as he doth XV. 21. or in general all the Nations which the Israelites afterward destroyed It seems to me the first of these is meant and that by Land he means only that part of the Country where Sichem lay which was then possessed by this particular People For in the next place that Abram went to it is said The Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the Land XIV 7. i. e. in that part of the Country Where we do not read what Entertainment Abram met withal but I take it as an Argument of Abram's great Faith that he would adventure among such a rough and fierce People Who had no kindness for the Posterity of Shem upon an old Score and if the ancient Tradition in Epiphanius be true upon a fresh Account For he saith Haeres LXVI n. 84. that this Country called Canaan did really belong to the Children of Shem by Virtue of the Division made among the Sons of Noah But the Children of Canaan had dispossessed them So that these words the Canaanite was then in the Land signifies they had already invaded this Country before Abram came thither To whom God promising to give it he only restored the Posterity of Shem from whom Abram descended unto that which the Children of Ham had wrongfully seized By all which it is easie to see how frivolous their Reasonings are who from this place conclude Moses did not write this Book Because these words seem to signifie the Writer of them lived after the Canaanites were thrown out of this Land Which was after Moses his death If these Men had not a greater inclination to Cavil than to find out the Truth they would rather have said the meaning is The Canaanite was possessed of this part of the Country in Abraham's time though thrown out of it by Jacob's Sons Gen. XXXIV before the Times of Moses Which is another way of explaining these words Against which I see no Objection but this That their Prince is called an Hivite XXXIV 2. To which there is an Answer verse 30. which shows the People were partly Canaanites Ver. 7. And the LORD appeared unto Abram As he had done before Verse 1. but now it is likely in a more glorious manner to establish him in Faith and Obedience And said unto him c. There was a Voice came from the Schechinah or Divine Glory which now appeared to him and told him this was the Country he intended to bestow upon his Posterity It is very remarkable that he no sooner entred Canaan but God renewed his Promise to him made before he came out of his own Country And it is further observable as we shall see in the following Story that Abram's Obedience was constantly rewarded in kind according to the quality of the Service he performed Though in quantity the Reward far exceeded the Service Thus having left his own Country and Father's House which was the first trial of his Obedience God promises to give him the whole Land of Canaan and to make his Posterity a mighty Nation See XVII 6. XXII 16. And there he built an Altar c. This was so Glorious an Appearance that it moved him to offer up a solemn Sacrifice to God for which he built an Altar here in Sichem And it being the first that he built in this Country it made this become the first place that was established for Publick Worship after the Israelites conquered the Land of Canaan For here was the Sanctuary of God in Joshua's time near this very Grove where Abram first pitched his Tent and built an Altar Josh XXIV 1 25 26. It continued famous also in after-times as appears from Judg. IX 6. Ver. 8. And he removed from thence unto a Mountain c. Though the LORD here appeared to him yet he did not think fit to trust himself among the Canaanites who were the chief of the wicked Nations that possessed this Land or he thought fit to see the rest of the Country which God promised to give him And therefore came hither which was about twenty Miles further Southward And there he built an Altar Upon the Mountain where they anciently chose to sacrifice rather than in other places And it is likely God again appeared to him here to incourage and strengthen him against all his Fears Which made him build a new Altar and offer Sacrifices of Thanksgiving to God to implore his continued Favour And it is observable That the Promise which God made in the former place verse 7. he renewed again in this and more at large after he came out of Egypt XIII 3 4 14 15 16. On the East of Bethel So it was called in after-times Ver. 9. And Abram journeyed c. He did not think fit to fix yet in the fore-named place But made a further progress into the Southern parts of the Country Yet after he had been in Egypt the Story of which follows he returned to this place Ver. 10. A Famine in the Land Of Canaan He went down Egypt lay low in comparison with Canaan To sojourn Not to dwell there For he doubted not of God's Promise to him of possessing the Land which he had left Ver. 11. Thou art a fair Woman c. She was now threescore Years old But having comely Features and being of a fair Complexion in comparison with the Egyptians who were sallow she seemed to be younger than she was Ver. 12. They will kill me Knowing them to be a libidinous People he was afraid they might be tempted to make him away that they might have his Wife Ver. 13. Say thou art my Sister He himself upon another occasion explains in what sence she was so XX. 12. Therefore he teaches her not to tell a Lye but to conceal the Truth Ver. 15. Pharaoh The Egyptian Kingdom began about three hundred Years before this in the days of Ragau XI 18. if the Arabian Writers say true and now was grown to be very Powerful by the means of some King of this Name which it appears by this place was very ancient and continued to be the Name of all the Kings of Egypt till the Captivity of Babylon and we know not how much longer Just as Ptolomy was their Name after the times of Alexander And Caesar and Augustus were the Names of all the Emperors of Rome and Candace of all the Queens of Aethiopia and the like may be observed in several other Countries Ludolphus takes Pharaoh to be a compound word signifying as much as Father of the Country For that 's the meaning of Phar-ot in the Aethiopick Language as Pharmut is Mother of the Country The Princes also c. The Courtiers who studied to gratifie their Prince's Pleasure Was taken into Pharaoh's House Into the House of the Women it is probable for the Egyptian Kings were now as I said very great like those of Persia in after-times intending to make her one of his Concubines Ver. 16. And he had Sheep and Oxen c. By the
c. being all bred up to hunting as Xenophon informs us And it was not without some such reason that noble Families carry in their Coats of Arms as Ensigns of their valorous Atchievements Lyons Bears Tygers c. from their killing such like fierce Creatures For it must be farther noted that in this Age of Nimrod the Exercise of Hunting might well be the more highly esteemed and win him the Hearts of Mankind because he delivered them by this means from those wild Beasts whereby they were much infested and very dangerously exposed while they were but few and lived scattered up and down in the open Air or in Tents but weakly defended The destroying of wild Beasts and perhaps of Thieves whom he hunted also was a great service in those times and made many join with him in greater designs which he had at last to subdue Men and make himself Master of the People who were his Neighbours in Babylon Susiana and Assyria The memory of this hunting of his was preserved by the Assyrians who made Nimrod the same with Orion who joined the Dog and the Hare the first Creature perhaps that was hunted with his Constellation This Mr. Selden observes in his Titles of Honour Part. I. cap. I. where he farther notes that he is to this day called by the Arabians Algebar the mighty Man or the Giant From the Hebrew Gibbor here in the text Before the Lord. i. e. To the highest degree For so a great City to God is a very great City Jonah III. 3. and a Child very beautiful is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fair to or before God Acts VII 20. Or the meaning may be he was truly so not only in common opinion For that is said to be before God which really is Because God cannot be deceived with false appearances Wherefore it is said even as Nimrod the mighty c. i. e. Thence came the common Proverb Which Moses alledges as a proof of the Truth of what he delivered Nothing being more usual in his days than for Men to say when they would express how exceeding great any Man was He is like Nimrod the mighty Hunter before the LORD Thus common Sayings are quoted in other places nothing being more notorious than such Proverbial Speeches Numb XXI 27. 1 Sam. X. 12. It is not improbable that Nimrod is the same with him whom the Greeks call Bacchus whose Conquests in the East as far as India are nothing else but the Expeditions of Nimrod and his Successors The very Name of Bacchus imports this which was made out of Bar-Chus the Son of Cush as Dammasek i. e. Damascus was out of Darmasek Many other Arguments for this are collected by Bochartus L. I. Phaleg cap. 2. Ver. 10. The beginning of his Kingdom was Babel See XI 5 8. Which according to the Gentile Writers was built by Belus the same with Nimrod who was called Belus as I noted before from Baal because of his Dominion and large Empire over which he was an absolute Lord. They that say his Son Ninus or as Philo-Byblius his Son Babylon was the Builder may be thus reconciled with the fore-mention'd Opinion That Belus began it and his Son much augmented it See Voss L. I. De Idol c. 24. L. VII c 9. There are those that say it was built by Semiramis but as they have it only from Ctesias who is not to be relied on against Berosus and Abydenus who wrote the History of that Country out of the ancient Records and say Belus built it so if it be true we must understand it of her rebuilding it after it was decayed or adding greater Splendor to it And this also must be understood not of the Wife of Ninus for it is a question whether he had any Wife of that Name Or if he had she was different from her whom the Greeks so much magnifie who lived almost two thousand Years after the Son of Belus as Salmasius observes Exercit. in Solin p. 1228. out of Philo-Byblius And Erec c. Having built Babel which he made the chief City of his Kingdom he proceeded to build three Cities more in the same Country Which they that think he won by Conquest imagine also that he made Babel the Head City because he won it first and then the other And all this say some before the dispersion we read of in the next Chapter Which others think hapned after the dispersion Erec seems to have been the City which Ptolomy calls Arecca and Ammianus Arecha Which lay in the Country of Susiana upon the River Tigris Whence the Areccaei Campi in Tibullus as Salmasius observes in his Exercit. in Solinum p. 1194. From whence Huetius thinks the Country below it was called Iraque mentioned by Alferganus and other Arabian Writers Acchad It is an hard matter to give any account of this City but the LXX calling it Archad from the Chaldee Idiom which is wont to change the Daghes which doubles a Letter into R as Darmasek for Dammasek i. e. Damascus and by the same reason Archad for Acchad the footsteps of this Name may be thought to remain in Argad a River of Sittacene in Persia For nothing is more common than to change ch into g. Chalne It is sometimes called Chalno Isai X. 9. and Channe Ezek. XXVII 23. From whence the Country called Chalonitis mentioned by Pliny and Strabo Polybius and Dionys Periegetes may well be thought to have taken its Name Whose chief City was called Chalne or Chalone which is the same and afterwards changed by Pacorus King of Persia into Ctesiphon Ver. 11. Out of that Land went forth Ashur This Translation is not so likely as that in the Margin He went out into Assyria For Moses is speaking of what Nimrod the Son of Cush did and not of the Sons of Shem among whom Ashur was one Nor is it agreeable to the order of History to tell us here what Ashur did before there be any mention of his Birth which follows verse 22. Besides it was not peculiar to Ashur the Son of Shem that he went out of the Land of Shinar For so did almost all Men who were dispersed from thence Add to this that Assyria is called the Land of Nimrod by Micah V. 6. They shall waste the Land of Assyria with the Sword and the Land of Nimrod with their Lances or in the entrance thereof as we translate it Therefore it is very reasonable to take Ashur here not for the Name of a Man but of a Place as it is frequently And expound the word Ashur as if it were Leashur into Ashur as beth in 2 Sam. VI. 10. is put for lebeth other Examples there are of this 2 Sam. X. 2. 1 Chron. XIX 2. By going forth into Ashur Bochart thinks is meant Nimrod's making War there For so the Hebrew Phrase go forth imports in 2 Sam. XI 1. Psalm LX. 12. Isai XLII Zac. XIV 3. So Nimrod went forth into Assyria which belong'd to the Children
infected with Idolatry See XI 18 22. Some of Shem's Posterity forgetting the Creator of All and worshipping the Sun as the great God and the Stars as lesser Gods So Maimonides in his More Nevoch P III. c. 29. Where he saith the Zabii relate in one of their Books which he there names That Abram contradicting their worship the King of the Country imprison'd him and afterward banished him into the utmost parts of the East and confiscated all his Estate A Tale invented to take away from him the Honour of his voluntary leaving his Country and to discredit this Sacred History which tells us he directed his Course quite another way towards the West Abarbinel and others will not have this Call of God to Abram to have been when he was in Vr but after they came to Haran to which he fansies Terah came because of some misfortunes he had in Vr But this is invented to contradict St. Stephen Acts VII 2. with whom Aben Ezra agrees who expounds these words of his calling out of Vr For it 's hard to find any other reason why he designed to go to Canaan XI 31. the place whither he went after Terah was dead Into a Land that I will shew thee He had the Divine Direction it seems all along to Conduct him in his Journey But it argued as the Apostle observes a great Faith in God that he would follow him not knowing the Country to which he would lead him Ver. 2. And I will make of thee a great Nation First by multiplying his Posterity and then by making them a select peculiar People Whom he distinguished by his Favours from all other Nations So it follows I will bless thee Bestow many Benefits both Temporal and Spiritual upon them And make thy Name great Make him famous throughout the World as he is to this day not only among the Jews but among Christians and Mahometans So Maimonides observes that all Mankind admire Abraham even they that are not of his Seed And thou shalt be a Blessing Others shall be the better for thee as Lot was and the King of Sodom c. Or as the Hebrews understand it thou shalt be so prosperous that when Men would wish well to others they shall use thy Name and say The Lord bless thee as he did Abraham Ver. 3. I will bless them that bless thee c. The highest Token of a particular Friendship which he here contracts with Abram who is called the Friend of God in promising to espouse his Interest so far as to have the same Friends and Enemies that he had Which is the form wherein Kings and Princes make the strictest Leagues one with another And Curse them that Curse thee Maimonides will have it in the place before-named that the Zabaeans loaded Abram with all manner of Curses and Reproaches when he was sent out of their Country which he bearing patiently God turned upon themselves And in thee shall all the Families of the Earth be blessed Which was most eminently fulfilled in Christ And here it must be remarked that this Promise of Blessing all the World in Abram was made to him before he received Circumcision while he was in Vr of the Chaldees and before he had any Issue for Sarai was barren and had no Child XI 30. And therefore before any preference of Isaac to Ishmael or any distinction made between his Posterity and the rest of Mankind In token that they were all concerned in this Promise whether descended from Abraham or not In short this Promise only limits the Birth of the Messiah to the Seed of Abraham but declares that his Benefits should be common to all other Nations Ver. 4. So Abram departed c. Having staid some time in Haran where his Father fell sick and died he prosecuted his Journey from thence to Canaan after his Father was dead So St. Stephen tells us expresly Acts VII 4. from thence i. e. from Charran when his Father was dead he removed him into this Land c. It was a wonderful effect of Abraham's Faith I observed before to move him to leave his own native Country and go to Haran But it was still a greater after he had travelled a long way from Vr hither to go three hundred Miles more from hence to Canaan a Country of which he had no knowledge nor had sent any Body before him to discover it Taking his Journey through the dangerous and barren Desarts of Palmyrena and having nothing to support him but only the Promise of God Which made him climb over the high Mountain either of Libanus Hermon or Gilead For in that part of the Country he entred as Sir W. Raleigh hath observed See Verse 5. And Lot went with him He might conclude perhaps that Abram being called in a special manner out of Chaldaea was thereby distinguished from the rest of Shem's Posterity and that he joyning with him in obeying the same Call might claim the privilege of fulfilling the Promise of the Messiah no less than Abram And Abram was seventy and five Years old when he departed out of Haran See XI ult Ver. 5. All the Souls they had gotten Hebr. had made in Haran i. e. All the Slaves born in their House or bought with their Money The Chaldee Paraphrast interprets this of the Proselytes they had won to God For such only would Abram carry with him And some of the Hebrew Doctors are so nice as to say That Abram instructed the Men and Sarai the Women in the true Religion Concerning which he wrote a Book if we may believe Maimonides De Idolol c. 1. and left it to his Son Isaac We read also in Pirke Elieser c. 25. that he took a House which fronted Charran where according to the ancient Piety he kept great Hospitality And inviting those that went in or came out of the Town to refresh themselves if they pleased set Meat and Drink before them saying There is but one God in the World And into the Land of Canaan they came We are told before XI 31. that Terah went forth to go to this Country but could not reach it as Abram did Who entred into it at the North part of it as appears by the following part of the Story Where we read he went to Sichem c. and verse 9. went on still towards the South Ver. 6. Sichem and the plain of Moreh Or as Mr. Mede following the LXX will have it the Oak of Moreh Understanding by Oak not only one single Oak but a Holt or Grove of Oakes See XIII 18. Where I suppose he intended to have fixed his dwelling had not the Temper of the People who inhabited that Country made it inconvenient And the Canaanite was then in the Land It was very pertinent to Moses his Design speaking of Abram's Passage through this Country to tell who was at that time possessed of it But it is dubious whether he mean by the Canaanite a particular People descended from Canaan
same Interest I should think also that having the Priest of the most High God not far from them Verse 18. they were good pious People rather than conclude as I find some do that they were utter strangers to the true Religion which made Abram more forward to embrace if not to court their Friendship For the Sins of the Amorites being not yet full XV. 16. there might be some remainders of true Piety among them And it is no argument that because these three Families were of that Nation they were wicked Idolaters Ver. 14. Armed his trained Servants Drew forth a select number of his Servants whom he had instructed to handle Arms in case of any Assaults by Robbers or injurious Neighbours We read before XII 5. of the Servants they brought with them from Haran and now they were more increased as their Cattle were XII 16. XIII 2 6. so that he might well make a little Army out of them And pursued them to Dan. As far as that place where one of the Heads or Springs of Jordan breaks forth called Dan as Josephus relates where he speaks of this very History L. I. Antiq. c. 10. This plain and short Account of this word Dan overthrows the Argument which Cavillers draw from hence to prove that Moses did not write this Book Ver. 15. And he divided himself against them he and his servants by night The Vulgar Latin here reads His Companions being divided he fell upon them by Night Minding rather the sence than the words For here is no mention of any but Abram and his Servants Though it appears by the last Verse of the Chapter that his Confederates before-mentioned Verse 13. Aner Eshcol and Mamre joyned with him in this Expedition Which they managed with great Judgment for Stratagems in War were never wanting from the beginning Abram and his Servants making one Troop or Battalion as they now speak and the Confederates making three more Who dividing themselves fell upon the Four Kings in the four Quarters of their Camp That they might the more distract them and make them apprehend their Forces to be more numerous than indeed they were They were put also into the greater Confusion because this Assault was made in the Night When perhaps they were buried both in Wine and in Sleep Ver. 15. Vnto Hobah Which lay in the Vale between Libanus and Antilibanus Called by Amos I. 5. the Valley of Aven and Beth-Eden or the Seat of Pleasure In this Vale was Damascus seated Ver. 16. He brought back all the Goods c. All the Prey whether in Money Cattle or other things which the Four Kings had carried away The Women also and the People It seems they had carried away all the People of Pentapolis who did not flee to the Mountains or fenced Cities And Women in those days were a special part of their Booty Ver. 17. Went out to meet him To congratulate his Victory and to desire his People might be restored to him At the Valley of Shaveh This seems to have been a pleasant Place wherein the King that is Melchizedeck I guess by what follows took delight Whence it was called the King's-Dale In which the King of Sodom met Abram and Melchizedeck entertained him with Bread and Wine Ver. 18. And Melchizedeck The Jews generally say this was Shem the Son of Noah But we have reason to look upon this Opinion as proceeding from their Pride and Vanity Which could not endure to think the Father of their Nation had any Superior in another Nation especially among the Canaanites And therefore they will have Abram to have been blessed by his great Ancestor Shem to whom also he paid Tithes Which is a fancy so plainly confuted by the Apostle to the Hebrews that it is strange any Christian should follow it For he saith expresly that Melchizedeck was not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 VII 6. his Descent or Pedigree was not counted from them Which is not true of Shem. Nor could Shem be said to be without Father or Mother whose Genealogy is evident from Adam Nor was Shem's Priesthood if he had any of a different Order from Levi's who was in his Loins as well as in the Loins of Abram And therefore it could not be said that Levi paid him Tithes in the Loins of Abram but it would be as true that he received Tithes in the Loins of Shem For according to this Interpretation he was in the Loins both of him that received Tithes and of him that paid them and so the whole Argumentation of the Apostle falls to the Ground But setting aside these and other Christian Reasons which are strongly urged by Bochartus L. II. Phaleg c. 1. there is no Cause that we can discern why Moses should call Shem whom he so often mentions by any other Name than his own Nor is it likely that Shem reigned in the Land of Canaan which now was in the possession of his Brother's Son Nor could Abram be said to sojourn there as in a strange Country if his Noble Ancestor Shem had been a King there Nor is this an ancient Opinion among the Jews at least not constantly believed For Josephus says expresly that Melchizedeck was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Potentate of the Canaanites L. VII De Bello Jud. c. 18. And yet it was so common that it went to the Samaritans as Epiphanius tells us Haeres LV. n. 6. though not to the Arabians who say he was the Son of Peleg See Hotting Smegma Orient 256 269 306. and many Christians have embraced it merely as far as I can discern because they would not acknowledge any good Man to have been then among the Canaanites Some Hereticks held him to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Epiphanius tells us in the place fore-mentioned Num. I. Which was the Opinion of Hieracas a great Scholar and famous Physician in Egypt Haeres LXVII n. 3. And some of the Church took him to have been the Son of God himself who then appeared to Abram 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the form of a Man Haeres LV. n. 7. But the plain truth is he was a King and Priest for those two Offices anciently were in the same Person in that Country Where Men were not as yet wholly degenerated and faln from the true Religion King of Salem It is a great Error to think that this Salem was the same with Jerusalem For it is plain as Bochart observes L. II. Phaleg c. 4. that Salem was in the way which led from the Valley of Damascus unto Sodom Which we learn from this very place of Scripture And so St. Hierom says that he learnt from the Jews in his time that it was seated on this side of Jordan And it retained it's Name in our Saviour's days as appears by the Story of John's Baptizing near Salim Joh. III. 23. Several of the Fathers are of the same Mind quoted by Mr. Selden in his Review of the History of Tithes p. 452. Brought forth
