * Chap. 7. 18. hiss unto them x Or will whistle unto or for them will gather them together by his Word as Shepherds gather their Sheep He intimates how easily and speedily God can do this Work from the ends of the earth y Which is not to be understood strictly but popularly and with a latitude from very remote Places although part of the Chaldaean Army did come from Places not very 〈◊〉 distant from the end of that part of the World so far as 〈◊〉 was then known and behold they shall come with speed swiftly 27 None shall be weary z Though their March be long and tedious As I have called them to this Work so I will strengthen and assist them in it nor stumble amongst them none shall slumber nor sleep a They shall all be watchful and diligent to take all Opportunities and Advantages of executing my Judgments upon my People neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed nor the latchet of their shoes be broken b Which otherwise would hinder or at least slacken them in their March I will take all Impediments out of their way 28 Whose arrows are sharp and all their bows bent c Who are every way furnished and ready for my Work waiting onely for my Command their horses hoofs shall be counted like flint d Because they shall not be broken or battered by the length or stoniness and ruggedness of the Way and their wheels like a whirlwind e Partly for the swiftness of their March and partly for the force and violence of their Chariots in Battel 29 Their roaring shall be like a lion they shall roar like young lions f Which signifies both their Cruelty and their greediness and eagerness to catch and devour the Prey yea they shall roar and lay hold of the prey and shall carry it
thereof that ‖ Or did not let his prisoners loose homeward opened not the house of his prisoners * Whereby he signifies both his irresistible Power and his continued Cruelty He neither was willing to give them any Liberty or Ease nor could any force him to do it 18 All the kings of the nations even all of them i Other Kings most commonly do as the Word all is frequently used lie in glory every one in his own house k Are buried in their own Sepulchres having stately Monuments erected to their Honour and Memory 19 But thou art cast out of thy grave l Or cast from thy grave or burying-place Which very probably hapned to Belshazzar who was slain in the Night Dan. 5. 30. when his People had neither opportunity nor heart to bestow an honourable Interment upon him and the Conquerours would not suffer them to do it like an abominable branch m Like an useless and rotten Twig of a Tree which he that pruneth the Trees cutteth off and casteth away with abhorrency and suffers to lie rotting more and more upon the Ground Or like a degenerate Plant of a noble Vine which is abominable and as the raiment n Which being cut and mangled and besmeared with Mire and defiled with Blood was cast away with contempt and abominated as an unclean thing as it was in divers respects in that Age and State of the Church of those that are slain thrust through with a sword that go down to the stones of the pit o Which Persons being slain they together with their Garments are cast into some Pit He saith to the stones of the pit either because such Bodies are commonly thrown into the next Pits and Pits were frequently made by digging Stones out of their Quarries or because there usually are a great number of Stones in the bottoms of Pits either naturally or being cast in thither upon divers occasions and when dead Bodies are cast in thither men use to throw an heap of Stones upon them as a carcase trodden under feet p Neglected like such a Carcass Or this might literally happen to Belshazzar's dead Body through Military Fury and Contempt or from other Causes 20 Thou shalt not be joyned with them q Not in place for so the Kings of several Nations did not use to be joyned in the same Sepulchre but in Condition not be buried as they are in burial because thou hast destroyed thy land and slain thy people r Thou hast exercised great Tyranny and Cruelty not onely to thine Enemies but even to thine own Subjects Which it is more than probable Belshazzar did and it is certain that his Parents and Predecessors had done whose Sins contributed together with his to bring down God's Judgments upon that Empire * Iob. 18. 19. Psal. 21 10. 37. 28. 109. 13. the seed of evil doers s Such as Belshazzar was being descended from that Nebuchadnezzar who had made such horrid Slaughters and Devastations in the World meerly to gratifie his own unsatiable Lusts and who had been so impious towards God and his Temple and so bloody towards his Church and People shall never be renowned t Or shall not be renowned for ever Although I have long born with thee and thy Family and suffered them to get a great Name in the World yet I will now put a period to the Renown of thy Family and Empire 21 Prepare slaughter for his children u O ye Medes and Persians cut off all the Branches of the Royal Family of Babylon * Exod. 20. 5. Mat. 2â—… â—…5 for the iniquity of their fathers x In the Guilt whereof the Children are justly involved partly because of that Community of Nature and Interest which is between Parents and Children which makes them for the most part bear a share with them as in their Rewards and Advantages so also in their Punishments and Miseries and partly because they justified their Sins by their Impenitency and Imitation of their wicked Example that they do not rise y i. e. Not recover their former Splendour and Power nor possess the land nor fill the face of the world with cities z Erected by them either as Instruments of Tyranny to keep the Country round about them in Slavery or as Monuments of their Power and Riches as Babylon was Dan. 4. 30. 22 For I will rise up against them saith the LORD of hosts and cut off from Babylon the name and remnant a The Remembrance of those that are dead and the Persons of those who yet survive and son and nephew saith the LORD 23 * Ch. 34. 11. Zeph. 2. 14. I will also make it a possession for the bittern b A great Water-fowl which thrusting its Bill into some broken Reed or other hollow thing makes a great noise which also delights in solitary places as also in Waterish Grounds such as those were about Babylon Others render the Word Hedg-hog or Porâ—…upine But this being not considerable in it self nor at all necessary for the clearing of the Text I shall not trouble the English Reader with any Discourse about it And the Learned may consult my Latin Synopsis and pools of water c The Ground about Babylon was of it self very moist and waterish because of the great River Euphrates running by it which was kept from overflowing the Country with great Charge and Labour which being neglected as it must needs be when the City was destroyed and dispeopled it was easily turned into Pools of Water and I will sweep it with the besom of destruction saith the Lord of hosts 24 The LORD of hosts hath sworn saying Surely as I have thought so shall it come pass and as I have purposed so shall it stand d I will not repent of this Threatning as I did of that against Nineveh Ionah 3. 4 10. And this solemn Oath is added to confirm the Faith of God's People because otherwise the Destruction of this vast and mighty Empire might seem incredible But it is to be diligently observed that this Verse doth not onely concern this present Prophecy of Babylon's Destruction by the Medes and Persians but is also to be extended unto the foregoing Prophecy concerning the Overthrow of Sennacherib and the Assyrian Host ch 10. as appears by the next Verse where the sum of that Prophecy is repeated Nor is this any Digression but very pertinent to the main Design and Business of this Chapter inasmuch as the Overthrow of that great Assyrian Host and of the Deliverance of God's People at that time was a Pledge of the certain Accomplishment of that future Destruction of the City and Empire of Babylon and of their Deliverance out of that Captivity 25 * Nah. 1. 11 12 13. That I will break the Assyrian e Sennacherih and his Assyrian Army in my land f In 〈◊〉 which is my Land