this List of their Kings that the Kingdom at this time was Elective for the Father did not succeed the Son Which may have been the reason perhaps why it lasted but a while before their Government was altered again verse 40. Maimonides hath an Opinion different from all others that none of these Kings were of the Race of Esau but strangers who oppressed the Edomites And are here set down by Moses to admonish the Israelites to observe that Precept Deut. XVII 15. Not to set a stranger to be King over them who is not their Brother i. e. One of their own Nation Ver. 35. Who smote Midian in the Field of Moab The Midianites perhaps came to invade them and Hadad march'd out and met them in the Frontiers of their Country which joyned to that of Moab Where he got a great Victory over them Ver. 37. And Saul of Rehoboth by the River reigned c. If by the River we should understand Euphrates as it usually signifies near to which stood the City of Rehoboth Gen. X. 11. it may seem strange that one should be chosen from so remote a Country to be King of Edom Unless we suppose him to have been born there but to have lived in Edom And by his great Atchievements to have got into the Throne Otherwise we must take this for some other City which stood by the most known River of this Country Ver. 38. Baal-hanan This Name is the reverse as I may call it of Hani-ball Ver. 39. His Wife's name was Mehetabel c. None of their Wives much less their Pedigree are named besides this alone Which shows she was an eminent Woman in those Times and that Country either for Wisdom or Parentage or Estate or some other Excellence Ver. 40. And these are the names of the Dukes that came of Esau They seem now to have returned to their first Constitution and Kings were laid aside for some time But in future Ages we find they changed again and then Kings reigned successively the Son after the Father as they did in Israel Some think these were the great Men who ruled in Edom in Moses his time According to their Families c. They were the Heads of different Families and lived in different Places and perhaps reigned at the same time in several Parts of the Country So the words seem to import Ver. 43. In the Land of their possession In their own Country whilst the Seed of Jacob sojourned in a strange Country and possessed no Land of their own He is Esau c. He ends as he began This is the Account of Esau the Father of the People who are now called Edomites CHAP. XXXVII Ver. 1. AND Jacob dwelt in the Land c. Having given us an Account of Esau's removal to Seir XXXVI 6 7. and of the Prosperity of his Family there He now goes on to tell us that Jacob still continued in the Country where his Father had sojourned in the Land of Canaan Ver. 2. These are the Generations of Jacob. These words are to be connected with the latter end of XXXV 23 24 c. where he relates how many Sons Jacob had and then gives an account of the Family of Esau in the XXXVI Chapter which being ended he returns to finish the History of Jacob. And the Lad was with the Sons of Bilhah c. These words vehu naar signifie he was very young in the simplicity of his Childish Years and come in by way of a Parenthesis in this manner Joseph being seventeen Years old was feeding the Flock with his Brethren and he was but a Youth unexperienced and therefore called a Child verse 30. with the Sons of Bilhah c. Which last words are an explication of the former showing with which of his Brethren he was Not with the Sons of Leah but with the Sons of his Hand-Maids Particularly with Bilhah's whom we may look upon as a Mother to him now Rachel was dead having waited upon her And Zilpah's Sons are also mentioned in the second place as those it is likely who were thought to have less emulation to him than the Sons of Leah But we see by this how much our greatest Prudence often fails For Reuben and Judah the Children of Leah had more Kindness for Joseph than any of the rest Their evil report What evil Lives they led Ver. 3. Because he was the Son of his old age Benjamin was more so than he and the rest were born not many Years before him But he is so called because he had been married a good while to Rachel before he had him And he was the greatest Comfort of his old Age Benjamin not being yet grown up to give any proof of his future worth He made him a Coat of many colours It is commonly thought to signifie a Garment wrought with Threds of divers Colours or made up of pieces of Silk or Stuff which had much variety in them or wrought as some think with Figures of Fruit or other things See Salmasius upon Flav. Vopiscus p. 396. But Braunius de Vestib Sacerd. Hebr. L. I. cap. 17. hath proved I think that the Hebrew word Passim here signifies a long Garment down to the Heels or Ankles and with long Sleeves down to the Wrests Which had a Border at the bottom and a Facing as we speak at the Hands of another Colour different from the Garment See verse 23. Ver. 4. Could not speak peaceably to him In a kind and friendly manner But churlishly and with evident signs of hatred Aben-Ezra fansies they would not so much as salute him or wish him peace as the Phrase then was peace be to thee or ask him how he did as our Custom is Ver. 5. Joseph dreamed a Dream This was usual among the ancient Patriarchs and others also as appears by Elihu Who shows that all Dreams were not Illusions of evil Spirits Job XXXIII 14 15 c. And long before his time Abimelech was warned by God in a Dream Chapter XX. of this Book verse 3 6 7. Upon which Consideration as Dr. Jackson well observes we should not mistrust the Reports of several ancient Historians who tell us how Princes and Fathers of Families have had Fore-warnings of future Events Either concerning themselves their Kingdoms or Posterity Book I. upon the Creed chap. 9. He told his Brethren This argues his great Innocence and Simplicity that he had not yet Understanding enough to consider how ill this Dream might be expounded or not Prudence enough to conceal what might be ill interpreted by them They hated him yet more The first ground of their Hatred was their Father 's great Love to him and then his informing their Father of their bad Behaviour Which was still increased by the fine Clothes his Father bestowed on him and now most of all by this Dream which they interpreted to signifie his Superiority over them Ver. 7. Your Sheaves stood round about and made obeysance c. Or gathered round about mine
spend so much as they do in better times And Thirdly That even in those Years of greatest Famine something might be sown at least near the Banks of Nile But the plainest Answer is That ten Parts being the Tribute due to Kings in many Countries and it is likely here as I observed upon XXVIII ult Pharaoh was advised to double this Charge in the Years of extraordinary Plenty When the fifth Part was not more than the tenth in other Years Or which is rather to be supposed from a good King and a good Counsellor to buy as much more as was his Tribute Which he might do at an easie rate when vast Plenty made Corn very cheap Ver. 35. Gather all the Food of those good Years that come The fifth Part of the growth of the next seven Years And lay up Corn. In places provided for that purpose Vnder the Hand of Pharaoh Not to be medled withal but kept by Pharaoh's order to be dispensed hereafter as need shall require And let them keep Food in the Cities Let this Food be reserved in the several Cities of the Kingdom Ver. 36. And that Food shall be for store Shall not be spent but laid up and preserved against the time of Famine That the Land c. The People of the Land do not perish Ver. 37. And the thing was good in the Eyes c. The King and all the Court were pleased with this Advice But some may wonder that Pharaoh and his Ministers should so readily believe a young Man and a stranger of a Nation whom they did not converse withal and lately accused of a great Crime But they may be satisfied by considering that Joseph had cleared himself in the Opinion of the Keeper of the Prison where he had been known already to have interpreted Dreams exactly according to the Events in two notorious Cases which the chief Butler had reported verse 12 13. And besides his Exposition of the Figures which Pharaoh saw in his Dream was so natural that it was apt to beget belief if he had not been an Expounder of Dreams before And above all it is to be considered that God who sent the Dreams and made them stick in Pharaoh's Thoughts disposed his Mind also to receive the Interpretation with a deep Sense of its Truth Ver. 38. Pharaoh said to his Servants The great Ministers of the Kingdom and Officers of the Court who stood about him In whom is the Spirit of God Without which he could not foresee and foretell such things Ver. 39. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph It seems all his Servants were of Pharaoh's Mind and consented to what he said Being amazed at the Wisdom which appeared in Joseph Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this God wrought in him the highest Opinion of Joseph as a Man Divinely inspired There is none so discreet and wise as thou art Thou thy self art the only Person whom thou advisest me to set over the Land verse 33. Ver. 40. Thou shalt be over my House Be the chief Minister in my Court For that is meant by his House And according to thy word As thou shalt give Orders Shall all my People be ruled The Margin translates it armed as if he put the whole Militia of the Kingdom into his Hands But this seems too narrow a Sence nor was there any thoughts of War at this time but of the Government of the Kingdom in time of Peace And therefore we also translate it kiss i. e. obey as the LXX and Vulgar well translate it and as it signifies in Psalm II. ult kiss the Son i. e. submit to him and obey him Only in the Throne will I be greater than thou Thou shalt have no Superior but only my self Ver. 41. See I have set thee over all the Land of Egypt He had advised Pharaoh only to set a Man to be the Chief Inspector of the Stores of Corn verse 33. for which Pharaoh thought none so fit as Joseph himself verse 39. but he now constitutes him Chief Governor under him in all Affairs of the whole Country Ver. 42. Took off his Ring c. This is well explained by Vossius Lib. I. de Orig. Progr Idolol cap. 9. in these words Tùm ut Symbolum dignitatis tùm ad literas diplomata publico nomine signandas Both in Token of the Dignity to which he was preferred and that he might seal Letters and Patents in the King's Name Vesture of fine Linen So the Hebrew word Schesch signifies rather than Silk as it is translated in the Margin though not the common Linen but that which the Ancients called Byssus Which Pollux saith was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sort of Linen very pure and soft and very dear because it did not grow every where Linum tenuissimum pretiosissimum as Braunius shows Lib. I. de Vestib Sacerdot Hebr. cap. 6. In Garments made of this great Men only not the Vulgar People were cloathed Kings themselves it appears by Solomon being arrayed in such Vestures Put a gold Chain about his Neck Another Token of the highest Dignity Ver. 43. Made him ride in the second Chariot which he had In the best of the King's Coaches as we now speak except one which Pharaoh reserved for himself And attended no doubt with a suitable Equipage of Foot-men and Horse-men perhaps for a Guard to his Person Cried before him Bow the knee They that went before his Chariot to make way for him required all to do him such Reverence as they did to the King himself when he appeared Which was by bowing their Knees or their Body The word they used to this purpose as they went along was Abrech Which we translate bow the knee deriving it from the Hebrew word Barach which hath that signification Though others will have it to signifie the Father of the King For Rach in the Syrian Language signifies a King if we may believe R. Solomon Others translate it a tender Father viz. Of the Country which he had preserved See Vossius L. I. de Idol c. 29. And Hottinger will have it as much as God save the King or a Blessing light on you See Smegma Orient p. 131. But unless we understood the old Egyptian Language I think we had as good rest in the Hebrew Derivation as in any other according to our own Translation And he made him ruler over all the Land of Egypt After this manner he constituted him Supreme Governor of the whole Country under himself According to his Resolution verse 41. Ver. 44. I am Pharaoh This is my Will and Pleasure who am King of Egypt Without thee shall no Man lift up his Hand or Foot c. A Proverbial Speech Let no Man presume to do the smallest thing in Publick Affairs without thy Order Ver. 45. And Pharaoh called Joseph's Name He gave him a new Name partly because he was a Foreigner and partly to honour him and yet to denote him to be his Subject though Ruler of every
Body else We find Nebuchadnezzar did the same in Babylon Dan. I. 7. And it is still the Custom in the Eastern Countries Where the Mogul never advances any Man but he gives him a new Name and that significant of something belonging to him As not long ago he called his Brother-in-law Asaph Chán the gathering or the rich Lord And his Physician Macrob Chan the Lord of my Health c. as Peter de la Valle relates in his Travels p. 465. where he observes the same of his Wives p. 470. Zaph-nath Paaneah Which St. Hierom interprets the Saviour of the World But the whole Stream of Interpreters carry it for another signification which is the Interpreter of Secrets or the Revealer of future things See Sixt. Amama and Athan. Kirker his Prodromus cap. V. and our Countryman J. Gregory chap. XVI of his Observations Who with Mr. Calvin thinks it is ridiculous to attempt to make this Sence out of the Hebrew Language And yet there are those who think they have done it with success Tzaphan being to hide or cover whence Tzaphnath that which is hidden or secret And Panah signifying to look into or contemplate So that Campeg Vitrigna thinks Josephus and Philo not to have ill interpreted this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Observ Sacr. Lib. I. cap. 5. an Interpreter of Dreams and a finder out of things hidden But as Jacchiades observes upon Dan. I. 7. that the Egyptian and Persian Kings gave Names for Honour and Glory in token of their Supreme Greatness and Authority so it was most for their Glory to give them out of their own Language And therefore if this be the meaning of Zaph-nath Paaneah the Egyptian Tongue and the Hebrew had a great affinity one to the other And he gave him to Wife Either the King then disposed of the great Noble-Mens Daughters when their Parents were dead as our Kings lately did of their Wards or Asenath was of Pharaoh's Kindred and so he provided her a Husband and gave her a Portion Or the meaning simply is he made this match for him The Daughter of Potipherah This is a different Name from his who was Captain of the Guard and was of a different Quality And therefore there is no reason from some likeness in their Names to think that Joseph married the Daughter of him who had been his Master For he would have abhorr'd to match with one that was born of so lewd a Woman as his Mistress as Vossius well observes in the place fore-named Priest of On. Or Prince of On as the Margin hath it for the word Cohen signifies both Priest and Prince See 2 Sam. VIII ult Priests being anciently the Prime Men of the Kingdom for Kings themselves were Priests On was a famous City in Egypt called afterwards Heliopolis Which gave Name to one of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Provinces of Egypt whereof this Poti-pherah was Governor or Lieutenant Concerning which Province and Asenath and Poti-pherah see Mr. Selden L. III. de Synedriis p. 406. And Joseph went out over all the Land of Egypt To see what places were fittest for Stores Ver. 46. Joseph was thirty Years old So he had been out of his own Country thirteen Years for he was but seventeen Years old XXXVII 2. when he was sold into Egypt In which time we may well think he had learnt the Language of that Country and gained much Experience but never sent to his Father In which there is visibly a special Providence of God for his Father might have used means for his Deliverance and then he had never come to this Greatness When he stood before Pharaoh When Pharaoh made him his Prime Minister For the great Counsellors and Ministers alone were admitted into the King's Presence in the Eastern Countries and it 's like the same State was kept here and are said to stand before the King Dan. I. 19. and to see the King's Face Esther I. 14. And went throughout all the Land of Egypt He seems to have only taken a general view of the Country before verse 45. but now a more particular to give Orders for the building of Store-Houses against the plenteous Years came Ver. 47. Brought forth by handfuls Such large Ears that a few of them would make a Sheaf Which our Translation seems here to mean by handfuls For Sheaves are bound up with Mens Hands And so it may be interpreted it brought forth Sheaves or Heaps Or more literally handfuls upon one Stalk i. e. vast abundance Some conceive the Corn was laid up in Sheaves heaped up very high and not thrash'd out For so it would keep the longer Ver. 48. And he gathered up all the Food The fifth Part as he had proposed verse 34. i. e. he bought it which he might do at a small Price when there was unusual plenty And laid up the Food in the Cities It is very probable he laid it up as it was gathered unthrash'd That there might be Food for the Cattle also So the Vulgar In manipulos reductae segetes congregatae sunt in horrea And what was laid up in the first Year of Plenty it is reasonable to think was dispensed in the first Year of Famine c. Round every City This was very wisely ordered for it was less charge to Pharaoh for the present and more easie to the Country when they wanted Provision Ver. 49. Gathered Corn as the Sand of the Sea The following words explain this Hyperbolical Expression And the reason of his heaping up so much was that there might be sufficient to supply the Necessities of other Countries as well as of Egypt Ver. 51. God hath made me forget all my toil The great Affliction and hard Labour he endured in Prison And all my Father's House The unkindness of his Brethren who were the cause of all his Trouble By imposing this Name on his First-born he admonished himself in the midst of his Prosperity of his former Adversity Which he now thought of with Pleasure Ver. 52. In the Land of my affliction In the Country where I have suffered much Affliction Ver. 53. And the seven Years of plenteousness were ended It was beside the intention of Moses to relate any of the Affairs of that Country but what belonged to this Matter And therefore he passes over all other Transactions of these seven Years as he doth all the things that hapned in Jacob's Family ever since Joseph came from it Ver. 54. The Dearth was in all Lands In all the Countries thereabouts Canaan Syria c. It seems there was a general want of Rain But in all the Land of Egypt there was Bread They did not feel the Famine presently because they had much to spare from the former Years of plenty Ver. 55. And when all the Land of Egypt was famished When they had eaten up all their own Stores Which we may suppose failed in two Years time The People cried to Pharaoh c.