Scripture comes under that name though not in all places as some Learned Men contend Nor doth this Place seem to be understood here because these Rivers were not interposed between Iudaea in which Isaiah wrote this Prophecy and Arabia nor were the Rivers of Arabia mentioned before interposed between Iudaea and Egypt or Ethiopia and besides those Rivers were but small and inconsiderable and therefore as was noted before this Land whatsoever it is would not have been denominated from them especially when it is not properly situated either beyond them or on this side of them But if this Cush be Arabia peradventure it were better to understand the rivers or the river as it was explained before of the Red Sea beyond which indeed both Egypt and Ethiopia were in reference to Arabia And whereas it may be objected That the Title of river or rivers is very improperly given to the Sea it may be fairly answered That as Rivers are sometimes called by the name of the sea as Euphrates is Isa. 21. 1. Ier. 51. 36. so this very Word here rendred river is used concerning the Sea in the Hebrew Text Ionah 2. 3. and indeed may not unfitly be given to the Red Sea which both for its Length and Breadth hath a manifest resemblance unto some large Rivers which are in the World And so the Words may be very truly understood either of Egypt or of Ethiopia both which Countries in this sence are beyond the rivers or river of Arabia But this I onely propose and submit to the Reader 's Judgment Or 2. Ethiopia properly so called For the Cushites or Ethiopians are distinguished by Herodotus and divers other both ancient and later Writers into the Eastern which seem to be the Arabians and the Western which seem to be the Ethiopians under Egypt And it is probably thought that these Cushites were first planted in Arabia and upon their increase part of them passed over into Africa by crossing the Red Sea which was a very short and an easie Passage and setled there And according to this Interpretation of the Word the Description of the Land given in the last Clause of this Verse agrees either to Ethiopia or to Egypt as is evident from what hath been already said for the clearing of this dark and difficult Verse 2 That sendeth ambassadours f That at this time are sending Ambassadours after their manner to strengthen themselves with Leagues and Alliances whereby they think to prevent those Judgments and Calamities which notwithstanding all their Endeavours I will bring upon them The first part of this Verse seems to contain a further Description of the People of the Land mentioned in the foregoing Verse by the sea g Either by the Midland Sea or by the Red Sea or by great Lakes which were both in and near the Land of Egypt it being usual among the Hebrews to give the Title of seas to Lakes or any great Collections of Waters as hath been oft observed before even in vessels of bulrushes h For both the Egyptians and Ethiopians as Diodorus Siculus and Strabo and Pliny relate did commonly use Boats of Rushes or Reeds which were more convenient for them than those of Wood because they were both cheaper and swifter and lighter for carriage from Place to Place for which they had frequent occasion in those Parts and safer because of the many Rocks and Shelves and Water-falls of Nilus upon the waters †Heb. upon the face or surface of the waters Which is properly expressed because such Vessels being very light did not sink so deep into the Waters as those of Wood do saying * This Word is supplied here as it is in many other Places And the Words here following are supposed to contain the Commission and Direction given by the People hitherto described unto their Messengers to go to the People described in the following Words But this Word saying is not in the Hebrew Text nor is it supplied either by the Seventy or by the Chaldee nor doth it seem necessary to be understood And it seems very improbable that the People to whom the Messengers were sent should be described in such general and ambiguous Terms and in so large a manner and not a Word said concerning their Message And therefore with submission I humbly conceive these to be the Words of the Prophet who having in God's Name pronounced a Wo against the Land hitherto described here continues his Speech and gives a Commission from God to these messengeâ—…s following to go to this nation scattered c. Then he calls to all Nations to be Witnesses of the Message sent by these Messengers v. 3. And then the Message follows in the succeeding Verses And so the Coherence seems to be clear Go ye swift Messengers i O you my Angels or Men whom I have appointed for this Work go speedily to them and tell them what I am about to do with them or inflict the following Judgment upon them to a nation ‖ Or out-spread and polished scattered k Not by Banishment but in their Habitations Which agrees well to the Cushites or Ethiopians both for the vastness of the Land inhabited by them to wit Ethiopia and Arabia and for the manner of their Habitation which is more scattered than that of other People Or these People may be called scattered Prophetically not that they were so but that they should be so Or this Word may he rendred as it is in the Margin and by some others out-spread or drawn cut at length which exactly suits to Egypt which is much more extended in length than in Breadth and peeled l Either 1. without Hair for so were the Ethiopians in a great measure through the great Heat of their Country Or 2. having their Hair shaven or plucked off for the Word doth not signifie a natural want of Hair but a violent taking away of Hair as appears from Ezra 9. 3. Nehem. 13. 25. Isa. 50. 6. And this plucking or shaving of the Hair is metaphorically used in Scripture to signifie some great Calamity whereby men are stripped of all their Comforts as Isa. 7. 20. and elsewhere And this Title may be given to them Prophetically to signifie their future and approaching Destruction to people terrible from their beginning hitherto m Such were the Egyptians and Ethiopians or Cushites as appears both from Sacred and Profane Histories And this may be here added as an Aggravation of their impending Miseries that they who had been for a long time terrible to others should now become a contemptible and wretched People ‖ Or a nation that needeth out and treadeth down †Heb. a nation of line line and treading under foot a nation meted oâ—… n Heb. of line line i. e. meted out as it were with Lines to Destruction of which Phrase and Custom see 2 Sam. 8. 2. 2 Kings 21. 13. Psal. 60. 6. Isa. 34. 11. and troden
peeled and from a people terrible from their beginning hitherto a nation meted out and trodden under foot whose land the rivers have spoiled to the place of the Name of the LORD of hosts the mount Zion CHAP. XIX * Jer. 46. 13. Ezek. 29. 30. THE burden of Egypt a Some Learned men conceive that what was said more generally and darkly in the foregoing Chapter is here more particularly and clearly explained to be meant of Egypt it being usual for the Prophets to mix obscure and plain Passages together and to clear the one by the other Others understand that Chapter of Ethiopia and this of Egypt But this Controversie must be decided by an exact confideration of all the Passages of the former Chapter Behold the LORD rideth b As a General in the Head of his Army or as Judge riding Circuit to execute Judgment upon a swift cloud c Which Phrase sheweth that the Judgment shall come speedily unexpectedly and unavoidably And Clouds being very unusual in Egypt the Appearance of a Cloud was a kind of Prodigy and a Prognostick of some grievous Calamity and shall come into Egypt and the idols of Egypt shall be moved d From their Seats and from their former Reputation Or shall hake or tremble So far shall they be from helping the Egypians as they expect that they shall tremble for themselves which divers of the Egyptian Gods being living Creatures might properly do at his presence and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it e They shall lose all their ancient Strength and Courage for which they had been Famous formerly 2 And I will †Heb. mingle set the Egygtians against the Egyptians f I will raise Civil Wars among them and they shall fight every one against his brother and every one against his neighbour city against city and kingdom against kingdom g For although all Egypt was now one Kingdom and under one King yet not many years after this time it was divided into twelve several Kingdoms between whom there were many and cruel Wars as is related by the Historians of those Times and particularly by Herodotus and Diodorus 3 And the spirit h Either 1. their Courage But of that he spake v. 1. Or 2. their Understanding as it is explained in the next Clause for the Word spirit is oft put for the Reasonable Soul as Eccles. 3. 21. 12. 7. and for the Thoughts of the Mind as Prov. 29. 11. Ezek. 13. 