Made earnest Petitions to the King for relief of their Necessities Ver. 56. And the Famine was over all the Face of the Earth Grew still greater in all the neighbouring Countries And the Famine waxed sore in the Land of Egypt For the Egyptians themselves having spent all their own Stores were sorely pinch'd Ver. 57. And all Countries came to buy Corn c. i. e. The neighbouring Countries as was said before verse 54 For if the most distant had come the Store-Houses had been soon emptied Because the Famine was sore in all Lands It increased more and more in those Countries before-named Which were grievously afflicted by it CHAP. XLII Ver. 1. AND when Jacob saw that there was Corn in Egypt c. He saw perhaps some pass by laden with Corn which they had bought there Or one Sense as is frequent in Scripture is put for another Seeing for Hearing as it is expressed verse 2. Why do ye look one upon another As idle People use to do while none of them will stir to seek Relief Or rather as Men that know not what course to take expecting who would begin to advise for their Preservation Ver. 2. That we may live and not die He excites them to make no further delay by the great Necessity wherein they were no less than danger of perishing Ver. 4. Lest mischief befal him He being as yet but young and not used to travel Jacob was afraid the Journey might be hazardous to him Besides he could not but desire to have some of their Company though this was not his principal Reason Ver. 5. Came to buy Corn among those that came People came from all Parts thereabout upon the same Business And Jacob's Sons among others whom perhaps they met withal upon the Road. Ver. 6. And Joseph was the Governor c. The Hebrew word Schallit signifies sometimes one that hath absolute Power And seems to be used here to set forth the high Authority which Joseph exercised under Pharaoh He it was that sold to all the People of the Land Appointed at what Rates Corn should be sold in every Part of the Country For it is not to be supposed that he in Person could treat with every man that came to buy But he by his Deputies who observed his Orders And Joseph's Brethren came It should seem by this that all Foreigners were ordered to come to him in the Royal City where he resided Or at least their Names were brought to him that he might speak with such as he thought fit And thereby get the better Intelligence of the State of their several Countries and be sure to see his Brethren who he knew would be constrained to come thither They bowed themselves before him c. Unwittingly fulfilled his Dream This seems to have been done after the manner of their own and other Eastern Countries not of Egypt where they only bowed the Knee XLI 40. Ver. 7. Spake roughly to them Gave them hard words as we speak Or spake in a harsh Tone to them and with a stern Countenance Ver. 8. And they knew not him They had not seen him in twenty Years In which time a Youth alters far more than grown Men do so that though he knew them they might not know him Who appeared also in such Pomp and State that it made them not think of him And he spake also to them by an Interpreter verse 23 Which represented him as a Stranger to them Ver. 9. Ye are Spies He did not think they were such Persons but said this to provoke them to give an account of themselves and of his Father Nor is there any reason to look upon this as a Lye For they are not words of Affirmation but of Probation or Trial Such as Judges use when they examine suspected Persons or inquire into a Crime of which Men are accused And therefore have the force of an Interrogation Are ye not Spies Or I must take you for Spies till you prove the contrary To see the nakedness of the Land are ye come The weak Places of the Country which are least defensible Or as others will have it the Secrets of the Land For it is the same word that is used to express the privy Parts Ver. 11. We are all one Man's Sons There needed no more than this to take off his suspicion For no Man would have sent his Sons but rather his Servants if they had come upon an ill Design Or at least not all his Sons or not all of them together in a Company But dispersed them rather about the Country Nor was it probable that one Man could have a Design upon Egypt but all the great Men of Canaan must have joyned in it And then they would have sent Men of different Families not all of one alone We are true Men. This was a good Argument that they said true when they told him verse 10. they had no other business in Egypt but to buy Corn. Ver. 12. And he said unto them Nay c. Unless you have better Arguments than this I must take you for Spies He slights their Argument as great Men sometimes do when they know not presently how to answer it He had a mind also to have them give a further account of their Family that he might be informed what was become of his Brother Benjamin Ver. 13. Thy Servants are twelve Brethren c. They inforce their former Argument by relating their Condition more fully and distinctly But still it amounts to no more than this That it was not likely a Parent would venture all his Children in such a Design as they were suspected to come about The youngest is this Day with our Father This was the thing he desired to know And one is not Is dead So they thought because they had heard nothing of him in twenty Years space Ver. 14. This is that I spake unto you c. This confirms what I said and gives me just ground for suspicion that you are Spies Because you pretend to have another Brother which is not likely for why should not your Father send all as well as so many This was but a Cavil but served to compass his End Which was to see his Brother Ver. 15. Hereby shall ye be proved By this very thing shall you be tried whether you be honest Men or no. By the life of Pharaoh c. As sure as Pharaoh lives or ita salvus sit so let Pharaoh be safe and in Health as I will keep you here till I see your younger Brother Others expound it If Pharaoh have any Authority here i. e. be King of this Country you shall not stir from hence c. But most Authors take this for an Oath The Original of which is well explained by Mr. Selden in his Titles of Honour p. 45. where he observes that the Name of Gods being given to Kings very early 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Aristotle speaks L. VI. Ethic. cap. 1. from the excellence
A COMMENTARY UPON GENESIS Imprimatur JO. CANT Lambethae Maii 26 o. 1694. A COMMENTARY UPON THE First Book of MOSES CALLED GENESIS BY The Right Reverend Father in God SYMON Lord Bishop of ELY LONDON Printed for Ri. Chiswell at the Rose and Crown in St. Paul's Church-Yard MDCXCV THE PREFACE HAving been persuaded to put together some scattered Notes which I long ago made upon several Places of Holy Scripture I began the last Year to consider some Texts in the Book of GENESIS Where I soon found there would be a necessity of making an entire Commentary upon a good part of it And therefore I resolved to go through the whole in the same manner as I had done the Three first Chapters After I had finished the better half of my Work I was informed that Mons l'Clerk had published a Critical Commentary upon the same Book But whether I have concurred in any thing with him or contradicted him I am not able to say having wanted leisure to peruse his Work by reason of the Publick Business which came upon me in the end of the Year When I likewise understood that a very Learned Friend and Brother had put into the Press Annotations upon all the Five Books of Moses But by communicating some of our Papers to each other we found there would be no reason that either of us should lay aside our Design but go on in our several ways to make the Scriptures better understood by all sorts of Persons For all helps are little enough in this Age which seems to take pleasure in being ignorant of the most important Truths In which we are so particularly instructed by Moses as by no other Author nor by all the Authors that are or have been known to be extant in the World For to him we owe the Knowledge of the beginning of the World of the first Parents of Mankind the Inventors of Arts the Original of Nations the Founders of Kingdoms and Empires the Institution of Laws the Fountain of Religious Rites Yea of all the ancient Mythology and which is most considerable the means of propagating that Sense of God and of Religion which Mankind brought into the World with them and how it came to be corrupted There have been those who have taken the liberty to say That it is impossible to give any tolerable Account of the Creation of the World in Six Days of the Situation of Paradise the Fall of our first Parents by the seduction of a Serpent c. But I hope I have made it appear there is no ground for such presumptuous Words But very good reason to believe every thing that Moses hath related without forsaking the literal Sence and betaking our selves to I do not know what Allegorical Interpretations Particularly I find the Truth of what I have noted concerning Paradise very much confirmed by a Learned and Judicious Discourse of Mons Huetius which I did not meet withal till I had made an end of these Commentaries But then took a review of what I had written and found cause to correct what I had noted out of Mr. Carver concerning the Spring of Tigris and Euphrates I might also have given a clearer Account of the Deluge if I had observed some things which are come to my notice since these Papers went to the Press But I hope I have said enough to evince that it is not so incredible as some have pretended For having made the largest Concessions concerning the heighth of the highest Mountains which according to the old Opinion I have allowed may be thirty Miles high Gen. VII 19. whereas if instead of thirty I had said not above three perpendicular I had had the best of the Modern Philosophers to defend me it appears there might be Water enough to cover the loftiest of them as Moses hath related Whose account of the Families by whom the Earth was Peopled after the Flood is so surprisingly agreeable to all the Records that remain in any Language of the several Nations of the Earth that it carries with it an uncontroulable Evidence of his Sincerity and Truth as well as of his admirable Universal Knowledge For as there is no Writer that hath given us an Account of so many Nations and so remote as he hath done So he hath not satisfied himself with naming them but acquainted us with their original and told us at what time and from what place and on what occasion they were dispersed into far distant Countries And this with such brevity that he hath informed us of more in one Chapter than we can find in the great Volumes of ill other Authors Having shown us from whom all â—hose People descended who are spread over the Face of the Earth from the Caspian and Persian Sea to Hercules his Pillars as the Ancients speak that is all the World over In short whatsoever is most ancient in those Countries which are furthest from all Commerce with his own is clearly explained by Moses Whose Writings therefore cannot but be highly valued by all those who will apply their Minds seriously to the study of them For if they who now have no regard to him would but compare what he hath written on the fore named Subject with what they find in those Heathen Writers whom they have in the greatest veneration they would be forced to confess him to be a Man of wonderful Understanding and could not reasonably doubt he had an exact knowledge of the Truth of those things whereof he wrote To this purpose I remember the famous Bochartus speaks who hath given the greatest light to the Tenth of Genesis wherein these things are delivered And truly it is some wonder That they who so much cry up the Egyptian Learning should not easily grant unless they will believe all Historians but only those whom we account Sacred that Moses must needs be qualified even without the help of Divine Revelation which he certainly had to write both of their Original and of all those who were related to them Being bred up in their Country nay in their Court till he was XL Years old and well versed in all the Wisdom that was to be found among them Acts VII 22. Which Wisdom of theirs I doubt not was much augmented by Abraham's living among them as I have observed upon XIII 2. but especially by Joseph's long Government of that Country for the space of LXXX Years Who was indued with such an incomparable Spirit that the wisest Men among them learnt of him for he taught their Senators Wisdom Psalm CV 22. And in like manner Moses lived XL Years more among the Midianites where it appears by Jethro there wanted not Persons of great Knowledge And from thence he might easily be instructed in all that the Arabians knew Who were no mean People it appears by the Story of Job and his three Friends and Elihu who is supposed by some to have wrote that admirable Book and were near Neighbours to the most famous Nations
Moses could not have said there was no Man to till the Earth Ver. 6. But there went up a Mist c. Many think this will best cohere with what went before by translating it nor did there taking the Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not from the foregoing Verse as is usual a Mist go up from the Earth See Drusius Levit. X. 6. and Hottinger in Hexapl. Paris p. 89. But I see no necessity of this and think it more likely there did go up a Vapour or Steam out of the Earth when it came reeking out of the Waters as was said upon Verse 9. of the 1. Chap. to moisten the superficies of it before any Clouds were raised by the Power of the Sun to give Rain Ver. 7. Out of the Dust of the Ground Not dry but moist Dust as the LXX have it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 From whence the Apostle calls him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Corinth XV. 47. which teaches us this Dust was mixt with Water For so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies Limus as the vulgar Latin hath it Which agrees with the Hebrew jatzar formed which is used concerning Potters who make their Vessels of Clay not of dry Earth Diodorus Siculus seems to have had some Notion of this when he saith Man was made out of the Slime or Mud of Nile Upon which Original of Man's Body the ancient Fathers make many Pious Reflections But none better or shorter than that of Nazianzen's who says it is to teach us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that when we are apt to be lifted up because we are made after God's Image the thoughts of the Dirt out of which we were taken may humble and lay us low And God breathed into his Nostrils the breath of life This being said of no other Creature leads us to conceive not only that the Soul of Man is a distinct thing of a different Original from his Body but that a more excellent Spirit was put into him by God as appears by its Operations than into other Animals For though the simple Speech of inspiring him with the breath of Life would not prove this yet Moses speaking in the Plural Number that God breathed into him Nischmath chajim the Breath or Spirit of Lifes it plainly denotes not only that Spirit which makes Man breathe and move but think also reason and discourse And he became a living Soul This is the immediate result of the Union of the Soul with the Body Which Eusebius thus explains L. VII Praepar Evang. cap. 10. Moses having laid the Foundations of Religion before-mentioned viz. The Knowledge of God and of the Creation of the World proceeds to another Point of Doctrine most necessary to be understood which is the Knowledge of a Man's self to which he leads him by showing the difference between his Soul and his Body His Soul being an Intelligent Substance made after the Image of God his Body only an Earthly Covering of the Soul To which Moses adds a third 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. A certain Vital Breath whereby the other two are united and linked together by a powerful Bond or strong Tie His Soul it is manifest did not come out of the Earth or any Power of Matter but from the Power of God who infused it into him by his Divine Inspiration And this was the Original of Eve's Soul also though it be not mentioned For if her Soul had been made out of Adam as her Body was he would have said not only She is Bone of my Bone but Soul of my Soul which would have mightily strengthned the Bond of Marriage and exceedingly heightned Conjugal Affection Ver. 8. And the LORD God planted Or had planted for it doth not seem to be a new thing A Garden A most pleasant part of the Earth Eastward Or as others translate it before in the beginning viz. On the Third Day when he made all Vegetables And it cannot be denied that mikkedem may signifie time as well as place But as the greatest part of Interpreters Ancient and Modern take it here to signifie place so Moses himself uses it in the following part of this Book III. 24. XI 2. XII 8. XIII 11. In Eden A Country as most understand it so called perhaps from its Pleasure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Theophilus ad Autolyc speaks L. II. Where Eden was there are two or three places of Scripture that give some direction to our search 2 Kings XIX 12. Isa XXXVII 12. Ezek. XXVII 23. which show there was a Country that for many Ages after this retained the Name of Eden And that Eastward as Moses here tells us it was situated That is Eastward of Judaea or of the Desart of the Amorites where he wrote these Books For the Scripture calls those People the Children of the East who dwelt in Arabia Mesopotamia and Persia But in what Country of the East Eden was will be best understood from ver 10. And there he put the Man whom he had formed He was formed we must suppose in some other place and conducted hither by God in Token of his singular Kindness to him Where he declared him saith a Syriac Writer mentioned by Hottinger in his Dissert de Hexaplis Paris p. 115. an Heir of Paradise and made him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a King a Priest and a Prophet Ver. 9. And out of the Ground Of that Garden before-mentioned Made the LORD God to grow every Tree c. The greatest variety of the choicest Plants Flowers and Fruit For Tree comprehends every thing that grows out of the Earth Pleasant to the sight He gratified Man's Eye as well as his Taste and his Smell The Tree of Life So called because there was a Virtue in it as several of the ancient Fathers think not only to repair the Animal Spirits as other Nourishment doth but also to preserve and maintain them and all the Organs of the Body in the same equal Temper and State wherein they were created without any decay Until Man should have been fit to be translated into another World To this purpose Irenaeus St. Chrysostom Theodoret but especially Greg. Nazianzen speak 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. If therefore we had continued what we were and kept the Commandment we should have been what we were not by coming to the Tree of Life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being made immortal and approaching nigh to God Orat. XLIII p. 699. D. And why we should think it impossible or unlikely that God should make such a Fruit I do not see Nay it seems necessary there should have been such a kind of Food unless we will suppose God would have preserved Adam had he continued Innocent from dying by a continual Miracle Which is a harder supposition than the other But this Garden being also a Type of Heaven perhaps God intended by this Tree to represent that immortal Life which he meant to bestow upon Man with himself Revel XXII 2. And so St.
Austin in that famous Saying of his Erat ei in caeteris lignis alimentum in isto autem Sacramentum L. VIII de Gen. ad Lit. cap. 4. In other Trees there was Nourishment for Man but in this also a Sacrament For it was both a Symbol of that Life which God had already bestowed upon Man who was hereby put in mind that God was the Author of his Being and all his Enjoyments and of that Life he was to hope for in another World if he proved Obedient In the midst of the Garden This signifies either its Situation or its Excellence For that which is most Eminent in any place the Hebrews say is in the midst XXIII 10. The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. So called as I take it because God intended by this Tree to prove Adam and Eve whether they would be good or bad Which was to be made known by their abstaining from its Fruit or eating of it It is generally thought indeed by Interpreters of which I leave the Reader to judge that it had this Name afterward either because the Tempter pretended it would make them so wise as to know all things for so good and evil may be expounded III. 5. to signifie as much as all things whatsoever or because in the event upon the eating of this Fruit they did actually know by miserable experience which they would not learn without it the great difference between obeying and disobeying God's Commands That is they who did not sufficiently attend to their Duty nor consider what it was to Sin and what the effect of it would be presently upon the eating of this Fruit reflected upon both For they saw how grievous it was to incurr God's Displeasure by believing a Creature rather than Him and by being so ungrateful as not to acknowledge his Bounty in all the Blessings they enjoyed without thinking Him envious in denying them one as a proof of their Obedience Some think it was so called as a Caveat to them not to study Craft and Subtilty but to content themselves in a simple plain way of life wherein God made them without any Curiosity to know more than was needful for them Which they think is confirmed by III. 6. She saw it was good to make one wise i. e. cunning and wily Ver. 10. And a River went out of Eden c. These words afford us such a Key to open to us the Place where this Garden was planted that one can scarce doubt whereabout it was though the precise spot of Ground be not marked out in this description of it For it lay in the Country of Eden and we are directed to find that out by this remarkable Circumstance That a River went out of it Which doth not signifie that the Spring of the River was in Eden but that the River run through that Country into the Garden to water it The Garden therefore it is probable was a part of the Province of Eden and was water'd by that River which came from it The only difficulty is to find what River this was Our Country man Mr. Canver in his learned Discourse of the Terrestrial Paradise chap. VII endeavours to prove that the two great Rivers Euphrates and Tigris having but one and the same Fountain in Armenia the greater run along for some time in one Stream called Tigris Upon which he thinks this Garden was seated before this River parted into two Streams Euphrates and Tigris This he confirms out of the two Epistles of the Nestorian Christians written to Rome 1552 and translated by Masius where they call Tigris the River of Eden And there are indeed some ancient Authors particularly Lucan and Boetius who say that these two Rivers come out of the same Spring But their mistake arose its likely from hence That they sprung as Strabo tells us out of one and the same Mountain viz. Niphates which is a part of Taurus And Euphrates sprung out of the Northern side of it and Tigris out of the Southern as Salmasius observes upon Solinus p. 621 c. Certain it is that the best Authors both Ancient and Modern make them to have different Springs from whence they hold different Courses Euphrates toward the West and Tigris toward the East And do not make one River till after they have run through many Countries they meet and joyn together about Apamia according to Ptolomy And then indeed they make for a long way but one great Stream Which I take to be the River here mentioned by Moses and run through the Country of Eden which perhaps lay on both sides of the River as the Garden it is plain by verse 8. did on the Eastern side of it extending it self to the place where these united Rivers parted again For so it follows And from thence i. e. Below the Garden It parted Or was divided again as it had been before into two other Streams By which words we seem to have found the Place where the Garden ended but being not told where it began nor how far it spread it self Eastward from the River side I will not presume to say what Country or Countries it included Certain it is there was a Country as I observed before called Eden in after times which was part of the Kingdom of Assyria 2 Kings XIX 12. And that Kingdom then comprehended not only the Country anciently called Ashur but Mesopotamia and Babylonia c. In some part of which last Province it is probable this Garden was seated And became into four Heads He doth not say was parted into four Heads but became into four Heads whose Names here follow two before they united viz. Tigris and Euphrates and two after they again parted viz. Pison and Gihon These he calls Heads or Principal Rivers as David Chytraeus I think rightly understands it quatuor illustria magna flumina efficiebant made four famous and great Rivers For all Divisions from the main Stream are called the Heads of a Water as Sir W. Raleigh observes out of Vlpianus And it is indifferent whether the Water come out of a Fountain or out of a River or a Lake For that part of the River suppose where the Branch forsakes the main Stream is called the Head of that Branch which becomes a new River In like manner may Euphrates and Tigris be called the Heads of that River which they made at their meeting As where they part again the beginnings as the LXX translate the word of the other two Rivers Pison and Gihon are properly called the Heads of them Ver. 11. The name of the first is Pison or Phison This is that Branch which runs Westerly and being nearest to the place where Moses wrote on the other side of Jordan is first mentioned by him It is a long time since both this River and Gihon have lost these Names The Greek and Roman Writers calling them still after their parting by the Names they had before they met Euphrates and Tigris But
there was a remainder of the Name of Pison preserved in the Easterly River called Pasitigris which is the same with Oroatis as Salmasius observes in his Exerc. Plinianae in Solin p. 701 702 And is called as Mr. Carver notes by Xenophon simply Physeus in which the Name of Phison is plainly enough retained Which continued till the time of Alexander the Great For Q. Curtius as he further notes commonly calls Tigris it self by the Name of Phasis and says it was so called by the Inhabitants thereabouts Which in all probability was at first the Name of this other River Phison but lost by the many alterations which were made for a long time in the course of it as Pliny tells us For he says the Orcheni and other neighbouring Nations made great and deep Cuts or Canals to carry the Water of Euphrates meaning this River into their Fields and so it lost its course and run through Tigris and the Marshes into the Sea Strabo saith the same that from these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as he calls them deep Trenches which carried the Water of Euphrates into Tigris came the Name of Pasitigris that is Pison mixed with Tigris See Salmasius in the fore-named Exercitations pag. 703 where he shows this River was not perfectly restored to its Course till the times of Alexander the Great That is it which compasseth the whole Land of Havilah By finding where this Country was we certainly find the River Phison Now Moses makes mention of two Havilah's one descended from Cush Gen. X. 7. and the other from Jocktan ver 29. The latter of these cannot be here meant for his Posterity were planted Eastward but the former who were a more Western People in that part of Arabia Foelix which bordered upon this Stream For the Ishmaelites who inhabited Arabia deserta are described by Moses XXV 18. as bounded by Shur towards Egypt and by Havilah in the way to Assyria And Saul found Havilah in after-times in the very same situation 1 Sam. XV. 7. And still much later Strabo mentions the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which are certainly the Posterity of Chavilah among the People of Arabia See Bochart's Phaleg L. IV. c. 11. Where there is Gold Nothing is more famous than the Gold of Arabia Where Diodorus Siculus says it is digged up in great Lumps as big as a Chesnut L. II. p. 93. Edit H. Steph. Ver. 12. And the Gold of that Land is good i. e. Is excellent For the fore-named Author says it is of such a flaming Colour that it adds much to the Lustre of precious Stones that are set in it There is Bdellium The Hebrew word being Bedolach some have thought Bdellium to come from thence which is an Aromatick Gum. Others think Bedolach to be Chrystal others Amber but Bochart rather thinks it signifies Pearl Which he proves in his Hieroizoc P. II. L. V. c. 25. from the Country it self here mentioned viz. Havilah which he looks upon as that Part of Arabia which lies upon the Persian Gulph Where at Catipha there is a great Pearl-fishing The Manna also wherewith the Israelites were fed in the Wilderness is described Numb XI 7. to be round like Coriander-Seed and of the Colour of Bedolach Now in his former Description Moses says it was white Exod. XVI 14. which agrees to Pearls as also doth roundness but not to the sweet Gum called Bdellium Of which see Salmasius in his Exerc. Plin. p. 1150. And the Onyx Stone This Country also was famous for Precious Stones as appears by the Report which Nearchus Alexander's Admiral made of the Western Coast of the Persian Gulph in Strabo L. XVI But Braunius L. II. De Vestitu Sacerd. Hebr. cap. 18. thinks Schoham should rather be translated the Sardonyx Which soever it be Arabia was famous both for the Onyx and Sardonyae as Salmasius observes out of Pliny Ib. p. 562 563. Ver. 13. The name of the second River is Gihon There is no footsteps of this Name remaining that I can find but we are directed by the Country it is said to compass to take it to be the Eastern Stream that arose from the parting of Euphrates and Tigris as Pison I said was the Western Compasseth or runneth along by the whole Land of Aethiopia Or Cush Who was seated more Eastward than his Sons Havilah Seba and the rest mentioned Gen. X. 6 7. upon the Borders of this River For when People first began to spread themselves they kept as near to great Rivers as they could for the better Communication one with another and affording mutual Succour and Assistance It is probable that he gave Name to the Country of Susiana which the Greeks called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and is now called by the Persians Chuzestan i. e. The Province of Chus And when his Posterity multiplied they went more Westward toward the Arabian Sea From whence his Brother Mitzraim passed into Egypt Our Translators follow the LXX in rendring the Hebrew Name Cush by Aethiopia Not meaning that in Africa but this in Assa For the Ancients frequently mention a double Aethiopia as many have observed particularly Job Ludolphus who herein justifies the LXX in great part L. II. Comment in Histor Aethiop Cap. III. n. 16. Ver. 14. The name of the third is Hiddekel Which River being called by Daniel X. 4. the great river cannot be as many have fansied Nahar-malca For that was but a Cut made by Trajan to waft his Army out of Euphrates into Tigris as Ammian Marcellinus tells us and therefore Hiddekel is Tigris it self Which as Pliny says was called Diglito in those Parts where its Course was slow and where it began to be rapid it took the Name of Tigris And so the Arabians call this River Deglat and Degela from the Hebrew word Hiddekel Which Salmasius derives from Hadda or Chadda sharp pointed and Kal swift because of its very quick and hasty Motion And thence the Greeks he observes derive the Name of Tigris 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exerc. in Solin p. 694. Rauwolff in his Travels P. II. c. 9. says That when he was at Caruch on the Confines of Media which was about an hundred Years ago Tigris was still called in their Language Hidekel Which goeth toward the East of Assyria If it make a great bend Northward as Pliny saith it doth about Apamia it must needs run toward the East of Assyria for some time But this is not the Course of the River and therefore the LXX translate the word Kidmath which we english toward the East simply toward And it is certain Tigris did run by Assyria for Nineveh the chief City of Assyria stood upon the East side of this River as Bochart hath demonstrated in his Phaleg L. IV. cap. 20. The fourth River is Euphrates None doubt that the River called here in the Hebrew Perath or Phrath is the same that hath been called for many Ages Euphrates The Course of which was so well known in those Days that Moses
lessened by his forbearing them One hundred and twenty Years Which now we must suppose drew near to an end Verse 13. The observation of some of the Hebrew Doctors perhaps is too curious which is this That the Name of Jehovah which we translate LORD is used Verse 3. where the first mention is made of this matter for it betokens the clemency of the Divine Majesty till the One hundred and twenty Years were out and then Moses uses the Word Elohim which is a Name of Judgment the time of which was come For all flesh i. e. all Men had corrupted his way upon Earth Wholly departed from the Rule of Righteousness or had made their way of Life abominable throughout the whole World Ver. 13. The end of all flesh is come before me I am determined to make an end of i. e. to destroy all mankind shortly So it follows I will destroy them with the Earth i. e. With all the Beasts and the Fruits of the Earth Or from the Earth as it is in the Margin Ver. 14. Make thee an Ark. This Vessel was not in the form of one of our Ships or Boats For it was not made sharp forward to cut the Waves but broad like a Chest and therefore had a flat bottom with a Cover or a Roof We do not find it had any Rudder being steered by Angels Of Gopher-wood There are various opinions about Gopher which some take for Cedar others for Pine c. but our learned Nic. Fuller in his Miscellanies hath observed that it is nothing else but that which the Greeks call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Cypress-Tree For taking away the termination Cupar and Gophar differ very little in their sound Bochartus hath confirmed this and shown that no Country abounds so much with this Wood as that part of Assyria which was about Babylon Where Arrianus says Alexander built a Navy of these Trees 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. L. VII for there is great plenty of these Trees alone in the Country of Assyria but of other fit for making Ships there is great scarcity Strabo saith the same L. XVI From whence Bochart thinks it probable that Noah and his Children lived in this Country before the Flood for it is not likely that such a vast Bulk as the Ark was carried far from the place where it was made And the Mountains of Ararat which he will have to be the Gordiaean Mountains are upon the borders of Assyria Northward which way the Wind blew if there were any in all likelyhood the Rain coming from the South Sea L. I. Phaleg c. 4. Rooms shalt thou make Little Cabbins or Cells to sever the Beasts from the Birds the clean Beasts from the unclean and to preserve their several sorts of Food And shalt pitch it c. So the Arabick translation expresly pitch it with pitch For the bitumen which was plentiful thereabouts which others think is here meant was of the same nature and served for the same use with Pitch Being very glutinous and tenacious to keep things close together But not only the Chinks were filled with it but the whole Body of the Ark seems to have been all over daubed with it Within To give a wholsome Scent some think among so many Beasts And without To make the Ark more glib and slippery to swim in the Water more easily Ver. 15. And this is the fashion c. There are those who take these for Geometrical Cubits every one of which contains Six of the common But there is no need of such For taking them for common Cubits containing each only one Foot and an half it is demonstrable there might be room enough in the Ark for all sorts of Beasts and Birds with Noah's Family and their necessary provision See Verse 20. Ver. 16. A Window shalt thou make to the Ark. To let in the Light into the several Apartments For which should we conceive that one great Window might be so contrived as to be sufficient I do not see how that would exclude many little ones here and there for greater convenience And in a Cubit shalt thou finish it above That is finish the Ark which had a Cover it is plain from VIII 13. and was made shelving that the Rain might slide off And the Door of the Ark shalt thou set in the side thereof But on what side or whereabouts on the side is not certain It is probable on one of the long sides and in the middle of it Patricides calls it the Eastern side With lower second and third Stories c. That Arabian Author and Pirke Elieser Cap. 23. place Noah and his Family in the uppermost Story the Birds in the middle and the Beasts in the lowest But they forget to leave a place for their Provision And therefore they make a better distribution who think the Beasts were bestowed in the lower Story and that the third served for the Birds with Noah and his Family The second between both being left for the Stores that were to be laid in of Meat and Drink for them all The creeping things some think might well live in the space between the lower Story and the bottom of the Ark. Ver. 17. And behold I even I do bring a Flood of Waters c. i. e. They shall unavoidably be all swept away for I my self will bring a Deluge upon them Not an ordinary Flood but one of which I will appear to be the Author All Nations it plainly appears by such Records as remain had heard something of this Flood Lucian in his Dea Syria tells a long story of it out of the Archives of Hierapolis very like to this of Moses only he puts the Name of Deucalion instead of Noah Plutarch mentions the Dove sent out of the Ark. And so doth Abydenus mentioned by Eusebius L. IX Praepar Evang. c. 12. speak of Birds in general which being sent out returned again to the Ship finding no place to rest in but there only Josephus mentions a great many more not only Berosus the Chaldaean but Hieronymus Aegyptius who wrote the Ancient Phoenician History Mnaseas Nicholaus Damascenus with many others St. Cyril also L. I. against Julian quotes a passage out of Alexander Polyhistor wherein is part of the Story only he calls Noah by the Name of Xisuthros as Abydenus calls him Seisithrus in the Dialect of the Assyrians as some conjecture And now it appears that the Americans have had a Tradition of it as credible Authors Acosta Herrera and others inform us which saith The whole Race of Mankind was destroyed by the Deluge except some few that escaped They are the words of Augustin Corata concerning the Peruvian Tradition And Lupus Gomara saith the same from those of Mexico And if we can believe Mart. Martinius his History of China there is the like among the People of that Country Ver. 18. And with thee I will establish my Covenant I will make good the Promise I have made thee