3. of Egypt †Heb shall be emptied shall fall in the midst thereof and I will †Heb. swallow up destroy the counsel thereof and they shall seek to the idols i As not knowing what to do without the help of an higher Power and to the charmers and to them that have familiar spirits and to the wizards 4 And the Egyptians will I ‖ Or shut up give over into the hand of a cruel lord and a fierce king k Either 1. of the King of Assyria or Chaldaea or 2. of those twelve petty Kings the Singular Number being put for the Plural or 3. of Psammetichus who being at first one of those twelve Kings waged War with the rest and subdued them and conquered all the Land of Egypt and ruled it with rigour shall rule over them saith the LORD the LORD of hosts 5 And the waters shall fail from the sea l Which may be understood either 1. Metaphorically of the taking away of their Dominion or Commerce c. or rather 2. Properly as may be gathered from the following Words and Verses For as the River Nilus when it had a full Stream and free Course did pour forth a vast quantity of Waters by its seven famous Mouths into the Sea so when that was dried up which is expressed in the next Clause those Waters did truly and properly fail from the Sea So there is no need of understanding by sea either the River Nilus or the great Lake of Moeris which after the manner of the Hebrews might be so called and the river m To wit Nilus upon whose Fulness and Overflow both the Safety and the Wealth of the Land depended as all Authors agree and therefore this was a very terrible Judgment shall be wasted and dried up n Not totally but in a very great measure as such Phrases are commonly used 6 And they shall turn the rivers far away o Which is to be taken Impersonally as such Expressions are very frequently for the rivers those small Rivolets by which the Waters of Nilus were conveyed and distributed into several Parts of the Land shall be turned far away as they must needs be when the great River Nilus which fed them was dried up and the brooks of defence p The several Branches of the River Nilus which were a great Defence to Egypt as is well known shall be emptied and dried up the reeds and flags q Which were very useful to them for making their Boats which were absolutely necessary in that Country and divers other things shall wither r As they commonly do for want of Water 7 The paper-reeds s Which by a Needle or other fit Instrument were divided into thin and broad Leaves which being dried and fitted were used at that time for Writing as our Paper is and consequently was a very good Commodity by the brooks by the mouth of the brooks and every thing sown by the brooks t And much more what was sown in more dry and unfruitful places shall wither be driven away †Heb. and shall not be and be no more 8 The fishers also shall mourn u Because they could catch few or no Fish by which Trade they got their Living Which also was a great Plague to the People whose common Diet this was because out of Superstitious Conceits they killed and eat but few Living Creatures as appears both from Sacred and Profane Writers and all they that cast angle into the brooks shall lament and they that spread nets upon the waters shall languish 9 Moreover they that work in fine flax x That make fine Linen which was one of their best Commodities of which see 1 Kings 10. 28. Prov. 7. 16. Ezek. 27. 7. and they that weave ‖ Or white works net-works shall be confounded 10 And they shall be broken in the †Heb. foundations purposes thereof y i. e. Of Egypt or of the Egyptians They shall lose their Ends aâ—…d Hopes for the Fishes in them shall die for want of Water all that make sluces and ponds †Heb. of living things for fish 11 Surely the princes of Zoan z The chief City in which the King and Court frequently resided See Psal. 78. 12. are fools the counsel of the wise counsellers of Pharoah is become brutish a Exceeding foolish and destructive to themselves how say ye
by the Course of his Providence and require this by the Precepts requiring these things in such Times and Conditions to weeping and to mourning and to baldness r To make themselves bald by plucking or shaving off the Hair of their Heads as was usual in great Sorrows as Ezra 9. 3. Iob 1. 20. Mic. 1. 16 although it was forbidden in case of the Death of Relations for a special Reason of which see on Levit. 19. 27 28. 21. 5. and to girding with saccloth 13 And behold joy and gladness slaying Oxen and killing sheep eating flesh s Not onely for Necessity but to Excess and Luxury as eating and drinking are taken Mat. 24. 38. and drinking wine * Chap. 56. 12. 1 Cor. 15. 32. let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall die t The Prophets tell us that we shall certainly and suddenly be destroyed it concerns us therefore to make our best of the present time and to be merry whilst we have oportunity A most perverse and desperate Conclusion proceeding from obstinate Profaneness and Contempt of God's Judgments 14 And it was revealed in mine ears u What I am saying is not my own Invention nor uncertain Reports but what I heard with these Ears of mine The like Phrase we have 1 Sam. 9. 15. the Lord had told Samuel in his ear by the LORD of hosts surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye die x You shall feel the sad Effects of this wickedness and my just displeasure for it as long as you live This is not spoken exclusively as if it should be purged after their death which is absurd and impious to imagine at least concerning such as lived and died in this desperate and impenitent Condition but emphatically to shew that God would have no mercy upon them in that time of Life in which he useth and delighteth to give Repentance and Remission of Sins unto Mankind saith the Lord GOD of hosts 15 Thus saith the Lord GOD of hosts Go get thee unto this treasurer y Which the Prophet might boldly do because he had the Protection not onely of God who sent him upon this Errand but probably of Hezekiah also who at the time of this Prophecy was either King or his Fathers Viceroy or at least Heir-apparent to the Crown even unto Shebna z Who seems to have been advanced by wicked Ahaz and to have been a great Patron of Impiety and Injustice in his Reign and by politick Compliance with Hezekiah thought to gain his Favour and so to keep his Place and Power at Court which is over the house a Over the House of David as is more fully expressed below v. 22. Possibly he was not onely the Lord Treasurer but also the Kings Prime Minister of State and say 16 What hast thou here b Or What dost thou here what right hast thou to this Place and Office and whom c Either 1. What Friends in whom thou canst confide Thou hast so ill managed thy self and thy Affairs that thou art universally hated Or 2. What Kindred or Relations For the Jews say he was a Stranger by Birth which is the more probable because his Pedigree is not mentioned in any of those Places of Scripture where he is named hast thou here that thou hast hewed thee out a sepulchre d As great and ambitious Men used to do here e Not in thine own Country the proper Place for such a Monument but in Ierusalem which should not be defiled nor disparaged with it ‖ Or O he as he that heweth him out a sepulchre on high f In an high and eminent Place as Isa. 57. 7. and graveth an habitation for himself in a rock h A fit Place both for Strength and State Thus we read of a sepulchre hewed out in a rock Mat. 27. 60. g Either 1. a Sepulchre which is called a mans house Iob 30. 23. or 2. a Dwelling-house He erected or is compared to one that doth erect a stately House to live in and a stately Sepulchre to receive him when he dies And these two are fitly joined together because their Sepulchres were commonly built in or near their Houses See Isa. 14. 18. Ioh. 19. 41. 17 Behold ‖ Or the LORD who covered thee with an excellent covering and clothed thee gorgeously shall surely c. the LORD will carry thee away with †Heb. the captivity of a man a mighty captivity i Will cause thee to be carried into Captivity by a strong Hand or by the Hand of a mighty man from which therefore thou shalt not be able to escape Or will cast thee away with the casting of a mighty man i. e. with great force or in casting will cast thee away O thou mighty man and will surely cover thee k To wit with confusion as is here implied and as this Phrase is more fully expressed Psal. 89. 40. 109. 29. Or covering may be put for obscuring his Glory which he designed to publish and to that end erected stately Monuments c. Or this may be an Allusion to the ancient Custom of covering the Faces of Condemned Persons of which see Esth. 7. 8. Compare Iob 9. 24. Ezek. 12. 6 12. 18 He will surely violently turn and toss thee like a ball l Heb. Wrapping he will wrap thee up like a ball which consists of Materials wrapped and bound together that it may be tossed far away Or Rolling he will roll thee with the rolling of a ball into a †Heb. large of spaces large country m Like a Ball which is cast into a large and plain Spot of Ground where being thrown by a strong man it runs far and wide Or to a far Countrey which seems to be here called large of spaces not so much in it self for that was inconsiderable to him whether the Land of his Captivity was large or little as in respect of its distance from the Place of his Birth and Abode there shalt thou die and there the chariots of thy glory shall be the shame of thy lords house n The sence of the Words thus rendred seems to be this Thy glorious Chariots wherein thou didst ride in great State at Ierusalem shall then and there be turned into shame to thy self and to thy Master to whom it is just matter of reproach that he was so foolish as to advance and trust such a faithless and unworthy Person But the Words are by divers others fitly rendred there the chariots of thy glory shall be or shall die or vanish i. e. That shall be the end of all thy pompous Chariots and other Monuments of thy Pride O thou who art the shame of thy lords house who by thy unjust and wicked Practices hast exposed thy King and Master and the Royal Family to Reproach and Contempt 19 And I o The Lord whose Words these are v. 15.