dwell in the Tents of Shem. i. e. His Territories shall be so dilated that in future times he shall possess some of his Brother's Countries Which is also prophesied of Numb XXIV 24. where it is said they of Cittim shall afflict the Children of Assur and Eber i. e. Afflict the Assyrians and the Hebrews who were of the Posterity of Shem. And so both the Greeks and the Romans did who invaded and conquered that part of Asia which belonged to Shem. The Chaldee Paraphrast gives a Spiritual Interpretation of this Passage which is very apt That the Gentiles should come into the Church which was in the Family of Shem. And it is very remarkable which is observed by our Mr. Mede B. I. Disc 48. That all the Offspring of Japhet are at this day Christians Magog only excepted i. e. the Turks whom God seems to have reserved as he did some of the Canaanites in the Land of Israel to prove and punish us withall Our learned N. Fuller gives a quite different Interpretation from all these making God the Subject of this Speech not Japhet and thus translates it God shall dwell in the Tents of Shem among them shall be the Schechinah or the Divine Majesty But this doth not agree with what follows And Canaan shall be his servant The Greeks and Romans descended from Japhet conquered Canaan And whatsoever Relicks there were of them any where for instance at Tyre built by the Sidonians at Thebes by Cadmus at Carthage by Dido they were all cut off by the Greeks or Romans It is observed by Campanella That None are descended from Cham but Slaves and Tyrants who are indeed Slaves Cap. IV. De Mon. Hispan But Mr. Mede's Observation is more pertinent in the fore-named Discourse p. 358. There hath never yet been a Son of Cham that hath shaken a Scepter over the Head of Japhet Sem hath subdued Japhet and Japhet subdued Sem But Cham never subdued either Which made Hannibal a Child of Canaan cry out with amazement of Soul Agnosco fatum Carthaginis I acknowledge the Fate of Carthage Livy L. XXVII in fine Ver. 28. And Noah lived after the Flood three hundred and fifty Years Which was of great Advantage for the certain Propagation of the Knowledge of those things before related and of those that follow in the next Chapter For he died not above two and thirty Years before Abraham was born CHAP. X. Ver. 1. NOW these are the Generations of the Sons of Noah c. As he had often before mentioned the three Sons of Noah so now he mentions them again being to give an Account of their Children by whom the Earth was peopled after the Flood And he reckons them in the same order he had always done VI. 10. VII 13. IX 18. first Shem then Ham and last of all Japhet But it is observable that in the next Verse he gives an Account first of the Sons of Japhet Who was indeed the eldest There is great use of this Genealogy as Maimonides shows Par. III. More Nev. c. 50. because the Doctrine of the Creation of the World which is the Foundation of the Law i. e. of Religion would not have been so easily believed if Moses had not given an Account of the Succession of Mankind from the first Man to the Flood and from the Flood to his own time Showing from whom all Nations were derived and how they came to be dispersed Shem is named first of Noah's Sons because the blessed Seed was to spring out of his Family In which the true Religion was preserved Which was soon lost in the Posterity of the other two among whom their Names remained in great Honour For Ham was the Heathen Jupiter who was called Hammon in Egypt which it will appear was part of Ham's Portion and is called the Land of Ham as every one knows in many places of the Psalms And accordingly the same Country is called by Plutarch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Japhet also seems to have been the same with Japetus whom the Greeks own to have been their Father Nor do they know any Name of greater Antiquity which made them give it to decrepit Persons as many particularly Bochart have observed and it became a Proverb in that Country Older than Japetus Whom their Poets feign to have attempted War against Jupiter because of the Dissentions which the unlikeness of their Manners begat between them Which seems to be nothing but the Story in Chapter IX of this Book verse 22. For Ham as I said is the Heathen Jupiter Ver. 2. The Sons of Japhet Were seven the eldest of which Gomer had three Sons and the fourth Javan had four Whose Names we have in the following Verses Gomer It 's hard at this distance to find what Country was peopled by his Posterity but Bochartus in his Phaleg hath made such probable Conjectures about this and all that follow from other Scriptures and from neighbouring Places and the Relicks of their Names in ancient Geographers and such-like things that they carry a great appearance of Truth in them Our famous Cambden in his Account of the first Inhabitants of Britain thinks that the Cimbri and Cimmerii descended from this Gomer who gave them their Name and that the old Britains came from him because they call themselves Kumero Cymro and Kumeri which seems to denote them the Posterity of Gomer But this as also the Notion of Ludov. Capellus in his Chron. Sacra p. 104. who if this of Mr. Camben be not accepted propounds another of the Comari and Chomari a People in Scythia mentioned by Ptolomy within the Mountain Imaus near Bactriana is confuted by what we read in Ezekiel who makes Gomer to have been a Neighbour of Torgamah Ezek. XXXVIII 6. And Torgamah was a Nation that usually went to the Marts of Tyre XXVII 14. and consequently were not seated in the furthermost part of the North but as will appear afterward not very far from Tyre And in some Country thereabouts we must seek for Gomer Who it 's likely gave Phrygia its Denomination For a part of it was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by Diodorus and Hesychius because it look'd as if it were burnt Such was all the Country about Cayster Maeander and the City Philadelphia Now this is the very signification of Gomer For in the Hebrew Gamar is to consume and so the Chaldee and Syriac frequently use it Whence Gumra or Gumro is a Coal And Phrygia is of the same signification for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greek is to torrifie which being the Name of part of the Country in time became the Name of the whole Magog The second Son of Japhet was in all likelihood the Father of the Scythians which is the Opinion of Josephus Theodoret St. Hierom and others For all that is said in Scripture about Magog exactly agrees to them as Bochartus hath shown at large out of Ezekiel L. III. Phaleg c. 13. Madai From him the Country of Media
And gives an Account also of every one of their Sons and of some of their Grand-Sons Cush Gave Name to a Country very often mention'd in Scripture which most of the Ancients take for Aethiopia and so we commonly translate the word Cush But if by Aethiopia they meant that Country South of Egypt and not an Eastern Country which may be a question Jonathan is rather to be followed who here Paraphrases it Arabia For Cush is the same with Chusan only this latter is a diminutive which is made the same with Midian Habak III. 7. And so Moses his Wife is called a Chushite we render it Aethiopian for she was a Midianite Exod. II. 16 21. and therefore was of Arabia not of Aethiopia And so we should translate it Numb XII 2. an Arabian Woman And there is a Demonstration of it in Ezek. XXIX 10. that Cush cannot be Aethiopia for when God saith he will make Egypt desolate from the tower of Syene to the border of Cush if we should understand by Cush the Country of Aethiopia it will be as if he had said from Aethiopia to Aethiopia For every one knows Syene was the Border of Egypt towards Aethiopia And therefore here being two opposite Borders it is manifest that Cush which is the opposite term to Syene cannot be Aethiopia but Arabia Which bounded that part of Egypt which is most remote from Aethiopia A great number of other Arguments out of the Scriptures evince this Which Bochartus hath collected L. IV. Phaleg c. 2. and Philip. Beroaldus asserted the same thing before him Mizraim The Father of them who inhabited Egypt whose Metropolis Alcairo the Arabians at this Day call Meser and the first Month among the ancient Egyptians was called Mesori And Cedrenus calls the Country it self Mestra as Grotius observes in his Annot. in L. I. De V. R. C. and Lud. Capellus in his Chronol Sacra p. 109. And this word Mizraim being of the Dual Number which shows it to be the Name of the Country rather than of a Person denotes two Egypts as Bochart observes For so there were the higher and the lower All that Country was called the higher where Nile runs in one Stream The lower was that where it is divided into many Which the Greeks call Delta from its triangular form Phut All Africa was divided between Mizraim and Phut as Bochartus observes For all Egypt and several other parts of Africa as far as the Lake Trilonides which divides Africa into two almost equal parts fell to Mizraim The rest beyond that Lake to the Atlantick Ocean was the Portion of Phut Of which Name there are some footsteps in the City Putea which Ptolomy L. III. c. 1. calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the River called Phut mentioned by Pliny as Grotius notes and a Country which St. Hierom in his time says was called Regio Phutensis Which lies not far from Fez. Another Name of Africa is Lub which we often meet withall in Scripture Whence the Name of Lybia Concerning which and a great many other Proofs that Phut was planted in Africa see the famous Bochartus L. IV. Phaleg c. 33. Canaan The youngest Son of Ham every one knows gave Name to that Country which God gave afterwards to the Israelites Which the Phoenicians who descended from the Canaanites called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by a contraction of the word Canaan as many have observed out of Eusebius L. I. Praepar c. 10. who quotes Sanchuniathon and Philo-Byblius for it It is so certain that the Phoenicians had their Original from the Canaanites that the LXX use their Names promiscuously For example Shaul is called Gen. XLVI 10. the Son of a Canaanitish Woman Whom in Exod. VI. 15. they call the Son of a Phoenician Woman And so in the New Testament the Woman whom St. Matthew calls a Woman of Canaan XV. 22. St. Mark calls a Syrophoenician VII 26. We never indeed find the Phoenicians called Canaanites by the Greeks For their Posterity being ashamed as we may suppose of that Name because of the Curse pronounced upon Canaan chose to be called rather Syrians or Assyrians or Sidonians or Phoenicians For Syria which was a common Name to a great many People round about was at first proper to them from the Metropolis of Phoenicia which was Tyre in Hebrew Sor or Sur from whence Surim and thence the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They that would see more of this may read the fore-named Author L. IV. Phaleg c. 34. Ver. 7. In this Verse Moses acquaints us what People descended from the eldest Son of Ham viz. Cush who had five Sons And the fourth of them had two Seba. There were four Nations that had the Name of Seba or Shebah as Bochart observes L. II. c. 25. Three of them are mentioned here in this Chapter The first of them this Son of Cush is written with Samech all the rest with Schin viz. The Grand-Son of Cush who was the Son of Raamah or Rhegma in the end of this Verse The third was the Son of Jocktan the Son of Shem verse 28. And the fourth was a Grand-Child of Abraham by his Son Jokshan XXV 3. They that descended from the three first of these were a People given to Trade from the fourth came a People addicted to Robbery The first the second and the fourth were seated near the Persian Sea the third near the Arabian Whence Pliny saith the Sabaeans stretched themselves to both Seas L. V. c. 28. For all these four People were comprehended under the Name of Sabaeans though very different one from another But it may be doubted whether the Sabaeans who descended from Jokshan the Grand-Child of Abraham did live near the Persian Sea And I shall show upon XXV 3. that Bochart himself thought otherwise upon further Consideration And as for this Seba he was the Father of a People in Arabia called Jemamites as Alcamus an Arabian Writer tells us Whose words are A certain Man called Saba gathered together the Tribes of the Jemamites i. e. He was the Founder of the People called by that Name from a famous Queen of that Country called Jemama See Bochartus L. IV. c. 8. where he shows where they were situated And that they are the Sabaeans who are said by Agatharcides to have been a very tall proper People mentioned Isai XLV 14. Havilah Or Chavilah There were two Havilahs also One the Son of Cush here mentioned another the Son of Jocktan verse 29. From this Havilah seem to have come the People called Chanlothaei by Eratosthenes Who were seated in Arabia Foelix as Strabo tells us between the Nabataei and the Agraei i. e. the Hagerens By Pliny they are called Chavelaei which comes nearest to the Hebrew Name who were feated in that part of the Country which lay towards Babylon As appears by this that in the Scripture the Wilderness of Shur nigh Egypt and Havilah are opposed as the most remote opposite Bounds of Arabia Thus the
of Shem But was usurped he thinks by this Son of Cush who had no right to it but what he got by his Sword If this be true Mr. Mede's Observation which I mentioned upon verse 27. of the foregoing Chapter That the Posterity of Cham never subdued either those of Japhet or Shem must be understood of such large Conquests as they two made over one another and over him And builded Niniveh Which Nimrod so called from his Son Ninus The very word Niniveh being as much as Ninus his habitation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thus Cain built a City and called it not by his own but his Son's Name IV. 17. This was the chief City of Assyria and flourished in great Glory till it was utterly razed by the Medes and never again re-built It stood on the West-side of Tigris Rehoboth There was a City of this Name upon Euphrates which was famous for the Birth of Saul one of the Kings of Edom Gen. XXXVI 37. which the Arabians call Rahabath-Melic i. e. Rahabath of the Kings a little below Cercusium at the Mouth of the River Chaboras But this being two far distant from Niniveh to which this and the two following Cities were Neighbours Bochart's Conjecture is not unreasonable That this is the City which Ptolomy calls Birtha on the West of Tigris at the Mouth of the River Lycus For in the Chaldee Tongue Streets are called Birtha and that is the signification of Rehoboth as the Margin of our Bible will inform the Reader Calah or Calach Seems to have been the chief City of the Country called Calachene about the Fountain of the River Lycus Which Strabo often mentions Ver. 12. And Resen c. The fore-named great Man conjectures this to have been the City which Xenophon calls Larissa situate upon the Tigris Which Moses might well call a great City For so Xenophon says it was and describes the heighth of the Walls to have been an hundred Foot the breadth five and twenty and the compass of it eight Miles about The Greeks found it in Ruines and uninhabited when they came into those parts being destroyed by the Persians when they spoiled the Medes of their Empire And it is possible as Bochart goes on the Greeks asking whose City that was and the Assyrians answering Leresen i. e. Resen's adding as is usual le the Note of the Genitive Case they might thence call it Larissa Such a mistake he shows there is in the Vulgar Translation of the Bible which takes this Particle le for part of the Name For in 1 Chron. V. 26. where it is said the King of Assyria carried the Israelites to Halah the Vulgar says unto Lahelah Whereas it is certain from 2 Kings XVII 6. that it should be unto Halah or Helah However it is reasonable to think that these words this is a great City belongs to Resen not to Niniveh Whose greatness as well as Babylon's was very well known and therefore these words seem to be added to denote Resen to be a great deal bigger than the two before-named Rehoboth and Calah See Bochart L. IV. c. 23. They that think Nimrod setled his Kingdom in Babel before the Dispersion by confusion of their Languages imagine that he made this Expedition into Assyria where he built Niniveh and the rest of the Cities here mentioned after they were forced to leave off their vain-glorious building at Babel and to disperse themselves into other Countries Ver. 13. And Mizraim the second Son of Cham begat Ludim By whom we are to understand the Aethiopians as Bochart hath proved by many Arguments which I shall not mention and therefore understands by these words that the Aethiopians were a Colony of the Egyptians L. IV. Phaleg c. 26. For it appears by Diodorus that they were near of kin having many things common to both Nations which he reckons up and are sufficient to persuade those who consider them that they had the same Original The only difference among them being this which of them was of greatest Antiquity The Egyptians fansied they were the first of all Men and the Aethiopians pretended that they living more Southerly had a stronger Sun which contributed more efficaciously to natural Generation And that Egypt was a Country thrown up by the Mudd which Nilus left and so got out of the Sea But Moses hath determined this Controversie in these words and by the rest of his History Which shows that the first Men after the Flood came from the Mountains of Armenia which is in the North and consequently they went to the Southerly Countries by degrees through Assyria Babylon Syria and Egypt into Aethiopia And their discourse is ridiculous about the Original of Egypt unto which we see nothing added by the Nile in many Ages Anamim Our Broughton takes these to be the Numidians among whom he finds Anubis Others take them for the Anaitae in Aethiopia But these Anamims being derived from Mizraim we are rather to seek them about Egypt And the Opinion of Bochartus is probable that they are the Nomades who lived about Ammon and Nasamonitis and called Anamii from Anam which signifies a Sheep among the ancient Egyptians as it doth among the Arabians For the Nomades fed Sheep as Herodotus tells us and lived upon them whereas they abstained from eating Cows or Swine and their Garments also as he tells us were of Sheep-Skins Lehabim These are thought to be the Lybians but that being a Name which belongs to the greatest part of Africa it cannot be well thought that so great a Portion fell to this Son of Mizraim or that so many People were descended from him Therefore Bochart with great reason thinks the Lehabaei were not all the Lybians but those whom Ptolomy Pliny and others call Lybiaegyptii Because they lived next to Egypt on the West of Thebais in a sandy adust Soil burnt by excessive heat from whence he thinks they had the Name of Lehabim For Lehaba signifies both a Flame and Heat As in Joel I. 19. The flame lehaba in the Hebrew or scorching heat hath burnt all the trees of the field Naphtuhim These seem to be the People of Nephthuah and what that is we may learn from Plutarch Who in his Book De Iside Osiride says the Egyptians call the Country and the Mountains that lie upon the Sea Nephthun which may incline us to think that the Naphtuhim were those People that lived upon the shoar of the Mediterranean in Marmarica For the People upon the Red-Sea belonged to Arabia not to Egypt It is not improbable that from hence came the Name of Neptune who originally was a Lybian God and known to none but that People There was a City called Nepata by Pliny which Grotius thinks may explain this Name But it was in Aethiopia and Moses is speaking of the Sons of Mizraim Ver. 14. And Pathrusim Who were the Inhabitants it is likely of Patros Which was a part of Egypt though represented sometime in Scripture
as a Country distinct from it Just as Thebais is in some Authors said to be whereas it was the upper Egypt Bochart hath brought a great many Arguments to prove this Particularly from Ezekiel XXIX 14. which shows clearly that Pathros belongs to Egypt For the Prophet foretelling that God would bring again the Captivity of Egypt he saith he would cause them to return into the Land of Pathros into the Land of their Habitation or Nativity That is into Thebais which Nebuchadnezzar had principally afflicted carrying most of the Inhabitants of Thebes into Captivity This seems a more probable Account of the Pathrusim than theirs who take them to be the Pharusi as Grotius doth or Phautusii who were a People of Aethiopia Casluhim or Casluchim These were the Colchi who though they lived far from Egypt from whence they are said here to descend yet there are a great many Arguments that they had their Original from that Country For several ancient Authors say so as Herodotus Diodorus Strabo and Ammianus All of great Credit And there are many Reasons whereby Herodotus proves it as Bochart shows in his admirable Work often mentioned L. IV. Phaleg c. 31. they agreeing in so many things especially in their Manners and Language that one can scarce have any doubt of it These People were seated at the East-end of the Euxine Sea Out of whom came Philistim They were the off-spring of the People of Colchis as will appear in what follows And Caphtorim These were a People near to Colchis as appears from hence that the Philistim who are said here to come from Casluchim in other places are said to have come from Caphtor Jer. XLVII 4. Amos IX 7. And Moses himself relates how the Avims nigh to Gaza a famous City of the Philistim were driven out by the Caphtorim Deut. II. 23. All the Ancients therefore are in the right who take the Caphtorim for the Cappadocians Yet not all the Inhabitants of that Country part of which was possessed by other People as was said before but that part of Cappadocia which was next to Colchis viz. About Trapezund where Colchis ended For there we find the City called Side and the Country Sidene mentioned by Strabo Now Side in Greek as Bochart ingeniously observes signifies the same with Caphtor in Hebrew viz. Malum punicum And therefore in all likelihood the same Country was called by the Hebrews Caphtor and by the Greeks Sidene What invited the Caphtorim out of Egypt into this Country is hard to tell at this distance of time But Strabo thinks it was the Fame of the Gold wherewith this Country abounded And as this drew them thither so perhaps the coldness of the Country very much different from that wherein they were born or else their Neighbours the Scythians and Mesech and Tubal viz. the Moschi and Tibareni who dwelt near them and might be troublesome to them made them think of returning back again And in their way through Palestine they fell upon the Avim whom they dispossessed of their Country and setled there Deut. II. 23. by the Name of Philistim Ver. 15. And Canaan Now follows an Account of the Posterity of Ham's youngest Son Sidon Was his first-born Who was the Founder of the famous City called by his Name Sidon Which Trogus saith was so called from plenty of Fish on that Coast And so the present Name of it Said signifies Fishing or Fishery As the Town in Galilee called Bethsaida is as much as the place of Fishing For that Sea upon which it lies the Hebrews say abounded with Fish However the Sidonians came from this Son of Canaan and some of them if he did not found it himself called the City by this Name in memory of him It was far more ancient and famous than Tyre For we read of it in the Books of Moses and Joshua and the Judges But nothing of Tyre till the Days of David Nor doth Homer mention Tyre though he speaks of Sidon and the Sidonians in many places Heth. His second Son was the Father of the Hittites or the Children of Heth often mentioned in Scripture Who dwelt about Hebron and Beersheba in the South of the Land of Canaan They were a very Warlike People and struck a Terror into their Neighbours From whence the word Hittha seems to be derived which signifies fright and sudden Consternation such as came upon the Syrians when they thought the Kings of the Hittites were coming against them 2 Kings VII 6. This was the Country of the Anakims For from Arba who was an Hittite descended Anak and from him those three Giants Ahiman Sheshai and Talmai and the rest of the Anakims Numb XIII 22 33. Josh XV. 13 14. Ver. 16. The Jebusite This People who were situated near to the former descended from Jebus the third Son of Canaan And were a very Warlike People also for they kept Jerusalem and the Fortress of Zion to the times of David notwithstanding all the Power of the Benjamites And when David besieged it they mock'd at his Attempt 2 Sam V. 8. And the Emorite They came from Emor the fourth Son of Canaan and are commonly called Amorites Who possessed the Mountainous parts of Judaea and many of them passed over Jordan and making War upon the Moabites and Ammonites seized upon Bashan and Heshbon and all the Country between the Rivers of Jabbok and Arnon Numb XIII 29. Josh V. 1. In memory of which Victory some Canaanite Poet made a Triumphing Song which Moses hath recorded Numb XXI 27. What a mighty People these were we learn from Amos II. 9. Gergasite There was a Remnant of this People about Gerasa or Gadara beyond Jordan in our Saviour's time Matth. VIII 28. Mark V. 1. Luke VIII 26. And they were called perhaps by this Name from the fat clayie Soil of the Country where they lived for garges in Hebrew is white Clay Ver. 17. And the Hivite or Hevite They lived in and about Mount Hermon as we read Josh XI 3. which being toward the East of the Land of Canaan they are call'd Radmonites i. e. Orientals or Easterlings Gen. XV. 19. The Gibeonites and Sichemites were Colonies from them Josh XI 19. Gen. XXXIV 2. who dwelt more Westward The former of them Neighbours to Jerusalem and the latter to Samaria Arkite This People Bochart thinks inhabited Mount Libanus where Ptolomy and Josephus mention a City called Arca or Arce In which he thinks was the Temple Veneris Architidis worshipped by the Phoenicians as Macrobius tells us L. I. Saturn c. 27. Pliny also Mentions Arca among the Cities of the Decapolitan Syria and saith it was one of those which had a Royal Jurisdiction under the Name of a Tetrarchy as Salmasius observes in his Exerc. in Solin p. 576. Sinite St. Hierom saith that not far from Arca there was a City called Sin where we may suppose these People to have dwelt But Bochart rather by the Sinites understands the Peleusiots whose City was called
from whom came the Hebrew Nation as was said before Verse 21. Abraham being descended from him in the Sixth Generation All other derivations of the Name of Hebrew have great Objections lie against them but this hath none that I can see and is most agreeable to the Grammar of that Language in which all such Names ending in Jod as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth are noted to come either from a Place or Country or People or Author Therefore since there is no Country or Place from which the Name of Hebrew can be derived it is most reasonable to deduce it from the Author of this People Heber And it is authorized by that Speech of Balaam Numb XXIV 24. Where as by Ashur is meant the Assyrians so by Heber in all reason we are to understand the Hebrews Ver. 25. Peleg Either he or some of his Posterity in memory of him it is not unlikely gave Name to a Town upon Euphrates called Phalga not far from the place where the River Chaboras runs into it Upon which Charrah stood built by Charan the Brother of Abraham For in his Days was the Earth divided The great Dispersion which we read of in the following Chapter fell out just when he was born which made his Father call him by this Name signifying Division and Separation Which it appears by the Account given of his Ancestors XI from verse 10 to 16. hapned in the Hundred and first Year after the Flood In that Year the Tower of Babel and their Language were confounded upon which necessarily followed the Separation here mentioned The Age that preceeded from the Deluge to this Division is called by the ancient Poets the Golden Age as Bochart observes L. I. Phaleg c. 9. because the Earth not being divided they enjoyed all things in common And Noah whom they called Saturn governing them not as Kings do their Subjects but as Parents their Children not so much with Fear and Dread as with Love and Reverence to his fatherly Authority it made the World so happy as it hath not been since Joktan or Jektan The Brother of Peleg had a numerous Offspring of thirteen Sons all seated in the inmost parts of Arabia Foelix So the Arabians it is certain derive their own Original Who in this may as well be credited as the Europaeans who derive themselves from Japetus or Japhet and the Africans from Cham or Hammon They call him Cahtan as our Mr. Pocock as well as others observes by which Name the Arabick Paraphrast upon this place explains that of Jektan And this Cahtan they say expresly was the Son of Eber the Son of Salah c. From whence the Name of Catanitae a People in Arabia Foelix mention'd by Ptolomy and a City in the Territory of Mecha still retains the very Name of Jektan being called Baisath-Jektan i. e. the Seat or Habitation of Jektan in the Arabian Geographer See Mr. Pocock's Notes upon Abul-Farajus concerning the Original of the Arabians p. 38 39. Ver. 26. Almodad The eldest Son of Joktan seems to have given Name to the People whom Ptolomy calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the middle of Arabia Foelix near the Original of the River Lar which runs into the Persian Gulph The Greeks who knew little of this People who lived a great way from the Sea might easily mispronounce their Name calling them Allumaeotae instead of Almodaei Sheleph or Saleph Was it is likely the Father of the Salapeni For such a People there were mentioned by Ptolomy who calls them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who were remote from the rest about the Neck of Arabia not far from the Spring of the River Betius Hatzermaveth Though the Arabians write this Name with the very same Letters yet it sounds among them thus Hadramuth or Chadramuth Which the Greeks pronounce divers ways because of the ambiguous sound of the two Letters Tzadi and Cheth For sometimes he is called Asarmoth sometimes without an A. Sarmoth and Armoth and Atermoth as Bochartus hath observed Who thinks the Country called Chatramitis or Atramitis Chatramotis or Atramotis to have been peopled by the Children of this Hadramuth as the Arabians pronounce this Name Hatazmaveth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Salmasius shows is the Name of a City or Place and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of a People or Nation Exercit. in Solin p. 489. And the same People he observes p. 490. are called by Artemidorus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whose Country was that part of Arabia which abounded with Frankincense Myrrh Cassia and Cinnamon as Theophrastus tells us And Strabo calls them as he there notes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Vranius in Stephanus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So differently was this hard Word pronounced Who were so famous that Eustathius Antioch Eusebius and others make this Hatzermaveth the Father of the Arabians and Epiphanius derives their Language from him which they as was said before derive from Jektan himself looking upon the Dialect of Chadramitis as barbarous See Bochartus L. II. Phaleg c. 16. where he observes that Hatzermaveth in Hebrew signifies the Entrance of Death and Hadhramauth in Arabick the Region of Death Because the Air of that Country was very thick and foggy and consequently unwholsom as Arrianus relates who saith that the Frankincense and Myrrh were therefore gathered only by the King's Slaves and by condemned Persons Jerah or Jerach From whom came the People called Jerachaei who lived near the Red-Sea called by Agatharcides and others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Alilaei Which is the very same in Arabick with the other in Hebrew For Hilal is the Moon in that Language as Jerach is in Hebrew And the Nubiensian Geographer mentions a People about Mecha who at this day are called Bene-hilal the Children of Jerach as the Hebrews would have expressed it It seems they are come more towards the East when anciently they dwelt in the South Ptolomy mentions also an Island upon the Coast of the Alilaei which he calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But it doth not signifie the Isle of Hawks as the Greeks fansied who imagined all these old words to come from their Tongue but of the Jerachaei Ver. 27. Hadoram He seems to have fixed his Seat in the utmost Corner of Arabia towards the East where there was a People whom Pliny calls Drimati A Name easily made from Hadoramus And the extream Promontory of that Country is called by the Greeks Corodamon by transposing the Letters D and R from Hadoramus I can find nothing more likely than this Conjecture of that great Man Bochartus who hath out-done all that went before him in this Argument L. II. Phaleg c. 20. Vzal Abraham Zachut as he also observes says the Jews who in his time dwelt there called the chief City of Aljeman by the Name of Vzal Now the Kingdom of Aljeman or Jeman is the South-part of Arabia Foelix As the very Name of Jeman imports which signifies both the Right-hand and the South Diklah Both in the Chaldee and
Syriack Language Dicla signifies a Palm or a Grove of Palms Which led Bochartus to conclude that the Minaei a People of Arabia Foelix whose Country abounds with such Trees were the Posterity of this Diklah Both Pliny and Strabo mention them And this is far more probable than the Conjecture of Ludovicus Capellus That the Country of Dangala in Aethiopia near Egypt might have its Name from this Man For that is too remote from the rest of this Man's Posterity And so is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mentioned as he observes by Herodotus Chronolog Sacra p. 108. Ver. 28. And Obal Which in the Arabick pronunciation is Aubal as Cocab a Star in Hebrew is in Arabick Caucab c. The Posterity of this Aubal or Obal Bochart thinks passed over the Streights of the Sinus Arabicus out of Arabia Foelix into Arabia Troglodytica where we meet with this Name in the Sinus Abalites which others call Analites and in a great trading Town called by Arrianus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in a People who lived in that Sinus called by Ptolomy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I believe it should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from this Obal Abimael Which the Arabians pronounce Abimâl i. e. the Father of Mali or the Malitae a People in Arabia next to the Minaei before-mentioned Theophrastus saith Mali is the Metropolis of a Country in Arabia the Spicy From whence the People called Malitae whom Ptolomy calls Manitae by an usual change of the Letter L into N as Nabonidus is the same with Labonidus c. And it is probable that Mali is the contraction of Abimali Nothing being more common than in compound Names to omit the first part As Sittim Numb XXV 1. for Abel-Sittim XXX 49. Hermon very often for Baal-Hermon Judg. III. 3. Nimrim for Beth-Nimrim and Salem for Jerusalem Sheba From whom came the Sabaeans who sometimes comprehend a great many People but here are to be taken strictly for those upon the Red-Sea between the Minaei and the Catabanes Whose Metropolis which stood upon an high Mountain full of Trees is called by ancient Authors Saba and Sabai Sabo and Sabas as Salmasius shows out of Stephanus Agatharcides and others who say that this City was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 much the fairest of all in Arabia Excerc in Solin p. 491 492 c. In latter times this Name was changed into Mariaba the ancient Name being lost as the same Salmasius there observes p. 497 1118. Which Pliny saith signifies as much as Dominos omnium the Lords of all For from Rabba to rule comes Marab which signifies in their Language as Bochart observes the Seat of those that Rule That is the Royal City where their Kings lived The Nubiensian Geographer saith the Queen of Sheba came from hence to hear the Wisdom of Solomon Ver. 29. And Ophir Which the Arabians pronounce Auphir signifying abundance Gold being found there in such plenty that they exchanged it for Brass and Iron giving a double or triple