venerable though Apocryphal Writer 1 〈◊〉 1. 1. 8. 5. But this Place is otherwise rendred both by ancient and later Interpreters which seems to be more natural and easie and no less agreeable to the Hebrew Text either thus that she is laid waste so that there is no house nor entring or coming in to wit for Traffick from the land of Chittim is made known to them to wit to the Ships or Merchants that used to resort thither for Traffick or rather thus for it is laid waste so that there is no house not any Houses left for the Citizens to dwell in nor entring or coming in to wit of Merchants from the land of Chittim she to wit her People is removed or gone into captivity as this Word properly signifies and is rendred Isa. 38. 12. And for the last Hebrew Word lamo which is rendred to them which is the onely Objection against this Interpretation it is onely added as an Elegancie of the Hebrew Language and hath no further Signification as it is also Psal. 58. 7. and as the Particle lo which signifies the same thing and such other Pronouns are frequently redundant and insignificant in the Hebrew Text as hath been oft observed by Grammarians and Interpreters He mentions the land of Chittim because this was an eminent Place for Shipping and Trading as is manifest from Numb 24. 24. Ezek. 27. 6. Dan. 11. 30. and therefore doubtless had great Dealings and Commerce with Tyre and may here be put Synechdochically for all other Countries which Traded with her It is not necessary for the understanding of this Text to 〈◊〉 what Chittim is whether it was Italy or Greece or the Islands in those Parts it is sufficient to know that it was a Seafaring Place in the Midland Sea and so much startled and concerned in the Destruction of Tyre 2 Be †Heb. silent still g Heb. Be silent as one confounded and not knowing what to say or as Mourners use to be Iob 2. 8 13. Isa. 47. 5. boast no more of thy Wealth and Power as thou usedst to do ye inhabitants of the isle h Heb. of Tyrus which now was an Island Ezek. 27. 3. 28. 2. till Alexander joined it to the Continent as Pliny reports Although the Title of Islands is oft given by the Hebrews to Places bordering upon the Sea thou whom the merchants of Zidon i An eminent City of Palestina nigh unto Tyre much concerned with her and for her that pass over the sea k That are a Seafaring People have replenished l With Mariners Ezek. 27. 8. and Commodities 3 And by great waters m By the Sea which is very fitly called the great waters Psal. 107. 23. understand cometh or is brought to her the seed of Sihor n The Corn of Egypt wherewith Egypt abounded and furnished divers other Parts of the World whence it was called the Granary of the Roman Empire which also was easily conveyed by Sea from Egypt to Tyre and thence to divers other Countries This is called seed here as also Hag. 2. 19. and elsewhere by an usual Metonymy and the seed of Sihor because it grew up the more abundantly because of the Overflow of the River as all sorts of Authors have noted For Sihor is nothing else but Nilus as appears from Ier. 2. 18. which is called Sihor as by the Greeks it was called Melas from its black Colour And this and no other River seems to be that Sihor which is so oft mentioned as one of the Bounds of the Land of Canaan as Numb 34. 5. c. because that Land at least in that extent which God allotted and gave it to the Israelites though they through neglect or cowardise might not actually possess it did reach to one of the Branches of that River And indeed if Sihor be not Nilus that great and neighbouring River is not named in all the Scripture which seems very improbable the harvest of the river o This Clause explains the former that plentiful Harvest of Corn which comes from the Influence and Inundation of Nilus which is emphatically called the river as here so also Exod. 1. 22. Isa. 19. 5. Ezek. 29. 3 9. as Euphrates is in other Texts of Scripture is her revenue p Is as easily procured and plentifully enjoyed by her as if it grew in her own Territories and she is a mart of nations q A Place to which all Nations resort for Traffick 4 Be thou ashamed O Zidon r For Zidon was a great City near Tyre and strongly united to her by Commerce and League and called by some the Mother of Tyre which they say was built and first inhabited by a Colony of the Sidonians and therefore she must needs be greatly concerned in the Destruction of Tyrus for the sea s That part of the Sea in which Tyrus was and from which Ships and Men were sent into all Countries hath spoken even the strength of the sea t This is added to explain what he meant by the sea even Tyrus who might be called the strength of the Sea either actively because it defended that part of the Sea from Pyracies and Injuries or passively because it was defended and strengthened by the Sea which encompassed it And this Title is here given to Tyrus to shew what great cause of Confusion and Fear Sidon had from this Example which for Strength was much inferiour to Tyrus saying I travel not nor bring forth children neither do I nourish up young men nor bring up virgins u I who was so exceeding fruitful and populous that I sent forth Colonies into other Countries of which the famous City of Carthage was one am now become barren and desolate 5 As at the report concerning Egypt so shall they be sorely pained at the report of Tyre x According to this Translation the sence is All the neighbouring Nations shall be no less terrified at the Tidings of the Destruction of Tyrus than they were of old upon the Report of God's former and dreadful Judgments upon the Egyptians of which see Exod. 15 14 15 16. Ios. 2. 9 11. because they shall despair of resisting that Enemy against whom that vast and potent City which was deemed impregnable could not defend it self But the Words are by the Seventy and other both ancient and later Interpreters rendred otherwise and that very agreeably to the Hebrew Text When the report to wit of the Destruction of Tyre came or shall come which Word is easily understood as it is above v. 3. and in other Texts of Scripture before mentioned to the Egyptians they shall be sorely pained according to the report of Tyre their Grief shall be answerable to the Report as the Report is very dreadful so their Grief and Anguish shall be very great or they shall fear lest they should be destroyed in like manner as Tyrus was destroyed 6 Pass ye over to
24. the wilderness be a fruitful field and the fruitful field be counted for a forrest r Which is Allegorically understood The meaning may be this God's people who were desolate and destroyed shall be Revived and Flourish and their flourishing Enemies shall be brought to Desolation and Destruction It may also signify The Conversion of the barren and despised Gentiles and the Rejection of the Iews in the time of the Messiah 16. Then judgment s Just Judgment as the next Clause explains it shall dwell in the wilderness and righteousness remain in the fruitful field t Justice shall be Executed in all the parts of the Land both in the barren and fruitful Places and shall be practised by all My People Which agrees with that Promise Isa. 60. 21. Thy people shall be all righteous c. 17. And the work of righteousness shall be peace u The effect of this prevailing practice of Righteousness shall be Prosperity and outward Felicity and the effect of righteousness quietness x Tranquility both of Mind and outward Estate and assurance y Or confidence The observation of God's Precepts will beget in them a confidence and assurance of God's Mercy and the fulfilling of his Promises for ever 18. And my people z Either the Gentiles who then shall be My People Or the Iews to whom this Promise shall be made good upon their Conversion to Christ in the latter times of the Gospel shall dwell in a peaceable habitation and in sure dwellings and in quiet resting places 19. When it shall hail coming down on the forrest a Heb. And it shall hail c. As my Blessings shall be poured down upon my People who from a Wilderness are turned into a fruitful Field as it is said ver 15. So my Wrath and Judgments which are signified by hail Isa. 28. 2 17. and elsewhere shall fall upon them who were a fruitful Field but are turned into a Forrest as was said ver 15. i. e. upon the unbelieving and rebellious Iews who seem to be there designed under that Notion ‖ Or and the city shall be utterly abased and the city b Either 1. Babylon the great Enemy and Oppressour of Goâ—…'s People Or 2. Ierusalem which though now it was the Seat of God's Worship and People yet he foresaw by the Spirit of Prophecy That it would be the great Enemy of the Messiah and of God's People shall be low in a low place c Heb. Shall be humbled with humiliation Which by an ordinary Hebraisme signifies Shall be greatly humbled or brought very low 20. Blessed are ye that sow d As the barren Forrest shall be destroyed with hail ver 19. so the fruitful Field shall be improved and bring forth much Fruit which is signified by a Declaration of the blessedness of them that Sow in it beside all waters c In all moyst and fat Grounds which are like to yield good Fruit. But this passage as well as others in the foregoing Verses is to be understood mystically and seems to respect the times of the Gospel The Prophet reflecting upon his own unsuccessful Labours of which he complains Isa. 49. 4. and elsewhere and foreseeing by the Spirit the great and happy Success of his Successors the Ministers of the Gospel tacitely bewails his own unhappiness who sowed his Seed upon dry and barren Ground by congratulating the happiness of the Apostles who sowed their Seed more generally upon all fit Grounds without any distinction between Iews and Gentiles and who found the Ground to wit the hearts of the people more moistned and softned and better prepared to receive the good Seed of God's Word that send forth thither the feet of the ox and the ass f Which Creatures they employed in plowing and sowing the Ground Deut. 22. 10. Psal. 144. 14. Isa. 30. 24. CHAP. XXXIII 1. WO to thee that * Chap. 21. 2. Hab. 2. 8. spoilest a To Sennacherib who wasted the Land of Iudah and thou wast not spoiled b Thou didst not meet with any considerable Opposition but wast victorious over all thine Enemies of which the Assyrian boasteth Isa. 10. 8 9. 36. 18 19. As Sennacherib did with Hezekiah 2 Kings 18. 14 17. and dealest treacherously c and they dealt not treacherously with thee d None of thine Enemies could prevail against thee either by force of which he speaketh in the former Clause or by treachery as here Or when they dealt not c. when Hezekiah did not deal treacherously with thee If it be said that Hezekiah dealt treacherously with him in breaking his Faith and rebelling against him it may be answered That Hezekiah neither promised nor owed him any Service or Subjection What was done in that kind was done by Ahaz onely And he onely begged his assistance for a particular Work and paid him well for it 2 Kings 16. 7 8. and the King of Assyria did not keep his Conditions with him for he distressed him but strengthned him not 2 Chron. 28. 20. d The Prophet contemplating the Judgment which was now coming upon God's People directeth his Prayer to God for them when thou shalt cease to spoil thou shalt be spoiled e When thou hast performed the Work of chastising my People for which I sent thee thou also shalt be spoiled by thine Enemies e Our Arm or Strength The change of persons is most frequent in Prophetical Writings and when thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously they shall deal treacherously with thee 2. O LORD be gracious unto us we have waited for thee be thou their * Psal. 85. 7 8. arm every morning f When we offer the Morning Sacrifice and call upon Thee Which yet is not meant exclusively as if he did not desire God's help at other times but comprehensively the Morning being put Synecdochically for the whole day The Sence is Help us speedily and continually our salvation also in the time of trouble 3. At the noise of the tumult g Which the Angel shall make in destroying the Army the people h Those of the Army who escaped that stroke fled at the lifting up of thy self the nations i The People of divers Nations which made up his Army were scattered 4. And your spoil k That Treasure which you have raked together by spoiling divers People shall be gathered l By the Iews at Ierusalem when you shall be forced to flee away with all possible speed leaving your Spoils behind you like the gathering of the caterpillar m Either 1. passively with as much ease and in as great numbers as Caterpillars are gathered and destroyed Or rather 2. actively as appears from the next Clause as Caterpillers or Locusts for the Word signifies either gather and devour all the Fruits of the Earth which was a common Plague in those Countries as the running to and fro of
not be weary and they shall walk and not faint i They shall be enabled to run or walk in their way as they please without any weariness CHAP. XLI 1 KEep silence before me a Attend diligently to my plea and then answer it if you can O islands b O you Inhabitants of Islands as the next clause explains this By â—…ands he here means as he doth Chap. 40. 15. and elsewhere Countries remote from Iudea inhabited by the Idolatrous Gentiles with whom he here debateth his cause and let the †Heb. people people renew their strength c Strengthen themselves to maintain their cause against me let them unite all their strength together let them come near d Unto me that we may stand together and plead our cause before any indifferent Judge then let them speak e I will give them free liberty to say what they can on their own behalf let us come near together to judgment 2 Who f What man or God Was it not my alone work The Idols were so far from assisting me that they did their utmost to oppose me in it raised up g Into Being and Power stirring up his Spirit and strengthning him to the work †Heb. righteousness the righteous man h Heb. Righteousness which is put for a man of Righteousness as Pride is put for a proud man Psal. 36. 11. and Deceit for a deceitful man Psal. 109. 2. For it is evident from the following words that he spake here of a person But who this person is is much disputed by interpreters Some understand it of Christ. And doubtless the Person here spoken of was an eminent Type of Christ and so in a mystical sence it may belong to him But the things here said to be done by this Righteous Man seems to agree much better unto a man of War than unto the Prince of Peace And therefore this place is immediately understood either 1. Of Abraham who was a Person eminently Righteous and came out of Chaldea which sometimes seems to be called the East as Isa. 2. 6. Zech. 8. 7. who did the things here mentioned partly in his own person conquering five Kings and the Nations with them Gen. 14. and following God he knew not whither and partly by his posterity whose exploits may well be ascribed to him not onely because he came out of his Loynes but also and especially because all their successes and vistories were given to them for Abrahams sake and by the vertue of Gods promise and Covenant made with Abraham for the giving of Canaan to him and to his Seed for ever And this Interpretation may seem to receive some countenance from ver 5 6. which agrees well to the practice of the Canaaâ—…ites and Neighbouring Nations who upon Israels March towards thâ—… were filled with great coâ—…ternation and used all possible diligence in seeking both to their Idols and to men for help against them as we read in that sacred History And thus Gods argument against Idolatry is taken from an illustrious example of Gods infinite Power put forth in saving his people and destroying their enemies before them and of the impotency of Idols to hinder him in that work Or 2. Of Cyrus who might be called a Righteous man Or as it is in the Hebrew a man of Righteousness because he was Raised up in Righteousness as it is said of him Isa. 45. 13. and was Gods great Instrument to manifest his Righteousness both his Faithfulness in fulfilling his promise of delivering his people out of Babylon after seventy years Righteousness being often put for Faithfulness and his Justice in Punishing the Enemies and Oppressors of his People the wicked Babylonians upon which account the Medes who served under Cyrus in his expedition against the Babylonians are called Gods Sanctified Ones Isa. 13. 3 17. And all the other expressions here used are very applicable to him and were verified in him He came from the East from Persia which was directly eastward both from Iudea and from Babylon and which is called the East in this very case Isa. 46. 11. He was raised up by God in an eminent and extraordinary manner as is noted both by sacred and profane Historians and therefore this very word is used concerning him and his Army not onely here but elsewhere as Isa. 13. 17. Ier. 50. 9. and 51. 1 11. To him also all the following passages agree as we shall see And although this great person action were yet to come yet the Prophet speaks of them as if they were already past as the Prophets most frequently do And as in the clause of the former Chapter he speaks of Gods People as if they were actually in the captivity of Babylon ver 27. so here he speaks of them as if they were actually brought out of Babylon by Cyrus And by this instance he pleads his cause against the Gentiles and their Idols because this was an evident proof of Gods Almighty Power and of the vanity and weakness of Idols which eminently appeared in the destruction of the Babylonians who were a People mad upon their Idols as is said Ier. 50. 