proportion of Gold for them Bochart thinks he gave the Name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to an Island in the Red-Sea mentioned by Eupolemus in Eusebius And observes that there were two Ophirs one belonging to India whither Solomon's Ships went once in three Years which he takes for Taprobana now Zeilan and the other belonging to Arabia where the Posterity of this Ophir here mentioned setled Whose Country he takes to have been near to the Sabaeans their Brethren which Stephanus and Ptolomy call Cassanitis The same in sence with Ophir for Chosan is a Treasure which the Arabians write Chazan from which comes the word Gaza for abundance of Riches Havilah or Chavilah See Verse 7. where we had this Name before among the Sons of Cush from whom the Havilah here spoken of is very different Giving Name it is probable to the Country which the Nubiensian Geographer calls Chaulan And says it was a part of Arabia Foelix nigh also to the Sabaeans which he accurately describes See Phaleg L. II. cap. 28. Jobab The Father of the Jobabites near to the Sachalites as Ptolomy expresly says if instead of Jobaritae in him we read Jobabitae as Bochartus corrects the Passage with great Reason And thinks also the Reason of this Name to be plain For Jebab in Arabick signifies a Desart And there are many such in the Country of the Jobabites above the Sinus of Sachalites Ver. 30. And their dwelling was from Mesha c. This Conclusion confirms what hath been said that all the thirteen Sons of Joktan were seated in Arabia Foelix except Obal who went it's likely after Moses's time over into Abalites the Passage being short cross that streight before-mentioned Verse 28. which was not above four or five Miles broad For Arabia Foelix lies between the Red-Sea and the Persian Gulph Now Mesa or Musa or Muza was a famous Port-Town in the Red-Sea which the Egyptians and Aethiopians frequented in their way to the Country of the Sapharites in the East from whom they brought Myrrh Frankincense and such like things Ptolomy's Tables plainly snow this That from Musa the Sapharitae lay directly Eastward and Saphar was the Metropolis of the Country at the foot of the Mountain Climax Which anciently it 's likely was called Saphar from the City at the bottom of it And thus we are to understand Moses when he says here that Sepher was a Mountain of the East not Eastward from Judaea but from Mesha which was in the West See Bochart L. II. Phaleg c. 30. where he observes that the Arabick Paraphrast of the Paris Edition takes Mesha to be Meccha and instead of from Mesha to Sephar saith from Meccha to Medina Which is nearer Truth than their Opinion who place the Children of Joktan about Cophetes upon the Coast of India But he shows that some of the Children of Cush setled between Meccha and Medina And it sufficiently appears that Joktan's Children dwelt in the inmost part of Arabia Foelix and are the Genuine Arabians Ver. 31. This is explained Verse 5. Ver. 32. By these were the Nations divided after the Flood They and their Descendants shared the whole Earth among them as it is said expresly IX 18. Of them was the whole Earth overspread But according to the foregoing Account we find only three parts of the Earth Europe Asia and Africa possessed by the three Sons of Noah and their Children Which hath made some so bold as to say there were other People in America who were not drown'd by the Flood And one of their Reasons why it was not peopled from any of the other three parts of the Earth is that we can give no Account how Lions Bears Wolves Foxes and such-like Creatures should get thither For none sure would carry them by Shipping though Men themselves might by that means pass over into those Regions But this difficulty is not so great as they make it For it is manifest That though the
Continent of America was found full of such Beasts when the Spaniards first came thither yet none of the Islands though very large which lay remote from the Land had any Lions Tygers or such-like Creatures in them Which is a demonstration that these Creatures were not originally from that part of the Earth for then the Islands would have been furnished with them as well as the Continent just as they are with all sorts of Vegetables And consequently the Continent it self was stored with these Creatures from some other part of the Earth Which might be done by some Neck of Land not yet discovered which joyns some part of Europe or Asia to the Continent of America Or if there be no such Neck of Land now extant yet there may have been such a Bridge as we may call it between the Northern parts of Asia or Europe and some Northern part of America or between the South-East part of China or the Philippine Islands and the Southern Continent of that other part of this World Though now broken of as many suppose England to have been from France by the violence of the Sea or by Earthquakes which have made great alterations in the Earth And truly he that observes as that great Man the Lord Chief Justice Hales speaks in his Book of the Origin of Mankind § II. c. 7. the infinite number of Islands lying between the Continent of China and Nova Guinea the most contiguous to each other hath probable reasons to believe that these were all formerly one Continent joyning China and Nova Guinea together Though now by the irruption of the Sea crumbled into many small Islands CHAP. XI Ver. 1. AND all the Earth i. e. The Inhabitants of the Earth as 1 Kings X. 24. all the Earth is explained 2 Chron. IX 23. all the Kings of the Earth Were of one Language In the Hebrew of one Lip which is one Instrument of Speech comprehending the rest Their Mouth found the same words So it follows And of one Speech Or Word as the Hebrew hath it Some distinguish these two so subtilly as to say they had not only the same Language but the same manner of pronunciation which is often very different in the same Language The Heathens themselves acknowledge there was but one Language anciently see Josephus and out of him Eusebius L. IX Praep. Evang. c. 14 15. which in all likelihood was the same that had been from the Beginning which Adam himself spake For Methuselah the Grand-Father of Noah lived some time with him and spake we may well suppose the same Language that he did And we cannot but think the same of Noah Who propagated it among his Posterity till this time But whether this was the Hebrew or no we cannot be certain The Chaldee Paraphrasts and the Hebrew Writers generally say it was and most Christian Writers have been of their Opinion In so much that R. Gedalian upon these words saith The wise Men among the Christians have searched what was the first Tongue and all the World confesses that from Adam to the Flood they spake the Holy Language Which it is not to be thought we have now intire and pure but that a considerable part of it still remains in the Bible As may be proved by no contemptible Arguments particularly this that Shem the Son of Noah was for some time contemporary with Abraham who descended from him and in whose Family continued the same Language which they both spake unto Moses his days They that have fansied there were more Languages than one at this time grounded their mistake upon those words Gen. X. 5 20 31. where the Sons of Noah are said to have had the Earth divided among them according to their Tongues Not considering that he speaks of this very Division of which he is going to give an account and briefly mentioned there verse 25. For the thirteen Sons of Joktan immediately after mentioned who had their share in the division were not in being when their Uncle Peleg was born as the most learned Primate Vsher hath demonstrated in his Annals A. M. 1757. Ver. 2. As they journeyed from the East He doth not speak of all the Posterity of Noah who after the Flood planted in the East much less Noah himself But of a great Colony of them who when the East was much peopled chose to go Westward By the East most understand Armenia where they suppose the Ark rested and Noah with his Sons planted But this hath great difficulty in it for the Mountains of Armenia lay North of Shinar or Assyria and not East Which Bochart solves in this manner Assyria being divided into two parts one on this side the other on the further side of Tigris they called all that part beyond Tigris the East Country though a great part of it towards Armenia was really Northward and that part on this side they called West though some of it lay to the South L. I. Phaleg c. 7. But there is no need of the help of this solution the Mountains of Ararat running a long way Eastward From which when Noah and his Sons descended they setled it's likely in Countries which were very much Eastward of Assyria They found a plain They continued to dwell in the Mountainous Countries of the East where the Ark rested till they grew very numerous and wanted room and then descended into the Plain and some of them went Westwardly into the Land of Shinar that pleasant Plain as Mr. Mede fansies where God at the Beginning had placed the first Father of Mankind Adam Shinar By this Name we are to understand not only that part of Assyria where Babylon stood but all that Country which bordered upon Tigris unto the Mountains of Armenia from whence Noah and his Sons are supposed to have descended when the Earth was dry and not to have gone far from thence at first till they were multiplied and then some of them came into this Country which Noah had inhabited before the Flood Thus Bochart in the place before-named But there is no certainty the Ark rested in Armenia it might be further Eastward upon some other part of that long Ridge of Mountains called Ararat From whence they descended when the Earth was dry and dwelt in the lower Grounds which were warmer and more fruitful than the Mountains But that from the East Mankind were propagated is apparent from the increase of Arts and Sciences which as Dr. Jackson observes Book I. c. 16. were in some measure perfected there in Times as ancient as any prophane History can point us unto and thence derived as from a Center to more remote parts of the World the ripeness of Literature civil Discipline and Arts among the Eastern People before they did so much as bud forth in Greece or Italy I may add Egypt either is a demonstration that these were the Stock and the other but Slips or Branches transplanted from thence Nay the State and Grandure of those Eastern Countries
a division of the Earth among his Posterity for it was a deliberate business as I noted upon X. 5. these People had no mind to submit unto it and therefore built this Fortress to defend themselves in their Resolution of not yielding to his design Thus the most learned Vsher ad A. M. 1757. But what they dreaded they brought upon themselves by their own vain attempt to avoid it And now there is no memory preserved of the Names of those that conspired in this attempt Thus what Solomon saith was long before verified Prov. X. 24. The fear of the Wicked shall come upon him But this evil by God's providence was attended with a great Good For by this dispersion the whole Earth was peopled and the foundation laid of several great Nations and Kingdoms Ver. 5. And the LORD came down to see c. This is an accommodation to our conceptions and means no more but that by the Effects he made it appear that he observed their Motions and knew their Intentions Which the Children of Men builded It is generally agreed that Children of Men in Scripture is opposed to Children of God As bad Men and Infidels are to the good and the Faithful Which gives us to understand that neither Noah nor Shem nor Arphaxad Salah or Heber were engaged in this Work But some of the worser sort of People who degenerated from the Piety of their Ancestors It is probable some of the Race of Ham who it's likely carried much of the Spirit of Cain with him into the Ark Otherwise he could not have behaved himself so vilely towards his Father after they came out of it For that terrible Judgment it seems had not reformed him and then it is no wonder if he grew more wicked after it was over Josephus and others take Nimrod his Grandchild to have been the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as his Word is Ring-leader of this Crew who combined in this design But I take it to be more probable that he came and setled here after the Dispersion For there being not much above an Hundred Years between the Flood and this time it is not likely such a great Kingdom could be erected in that space as we read of Gen. X. 10. And therefore he grew so great after this Dispersion when he came out of Arabia or some neighbouring Country and setled here in Babel Which was called by this Name upon occasion of the Confusion of Languages and had it not before Which is an Argument that what we read X. 10 11. must be understood to have hapned after this time But if all this be true that some of Cham's Race began this design which other bad People were too much disposed to follow and that they who retained the true Religion from whom Abraham descended were not of the number it is credible that they escaped the punishment here mentioned in the next Verses retaining still their ancient Seat and the ancient Language also which continued in the Family of Heber and was called Hebrew Ver. 6. And the LORD said c. This Verse only expresses a Resolution to spoil their Project and the necessity of so doing Ver. 7. Let us The Rabbins fansie this is spoken to the Angels But it is beyond the Angelical Power to alter Mens Minds so in a moment that they shall not be able to understand what they did before Therefore God spake to himself And this Phrase suggests to us more Persons than One in the Godhead In short none but He who taught Men at first to speak could in an Instant make that variety of Speech which is described in the next Words Novatianus therefore anciently took it that this was spoken by God to his Son Confound their Language The Word Confound is to be mark'd For God did not make every one speak a new different Language but they had such a confused remembrance of the Original Language which they spake before as made them speak it very differently So that by the various Inflections and Terminations and Pronunciations of divers Dialects they could no more understand one another than they who understand Latin can understand those who speak French Italian or Spanish though these Languages arise out of it And yet it is not to be thought there were as many several Dialects as there were Men so that none of them understood another For this would not meerly have dispersed Mankind but destroyed them It being impossible to live without Society or to have Society without understanding one another For if the Father could not have understood the Son nor the Husband his Wife there could have been no comfort in living together Therefore it is likely that every Family had its peculiar Dialect or rather the same common Dialect or way of speaking was given to those Families whom God would have to make one Colony in the following Dispersion Unto which Dispersion they were constrained by their not being able to have such familiarity as they had before with every body but only with those who understood their particular Speech Into how many Languages they were divided none can determine The Hebrews fansie into LXX which Opinion hath much prevailed Being grounded upon the foregoing Chapter where the Descendants from the Sons of Noah are just so many The Greek Fathers make them LXXII because the Greek Version adds two more Elisa among the Sons of Japhet and Cainan among the Sons of Shem and the Latin Fathers follow them But this is a very weak Foundation it being apparent that many of the Sons of Canaan used the very same Language in their Country and so did Javan and Elishah in Greece And in other places so many concurred in the Use of the same Speech that scarce Thirty remains of the Seventy to be distinct as Bochart hath observed See Selden L. II. de Synedr cap. 9. Sect. III. Ver. 8. So the LORD scattered them Broke their combination by making them speak several Languages which cut off the common bond of one Society For as the Vnity of one common Language to use the Words of Mr. Mede p. 362. had knit all Mankind into one community So God in his Wisdom saw that plurality of Languages was the best means to force them into a plurality of Societies Abroad from thence Into all the Regions of the North South and West The East being inhabited before by Noah and such of his Offspring as abode with him Which is not to be understood as if they were immediately scattered into the remotest places from Babel But first into the neighbouring Countries and by degrees into those which were further off according as their Families increased How long this Dispersion hapned after the Flood cannot be certainly determined But we can demonstrate it was not much above 100 Years For Peleg in whose days this came to pass X. 25. was born but an Hundred and one Years after As was observed before upon that place Now some think this division was made