38. and yet were destroyed together with their Idols Ier. 51. 47. * Chap. 46. 12 11. from the East i From a Country Eastward from Iudea as Chaldea was in part but Persia more directly called him to his foot k To march after him and under Gods Banner against Babylon Thus Baraks Army is said to be at his feet Iudg. 4. 10. Compare also Gen. 30. 30. * See Gen. 14. 14 c. gave the nations before him and made him rule over kings l Subdued Nations and their Kings before him he gave them as the dust m To be beaten by him as small as dust as is said Psal. 18. 42. Or to be put to flight as easily as the dust is scattered by the wind as the following clause expounds this to his sword and as driven stubble to his bow 3 He pursued them and passed †Heb. in peace safely n VVent on in the pursuit with great ease and safety and success even by the way that he had not gone with his feet o VVhich is added as a further evidence of Gods wonderful providence in encouraging and inabling him to march by unknown paths which hath oft proved dangerous and destructive to great Armies This also was verified both in Abraham and in Cyrus as is well known 4. Who hath wrought and done it p Whose work was this but mine * Chap. 4â—… 10. calling q Either 1. Calling them out of nothing giving to them breath and being Or 2 Calling them to his foot as he said above ver 2. disposing and employing them as he sees fit sending them upon his errands the generations from the beginning r All Persons and Generations of mankind from the beginning of the VVorld to the end of it I
other Prophets whom God sent upon this Errand to foretel the destruction of Babylon and the redemption of his People and performeth the counsel of his messengers that saith to Ierusalem Thou shalt be inhabited and to the cities of Iudah Ye shall be built and I will raise up the †Heb. wasts decayed places thereof 27. That saith * Chap. 50. 2. to the deep Be dry and I will dry up thy rivers u That with a word can and will dry up the Sea which in Scripture is very frequently called the deep as Psal. 107. 24. Isa. 63. 13. Ionah 2. 3. c. and Rivers and remove all impediments and make the Way plain that my People may return Some think these words relate to that stratagem of Cyrus whereby he diverted and in a great measure dried up the river Euphrates and made it passable for his Army But he seems rather to allude to that great Action of God's drying up the Red-Sea and Iordan to give passage to the Israelites 28. That saith of Cyrus x Whom God here designeth by his proper Name Two Hundred Years before he was born that this might be an undeniable Evidence of the certainty and exactness of God's fore-knowledge and a convincing Argument and so most fit to Conclude this Dispute between God and Idols He is my shepherd y Him I will set up to be the Shepherd of my People to Rescue them from Wolves or Tyrants to gather them together to Rule them gently and to provide comfortably for them and shall perform all my pleasure z All that I command him to do even to give leave and order for the rebuilding of the City and Temple of Ierusalem as it here follows even saying to Ierusalem * 2 Chr. 36. 22 23. Ezra 1. 1. c. Chap. 45. 13. Thou shalt be built and to the Temple Thy foundation shall be laid CHAP. XLV 1. THus saith the LORD to his anointed a i. e. His King whom God hath designed and separated and fitted in all respects for his Work and Service in which and such like Respects divers Persons are said to be Anointed who never had any material Oyl poured upon them as the King of Tyrus Ezek. 28. 14. and Christ Isa. 61. 1. and Zerubbabel Zech. 4. 14. and Christians 2 Cor. 1. 21. 1 Ioh. 2. 27. And they are thus called by way of allusion to the practice of the Iews whose Kings were frequently Anointed 1 Sam. 10. 1. and 16. 13. c. to Cyrus whose right hand I have ‖ Or strengthened holden b Or Strengthned whom I will powerfully assist teaching his Hands to War as the Phrase is Psal. 18. 34. supporting and directing his right Hand to strike home to subdue nations c The Babylonians and those other Nations which were Confederate with them and fought for them as may be gathered from Ier. 51. 9. before him and I will * Dan. 5. 6. loose the loyns of kings d I will weaken them for a Mans strength consists much in his Loyns and receiveth some advantage by the girding of his Loyns Or I will take away their Girdle which was about their Loyns to wit their Power and Authority whereof that was an Ensign of which see on Iob. 12. 18. Isa. 22. 21. to open before him the two leaved gates e The great and magnificent Gates of their Cities and Palaces which shall be opened to him as Conqueror and the gates shall not be shut 2. I will go before thee f To remove all obstructions and to prepare the Way for thee as it follows and make the crooked places straight I will break in pieces the gates of brass and cut in sunder the bars of iron g I will Destroy all them that oppose thee and carry thee through the greatest difficulties 3. And I will give thee the treasures of darkness h Such as have been stored up and long kept in dark and secret Places as well in Babylon Ier. 50. 37. and 51. 13. as in other Countries which Cyrus Conquered and from which he took infinite Treasures as Pliny and others relate and hidden riches of secret places that thou mayest know i By the accomplishment of these Predictions that I the LORD which ‖ Or name thy name Chap. 44. 2. call thee by thy name am the God of Israel 4. For Jacob my servants sake and Israel mine elect I have even called thee by thy name k I have called thee to this Honour and that by name not for thy sake but for Israels sake Therefore do not despise them thou wilt find them a poor and inslaved People neither be puffed up into a great Opinion of thy self I have sirnamed thee though thou hast not known me l I knew and called thee by name when thou didst neither know nor think of me nay when thou hadst no Being 5. * Deut. 4. 35 39. 32 39. Chap. 44. 6. I am the LORD and there is none else * Ver. 14 18 21. there is no God besides me I girded thee m I made thee strong and active and fitted and disposed thee for these great and warlike Enterprizes For these were the uses and significations of girding in Scripture See 1 Kings 20. 11. Psal. 18. 32. and 45. 3. though thou hast not known me 6. That they may know n That all Nations may know it by my foretelling of these things so long before-hand and by the wonderful Success that I shall give thee and by my over-ruling thine Heart and Counsels and Victories to the deliverance of my People according to my Promise from the rising of the sun and from the west that there is none besides me I am the LORD and there is none else 7. I form the light and create darkness o All mens Comforts and Calamities come from my Hand I make peace and * Amos 3. 6. create evil I the LORD do all these things 8. Drop down ye heavens from above and let the skies pour down righteousness p The righteous and gracious Acts of God for his People shall be so many and illustrious as if God rained down showers of righteousness out of Heaven * Chap. 51. 11. let the earth open q Open it self either to receive those showers of righteousness be poured down from Heaven or to bring forth those Fruits which might be expected from such Showers and let them r The Heavens and the Earth conspiring together bring forth salvation s The Redemption of God's people and let righteousness spring up together t Together with Salvation Whereas Persons or People are sometimes delivered from their Troubles by unjust Courses this shall be effected with Righteousness both on God's part who will hereby assert his own Justice and Faithfulness to his People and on Cyrus his part who will do a most righteous and worthy Action
They lie upon the backs of your Cattel like dull and unprofitable and heavy burdens to the beasts as they had been to men before they are a burden to the weary beast 2. They g Either 1. The Idols of whom these words are used ver 1. Or 2. The Babylonians who are sufficiently implied in that expression their idols ver 1. stoop they bow down together h Either 1. one as well as another Or 2. the Babylonians and their Idols together neither could help the other they could not deliver the burden i Either 1. the Idols could not deliver themselves who were now a burden to the Beasts and carried away by them Or 2. the Babylonians could not deliver their Idols which he now had called burdens And this Sence seems most probable from the following Clause which clearly speaks of the same persons or things but themselves c. Heb. their Souls For although the Soul is here put for the Person as it commonly is yet that Title is never given to any Idol or lifeless thing but onely to such Creatures as have or had Souls within their Bodies So the meaning of this and the foregoing Verse is this That neither the Babylonians nor their Idols could Save either themselves or one another but both are bowed down and gone into Captivity together but †Heb. their soul. themselves are gone into captivity 3. Hearken unto me O house of Jacob and all the remnant of the house of Israel i Fitly so called with respect Either 1. to all the Tribes of Israel Ten of which were now lost and gone Or 2. to the state of the Iews at their return from Babylon there being onely a remnant of the two Tribes which did return * Chap. 44. 2. which are born by me from the belly which are carried from the womb k Whom I have nourished and cared for from time to time ever since you were a People and came out of Egypt and that as affectionately and tenderly as Parents bring up their own Children 4. And even to your old age I am he and even to hoar hairs * Exod. 19. 4. Deut. 1. 31. 32. 11. will I carry you l And that care and kindness which I have had for you from the beginning I will continue to you to the end never forsaking you unless you wilfully and obstinately cast me off as the Iews did when their Messiah came I have made and I will bear even I will carry and will deliver you m You are my Workmanship both as you are Men and as you are my peculiar People and therefore I will preserve and deliver you 5. * Chap. 40. 18. 25. To whom will ye liken me and make me equal and compare me that we may be like n If you are tempred or inclined at any time to exchange me for an Idol do me and your selves this Right seriously to consider Whether you can find another God who will be more able and more ready to do you good than I have been which if you can do I am content you should prefer him before me but if not as will appear by what I am now saying ver 6 7. then it is best for you to adhere to your ancient God and Friend 6. * Chap. 40. 19. 41. 6. 44. 12. Jer. 10. 3. They lavish gold out of the bag and weigh silver in the balance and hire a goldsmith and he maketh it a god o Let us suppose a god made with the greatest Cost and Art * Chap. 44. 17. they fall down yea they worship 7. They bear him upon the shoulder they carry him p Either 1. in pomp upon solemn Occasions Or 2. 〈◊〉 that place where he is made unto that place where they intend to set him up as it is expressed in the following words and set him in his place and he standeth from his place shall he not remove q Or rather he cannot remove He can stir neither hand nor foot to help his People yea * Chap. 45. 20. one shall cry unto him yet can he not answer nor save him out of his trouble 8. Remember this r Consider these things which I now speak O ye Israelites and shew your selves men s Act like reasonable Creatures and be not so brutish as to worship your own Works Be so wise and couragious as to withstand all Solicitations to Idolatry * Chap. 44. 19. bring it again to mind t Think of this again and again O ye transgressors u You who have been guilty of this foolish Sin and therefore are obliged to take the better heed that you do not relapse into it again 9. ‖ What I have done for you and in the World my evident Predictions of future things justified by the event and those other miraculous Works whereby I have abundantly proved my Divinity Remember the former things of old for I am God and there is none else I am God and there is none like me 10. Declaring the end from the beginning x Foretelling from the beginning of the World or from the beginning of your Nation those future Events which should happen in succeeding Ages even to the end of the World or to the end of your Common-wealth for such Predictions we find delivered by Moses the first Founder of their Common-wealth and from ancient times the things that are not yet done saying * Psal. 33. 11. Prov. 19. 21. 21. 30. Heb. 6. 17. My counsel shall stand y As I will not so no other Power can disappoint my Purposes and Predictions and I will do all my pleasure 11. Calling a ravenous bird z Cyrus called a bird for his swiftness and great expedition and ravenous for his fierceness and victoriousness over his Enemies from the East a From Persia as Isa. 41. 2. †Heb. the man of my counsel the man that executeth my counsel b Concerning the deliverance of my People and the destruction of their cruel oppressors the Babylonians from a far country c From Persia which was far from Babylon but much farther from Iudea yea I have spoken it I will also bring it to pass I have purposed it I will also do it 12. Hearken unto me ye stout hearted d Or Ye whose hearts are proud or hard or stubborn He speaks either 1. To the Babylonians you who are stout against God and say or think that neither God nor any man can deliver my people out of your hands Or rather 2. To the House of Iacob expressed ver 3. Where he bespeaks them in the same words here used hearken to me and to whom alone he directeth his speech in this whole Chapter for though he speaketh of the Babylonians yet he doth not speak to them and to whom the Prophet for the most part turneth his speech in all his Prophecies unless
them to howl x By their tyrannical and unmerciful usage of them saith the LORD and my name continually every day is * Ezek. 36. 20 23. Rom. 2. 24. blasphemed y In stead of that praise and service which the Babylonians owe me for all their successes and Conquests they blaspheme me as if I wanted either Power or Goodwill to save my People out of their hands 6 Therefore my people shall know my name z They shall have sensible Experience of my infinite power and goodness in fighting for them and against you whereby they shall be able to put your blasphemous Tongues to silence therefore they shall know a Which word is understood from the foregoing clause as is very frequent in Scripture in that day b When I shall redeem my People which work was begun by the return of the Jews from Babylon and afterwards carried on and at last perfected by the coming of the Messiah that I am he that doth speak behold it is I c That all these promises are not the words of a weak or fickle or deceitful man but of him who is the Omnipotent and Unchangeable and Covenant-keeping God Or thus That I who have formerly spoken to you by my servants the Prophets for it was the Spirit of Christ which was and spake in them 1 Pet. 1. 11 do now speak to you in my own person being cloathed with flesh Which agrees well as with the Analogy of Faith and with divers other Scriptures so particularly with the next verse and with divers following passages which so evidently speak of the person and Kingdom of Christ that they cannot without great force be understood of any other 7 * Nah. 1. 15. Rom. 10. 15. How beautiful d These are words of rejoicing and admiration They are exceeding precious and acceptable upon the mountains e Of Zion and Moriah which are somtimes mentioned as one Mountain and sometimes as two Or in the mountainous Country of Iudaea to which these glad tidings were brought and from which they were spread abroad into other Countries are the feet f Which carry this welcome messenger or the messenger himself of him g Or of them For the singular number is oâ—…t put for the plural although it may be here emphatically used to signifie that although there were many Messengers yet one was the chief and Lord of the Embassy whose coming was more acceptable than the rest which suits excellently to the Messiah who is called the messenger of the Covenant Mal. 3. 1. and is oft said to be sent by God as Ioâ—… 6. 38. 8. 16 18. c. to publish the glad tidings of Salvation that bringeth good tidings that publisheth peace that bringeth good tidings of good that publisheth salvation h Those emphatical and repeated Expressions are a sufficient evidence that somthing further and better is here intended than their deliverance out of Babylon which in itself was but a very imperfect work and reached at first but to a few of that numerous People and was attended with many fears and sorrows and remainders of their bondage Ezra 9. 8 9. Neâ—…em 1. 3. and that although that was the beginning of these glad tidings yet they extended much further even to the coming of Christ by whom alone true Peace and Salvation were procured that saith unto Zion Thy God reigneth i It is true this might in some sort be said when God so over-ruled the affairs of the World and the heart of Cyrus that his People were freed from the Babylonish Captivity and restored into and setled in their own Land Although he that considers the state of Gods People in their own Land after their return will find that the reign of God in and over the World was not then either very conspicuous or glorious And therefore it seems far more reasonable to understand it of the days of the Messiah when God did discover and exercise his dominion over the World far more eminently than ever he had done from the beginning of the World until that time 8 Thy watchmen k Thy Ministers who shall descry the approach and coming of this heavenly King and Kingdom shall lift up the voice l Partly to give notice to all People of these glad tidings and partly by way of exultation to sing forth the Praises of God for this glorious day and Mercy as it here follows with the voice together shall they sing for they shall see m They shall understand and so be able to teach Divine Mysteries eye to eye n Very distinctly and clearly and familiarly their Eyes beholding the Eyes of this King of Glory as it is said of Zedekiah Jer. 34. 3. Thine Eyes shall behold the Eyes of the King of Babylon and as it is said Mouth to Mouth Numb 12. 8. and Face to Face Gen. 32. 30. Exod. 33. 11. Numb 14. 14. They shall see with their bodily Eyes the King of the Church or the Word made Flesh as they are said to have done Ioâ—… 1. 14. 1 Ioh. 1. 1. They shall be Eye and Ear-witnesses of the Words and Works of Christ and therefore their Testimony of these things shall be more certain and valuable when the LORD shall bring again Zion o When God shall compleat the work of bringing his Church out of Captivity which was begun at the return out of Babylon and perfected by Christs coming into the World 9 Break forth into joy * Ch. 49. 13. 55. 12. sing together ye waste places of Jerusalem p For you shall be restored unto your former and a far greater fertility for the LORD hath comforted his people he hath redeemed Jerusalem 10 The LORD hath made bare his holy arm q Hath discovered and put forth his great power which for a long time hath lain hid and seemed to be idle in the eyes of all the nations and * Ps. 98. 2. Luk. 3. 6. all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God r All Nations of the World shall with astonishment behold the wonderful Work of God first in bringing his People out of Babylon and afterwards in their Redemption by Christ. 11 * Ch. 48. 20. 2 Cor. 6. 17. Rev. 18. 4. Depart ye depart ye go ye out from thence s Make haste O ye banished â—…ews to depart out of Babylon into your own Land that there I may meet with you and bless you and perform those further and greater things which I have promised there to do for you And this invitation was the more necessary because God foresaw that a great number of the Jews would upon worldly considerations continue in those forein Countrys in which they were settled and be very backward to return to the Holy Land touch no unclean thing t And when you go thence take heed that you carry not along with you any
Tarshish y Flee from your own Country to Tarsus of Cilicia and there bewail your Calamities Or rather as others render the Place Pass over the sea which is oft called Tarshish of which see on v. 1. howl ye inhabitants of the isle z Of Tyrus as before v. 2. 7 Is this your joyous city a That formerly lived in so much Pomp and Pleasure and Security whose antiquity is of ancient days b Being built before Ioshua's time as is manifest from Ios. 19. 29. her own feet shall carry her c Whereas before like a delicate Lady she would not set the Sole of her Foot to the ground as the Expression is Deut. 28. 56. but used to be carried in stately Chariots or magnificent Vessels †Heb. from afar off afar off to sojourn d To seek for new Habitations For as some of the Tyrians were taken and carried Captive into Chaldea and other Places so others fled by Sea into several Parts of the World Carthage and divers other Towns of the Midland Sea as is recorded by ancient Historians 8 Who hath taken this counsel against Tyre e Words of Admiration Who and where is he that could imagine or durst attempt such a thing as this This is the Work of God as is expressed v. 9. and not of Man the crowning city f Which was a Royal City Ier. 25. 22. and called a kingdom Ezek. 28. 2 12. and carried away the Crown from all other Cities and Crowned her self and her Citizens with Glory and Delights whose merchants are princes g Equal to Princes for Wealth and Power and Reputation whose traffiquers are the honourable of the earth 9 The LORD of hosts hath purposed it h This is the Lord 's own doing therefore do not doubt it nor wonder at it †Heb. to pollute to stain the pride of all glory and to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth i God's Design is by this one Example to abate and abase the Pride of all the Potentates of the Earth that they may see and know what weak and wretched Creatures they are when God leaves them and sets himself against them 10 Pass through thy land k Tarry no longer in thy own Territories but flee through them and beyond them into other Countries for Safety and Relief as a river l Swiftly lest you be prevented and continually till you be all gone and in Sholes and Multitudes O daughter of Tarshish m O Tyrus for of her he speaks both in the foregoing and following Words And Tyrus might well be called the daughter of Tarshish i. e. of the Sea as that Word is used v. 1. and elsewhere because it then was an Island and therefore as it were born of the Sea and nourished and brought up by it there is no more †Heb. girdle strength n Heb. no more girdle the Girdle which strengthens the Loins of a Man is put for Strength as Iob 12. 21. 38. 3. It behoveth you O People of Tyrus to flee away as I advise you for your City is unable to defend you your Wealth the Sinews of War is lost your Walls broken down the Sea which like a Girdle surrounded and defended you is now in part filled up by your Enemies who have joined you to the main Land your former Friends and Allies forsake you 11 He o The Lord expressed v. 9. stretched out his hand p To strike it the Antecedent being put for the Consequent over the sea q Or against the sea i. e. against Tyrus the Daughter of the Sea as she was now called and consequently against all those Ships and Men which used to Traffique with Tyrus and were enriched by that Trade and therefore suffered in her Fall he shook the kingdoms r Heb. He made the kingdoms to tremble either 1. the two Kingdoms of Tyre and Sidon or rather 2. the neighbouring and confederate Kingdoms as appears by comparing this with Ezek. 26. 15 16 17 18. who might justly quake at her Fall partly for the dreadfulness and unexpectedness of the thing partly because Tyre was a Bulwark and a Refuge and a great Advantage to them and partly because her Fall made way for their Ruine as being destroyed by their Common Enemy the LORD hath given a commandment s Hath contrived and purposed it as was said v. 8 9. hath put this Design into the Heads and Hearts of her Enemies and given them Courage to attempt and Strength to execute so difficult an Enterprise ‖ Or concerning a merchant-man against †Heb Canaan the merchant city t Heb. against Canaan the Word Canaan being taken either 1. for a merchant as it is used Iob 41. 6. Hos. 12. 7. or rather 2. for the Proper Name of a Place or People as it is generally used for the Tyrians and Sidonians were descended from Canaan Gen. 10. 15. and were the onely considerable Remainders of that cursed Race whom God had devoted to Destruction And so this Phrase may be here used both as an Evidence and as an Argument of their intended and approaching Ruine to destroy the ‖ Or strengths strong holds thereof 12 And he said Thou shalt no more rejoice O thou oppressed virgin u So he calls her either for her Pride and Beauty and living in great Ease and Pleasure or because she had hitherto never born the yoke of a conquering Enemy though withal he declares that she should be oppressed or deflowred very suddenly daughter of Zidon x Whereby he understands either 1. Zidon her self who suffered in and with Tyre for so this Phrase seems generally to be used the daughter of Sion or of Ierusalem or of Babel or Egypt c. being nothing else but Sion Ierusalem Babel Egypt c. or rather 2. Tyrus as most Interpreters both Jewish and Christian understand it of whom this whole Context and Prophecy speaks which may well be called the daughter of Zidon because she was first built and possessed by a Colony of the Sidonians as Pliny calleth Carthage the Daughter of Tyre because she was built by a Colony of Tyrians And the Title of daughter is oft-times given in Scripture unto Towns or Cities which had their Being from or Dependence upon other Cities in which sence we read of the daughter of Heshbon Numb 21. 25. and of Rabbah Ier. 49. 2 3. and of Sodom and of Samaria Ezek. 16. 46 49 53. And the daughter of Tarshish here above v. 10. is not meant of Tarshish it self but of Tyrus which had a Relation to and Dependence upon Tarshish arise pass over to Chittim y Of which Place see on v. 1. there also shalt thou have no rest z Thither thine Enemies shall pursue thee and there shall they overtake thee although thou wilt think thy self secure when thou art fled to remote Parts beyond the