Gift of the King besides those he had of his own before Ver. 17. And he plagued Pharaoh c. Some of the Hebrews think they had grievous Ulcers in the Secret Parts which made both him and his Servants uncapable to enjoy either her or any one else His House His Courtiers partake of the Punishment because they were Partners in the intended Sin Ver. 18. Why didst thou not tell me c. Some think he speaks this subtilly to Abram to see what he would say not knowing yet that she was his Wife Or that his Priests and wise Men had consulted the Oracles about the Cause of their Plagues But the simplest Account is That Sarai being interrogated about it confessed the whole Truth Whereupon he expostulated thus with Abram who being silent he took it for granted that indeed she was his Wife Ver. 19. Now therefore behold thy Wife c. He disclaims all Intention of abusing another Man's Wife so Vertuous they were in those days but would have made her his own as he saith in the foregoing words I might have taken her to me to Wife that is a secondary Wife as the manner was in those days for it is not likely he had no Wife at all before Ver. 20. Pharaoh commanded his Men concerning him c. Gave strict Orders none should hurt him or any thing belonging to him But conduct him safely whether he had a mind to go And accordingly the next words tell us they did They sent him away c. Not with Violence but gave him a safe Conduct Sending him away perhaps with a Guard for his Security Such was the Generosity of the Egyptian Princes in those times CHAP. XIII Ver. 1. INto the South Into the Southern part of Canaan where he had been before XII 9. Ver. 2. Very rich c. His Riches were increased since he went into Egypt by the Bounty of Pharaoh XII 16. And if we could believe Josephus L. I. Antiq. c. 8. by the Rewards he had for teaching them several Pieces of Learning which he brought out of Chaldaea The Author of Schalsch Hakkab quotes Eusebius his Praepar Evang. L. IX c. 4. to prove this And indeed I find Eusebius quoting Josephus in the XVI Chapter of that Book who says he taught Arithmetick and Astrology of which the Egyptians were ignorant before And in the XVIIth Chapter Eupolemus who says that Abram was familiarly conversant with the Egyptian Priests at Heliopolis when he went thither by reason of the Famine in Canaan and taught them many things particularly the Coelestial Sciences which he calls Astrology i. e. the knowledge of the Stars Ver. 3. Vnto Bethel c. Which was the second Place wherein he dwelt after his first entrance into Canaan XII 8. Ver. 4. Vnto the place of the Altar c. This seems to intimate that the Altar it self was either faln or thrown down Some think demolished by Abram himself when he left the place others by the Canaanites when he was gone And there Abram called on the Name of the LORD Commended himself and all he had to God's Protection Who had promised to bestow this Country upon him Perhaps he built the Altar again and offered Sacrifice thereon Ver. 5. And Lot also c. God had blessed him likewise as a faithful Companion of Abraham in his Travels and partaker also of his Faith Ver. 6. The Land was not able to bear them c. There was not sufficient Pasturage for them both in that part of the Country Ver. 7. And there was a strife c. Wealth commonly breeds Contentions Yet here was no difference between the Masters but between their Servants Each endeavouring to get the best Pastures and the best watering places for their Flocks And the Canaanite and the Perizzite c. This part of the Country was inhabited by the People peculiarly called Canaanites and by the Perizzites a very rugged and barbarous Nation See XV. 20. among whom Contention would have been dangerous at least very scandalous Ver. 8. Abram said to Lot The best the wisest and Men of greatest Experience in the World are most inclined to Peace and most yielding in order to it Let there be no strife between me and thee There had been none yet but their Servants Quarrel might have proved theirs at last And between my herds-men c. And here signifies or As XIX 12. Exod. XII 5. For we are Brethren Near Kinsmen whom the Hebrews call Brethren Ver. 9. Is not the Land before thee c. J There is room enough though not here yet in other parts of the Country Now since we cannot remain together take thy choice which way thou wilt go c. A wonderful Condescention in Abram to let the younger and least in Estate please himself And he did not desire Lot to leave the Country but only to settle himself in what part of it he liked best that he might be near to help him as he did afterwards Ver. 10. Beheld all the Plain of Jordan c. A fruitful and pleasant Country well watered by the Streams of Jordan Which in many windings and turnings run through it and at some times overflowed it which made the Ground very rich And therefore Moses compares this Plain to the Garden of Eden as most understand those words the Garden of the LORD which was well watered by a River running through it And to the Land of Egypt which is fatned by the overflowing of Nile as this was by the overflowing of Jordan As thou comest to Zoar. These words are not to be referred to the Land of Egypt immediately foregoing from which Zoar was at a great distance but to those words in the beginning a Plain well watered every where even to the utmost Skirts of it which was Zoar. Ver. 11. And Lot chose him all the Plain of Jordan He was invited by the richness of the Soil without regard to the Manners of the People Which proved afterwards a great Affliction to him And Lot journeyed East For the Plain of Jordan lay East from Bethel where they now were Ver. 12. And Abram dwelt in the Land of Canaan c. In that part of the Country where the People peculiarly called Canaanites Verse 7. and XII 6. were seated Otherwise if the Land of Canaan be taken largely the Plain of Jordan was also a part of it Ver. 13. The Men of Sodom were wicked c. Their Sins were grown ripe for Punishment having been brought as it were before the LORD and sentenced at his Tribunal to the Judgment which shortly after befell them Ver. 14. And the LORD said unto Abram c. It is likely the LORD appeared again to him as he had done formerly XII 7. after Lot was separated from him Both to comfort him in his absence by renewing his Promise in larger words and to assure him that his Posterity not Lot's should inherit this Country Lift up thine Eyes c. He dwelt now it is likely upon
heinous Iniquities were abominable Idolatries Cruelty beastly Filthiness to a prodigious excess Levit. XVIII 22 23 c. See Theodoret upon Psalm CV 44. and P. Fagius upon Levit. V. 1. But in Abram's time their Iniquity was not full i. e. There were several good Men still remaining among them as Mamre Eshcol and Aner seem to have been who were confederate with Abram and Melchizedek certainly was who being Priest of the most high God had some People sure worshipped together with him And therefore God staid till there was an universal Corruption and they were all ripe for Destruction For we read of none but Rahab whose Faith saved her and her Family when the time of their Destruction came Ver. 17. Behold a smoking Furnace If the great horror Verse 12 represented the extream Misery of the Children of Israel in Egypt Then this seems to signifie God's Vengeance upon the Egyptians for oppressing them in the Furnaces wherein they wrought Exod. IX 8. A burning Lamp or a Lamp of Fire i. e. The Schechinah or Divine Majesty appeared in great Splendor so Maimonides rightly explains it P. I. More Nev. cap. 21. like to a flaming Fire So it appeared to Moses when God came to deliver them from the Egyptian Bondage Exod. III. 2 6 c. Passed between the pieces In Token as it follows verse 18. that he entred into a Covenant with Abram and with his Posterity For passing between the pieces he consumed them as St. Chrysostom rightly understands it and thereby testified his Acceptance of the Sacrifices which Abram offered I noted before that there is no such Rite we read of any where in Scripture but in Jeremiah of making a Covenant in this manner But there are those who think they find this Custom in other Nations For if Dictys Cretensis do not Lye after the manner of the Cretians as Bochart speaks both the Greeks and Trojans from the time of Homer did make Covenants in this fashion Certain it is the Boeotians and Macedonians passed on some occasions through the parts of a Beast dissected But it was for Lustration not for Covenanting as the same Bochart observes P. I. Hierozoic L. II. cap. 46. Ver. 18. Vnto thy Seed will I give this Land c. Here is the utmost extent of the Donation made to Abram Which began to be fulfilled in David 2 Sam. VIII 3 c. for till then they did not inlarge their Borders as far as Euphrates The River of Egypt So Nile is commonly called but cannot be here meant because the Israelites never enjoyed all the Land of Egypt on this side Nile Therefore we are to understand by it that little River which came out of that Branch of Nile called Pelusiacum Brachium From whence a small River not Navigable ran toward Judaea falling into the Egyptian or Phoenician Sea For this River was the Bounds of Palestine and is mentioned by Strabo and others whom G. Vossius cites L. II. De Idolol c. 74. It is called Amos VI. 14. the River of the Wilderness because it run through the Wilderness which is between Egypt and Palestine into the Sea Ver. 19. The Kenites and Kenizzites These are put into the Number of the Nations whose Country God gave to Abram but whether they were descended from any of the Sons of Canaan we cannot tell Nor are we certain where they dwelt Only Eustathius Bishop of Antioch says the Kenites dwelt about Libanus and Amanus And the Kenizzites it 's likely were their Neighbours But the Names of these People were quite extinct between the times of Abram and Moses for we find no mention of them by Joshua in the Division of the Land of Canaan nor in the Account he gives of the Nations he conquered We read indeed of the Kenezites Numb XXXII 12. Josh XIV 6 14. but they were of the Children of Israel And of the Kenites Judg. I. 16. IV. 11 17. but they descended from the Father-in-law of Moses And therefore those whom Moses here speaks of it is probable lost their Name being incorporated into some of the seven Nations who inhabited this Country when Joshua subdued it The Kadmonites These are no where else mentioned But are thought by Bochartus to be the same with the Hivites Who living about Mount Hermon toward the East of the Land of Canaan were thence called Kadmonites i. e. Orientals See X. 17. Ver. 20. Hittites See X. 15. Perizzites They were a People inhabiting the Mountainous and woody Country of Canaan as appears from Josh XI 3. XVII 13. From whence we may gather they were a wild sort of People who lived far from Cities in little Villages and thence perhaps had their Name For Pherazoth in Hebrew signifies Pagi Villages But from which of the Sons of Canaan they descended there is not the least signification in Holy Scripture Rephaim They dwelt in Bashan and perhaps in other Countries thereabouts See XIV 5. Ver. 21. Amorites These were the mightiest People in the Land of Canaan See X. 16. Canaanites These were some of the Posterity of Canaan who peculiarly inherited his Name living upon the Sea-Coast and upon the Banks of Jordan Num. XIII 30. Deut. I. 7. XI 30. And it is a reasonable Conjecture That they sprang from such of Canaan's Sons as had for a time the greatest Power and Authority in that Country And therefore had the Prerogative of being called by his Name Or else they were so called because they were Merchants and great Traders by Sea For so the word is used in Scripture Gergasite See X. 16. Jebusite See there also CHAP. XVI Ver. 1. SArai bare him no Child Still the fulfilling of God's Promise was deferred for the greater trial of Abram's Faith Which now had held out ten Years Verse 3. without seeing any Fruit of it She had an handmaid an Egyptian An Egyptian by Nation but a Proselyte to the true Religion St. Chrysostom thinks Pharaoh bestowed her upon Sarai when he took her into his House or when he sent her away XII 15 20. Which he learnt from the Jews who say the same as may be seen in Pirke Elieser c. 26. who says also as R. Solomon Jarchi doth that she was Pharaoh's Daughter by his Concubine But it is more likely she was such a Servant to Sarai as Eliezer was to Abram born in his House of an Egyptian as he was of a Syrian Woman Ver. 2. And Sarai said unto Abram c. It is likely he having acquainted her with the Promise she grew impatient to have it fulfilled some way or other Go in unto my Maid i. e. Take her to Wife Verse 3. It may be I may obtain Children by her Being born of her Bond-slave they would be Sarai's Children according to the Custom of those Times XXX 3. Exod. XXI 4. And Abram hearkned to the Voice of Sarai Thinking perhaps that God might fulfil his Promise this way because he had only told him he should have Seed but had not as
yet said by Sarai Ver. 3. Gave her to her Husband Abram to be his Wife A secondary Wife which was a Liberty they took in those days who was not to be Mistress of the House but only to bear Children for the increase of the Family Now I can see no good Reason why Sarai her self should persuade her Husband contrary to the Inclination of all Women to take another Wife which she her self also gave him but only the eager desire she was possessed withal of having the promised Seed Which gives a good Account also of Jacob's Wives contending so earnestly as they did for his Company Ver. 4. Her Mistress was despised in her Eyes Hagar began to take upon her as if she had been Mistress of the House at least much more favoured by God who had made her Fruitful Which was accounted a great Blessing and Honour in those days especially in a Family that had no Heir Ver. 5. My wrong be upon thee Thou art the cause of this Injury or these Affronts which I suffer by being too indulgent to my Maid and not repressing her Insolence Or it is incumbent on thee to see me redressed of the Wrong that is done me See Lud. de Dieu The Lord judge between me and thee Sometimes this Phrase signifies an Appeal to God as the Avenger of Wrongs But here it seems only to denote her committing the Equity of her Cause to the Judgment of God Ver. 6. Behold thy Maid is in thy hand Is subject unto thee Do with her as pleases thee Use her as thy Maid and not as my Wife And when Sarai dealt hardly with her Beat her perhaps or imposed on her too much or too servile Labour She fled from her Face Run away to avoid her cruel usage Ver. 7. And the Angel of the LORD c. This is the first time that we read of the appearance of an Angel By whom Maimonides will scarce allow us to understand more than a Messenger More Nevoch P. II. c. 42. But some Christians go so far into the other extream as to understand hereby the Eternal ΛΟΓΟΣ or Son of God It seems to me more reasonable to think that though the Schechinah or Divine Majesty did not appear to her as it had often done to Abram Yet one of the heavenly Ministers who were Attendants upon it and made a part of its Glory was sent to stop her Proceedings And a great Favour it was that the LORD would dispatch such a Messenger after her Who was sufficient to do the business In the way to Shur She was flying into Egypt her own Country upon which the Wilderness of Shur bordered and only rested a while at this Fountain to refresh her self Ver. 8. And he said Hagar Sarai's Maid He takes notice of her being Sarai's Maid rather than Abram's Wife to put her in mind of her Duty and that she could not honestly leave her Mistress without her Consent For so it follows in the next Verse Ver. 9. Return to thy Mistress and submit c. It is the same word here translated submit with that Verse 6. where it is rendred dealt hardly Signifying that she should be Patient and indure the Hardship of which she complained or suffer her self to be afflicted by her Ver. 10. I will multiply c. I will make thee partaker of the Promise I have made to Abram XV. 5. The Angel delivers this Message to her in the Name of God who sent him Ver. 11. Behold thou art with Child c. Do not doubt of what I say for thou art with Child of a Son who shall be the Father of a great People This Promise was renewed to Abram in the next Chapter XVII 20. and we find was performed XXV 12. Shalt call his Name Ishmael Some of the Jews take notice of the Honour which was here done him in calling him by his Name before he was born There being but Six they say who were thus distinguished from others the two first were the Sons of Abram Ishmael and Isaac and the last was the Messias The LORD hath heard thy affliction Thy Complaint under the Affliction thou hast endured from thy Mistress and here in the Wilderness This Passage shows it was an Angel which appeared and spake to her from the LORD and not the LORD himself Ver. 12. A wild Man The Hebrew word Phere here joyned with Man signifies a wild Ass And so is well translated by Bochart tam ferus quam onager as wild as a wild Ass Which loves to ramble in Desarts and is not easily tamed to live in society His Hand shall be against every Man c. He shall be very Warlike And both infest all his Neighbours and be infested by them He shall dwell in the presence of his Brethren Be a Nation by himself near to all his Brethren whether descended from Isaac or from the rest of Abram's Sons by Keturah Who though annoyed by him shall not be able to dispossess him This is such an exact Description of the Posterity of Ishmael throughout all Generations that none but a Prophetick Spirit could have made it as Doctor Jackson truly observes Book I. on the Creed c. XXV wildness being so incorporated into their Nature that no change of Times hath made them grow tame Ver. 13. She called the Name of the LORD that spake to her By his Angel for she look'd upon the Presence of the Angel as a Token of the Divine Presence though she saw it not in its full Glory Thou God seest me Takest Care of me wheresoever I am For she said Have I also here looked after him that seeth me There are various Interpretations of these words The plainest is that of De Dieu Who observes that the word Halom always signifies Place not Time or that which is done in any Place and so we translate it by the word here But there he makes a stop after that word by way of admiration in this manner And even here also Or even thus far It had been less wonder if God had taken Care of me in my Master's House but doth he follow me with his Favour even hither This is wonderful And then the next words have I looked after him that seeth me carried this sence Have I beheld God who taketh Care of me What a Favour is this that he would so far Condescend to me It ought never to be forgotten therefore she called his Name Thou God seest me Ver. 14. Beer-lahai-roi Some would have this referr both to Hagar and to God in this manner The Well of her that liveth and of him that seeth i. e. who preserves me in Life So it was an acknowledgment that she owed her Life and Safety to God Ver. 15. Abram called his Son's Name c. Hagar having told him at her return the foregoing Story he gave his Son this Name in Obedience to the Angel's Command Verse 11. Ver. 16. Fourscore and six Years old He was seventy five Years old
import it to draw nigh to God in the Holy Language signifying no more but to worship him Wilt thou destroy the righteous with the wicked As much as to say I know thou wilt not For such Questions strongly deny as in verse 17. Ver. 24. Fifty righteous within the City Of Sodom which was the Chief and comprehended the rest of the Country of Pentapolis Which one would guess by Gen. XIV 17. depended upon Sodom as the Metropolis So what is said here of it I take to referr to the whole Region Wilt thou not spare the place for the fifty c. He desires two things of God First That he would not destroy the Righteous with the Wicked Secondly That he would spare the Wicked for the sake of the Righteous if any considerable Number of them were found among the Wicked Ver. 25. Shall not the Judge of all the Earth do right This referrs as we translate it only to the first part of his Request not to destroy the Righteous with the Wicked Which was contrary to common Justice much more to that exact Justice which is administred by the Supreme Lord of the World From whom there lies no Appeal But according to the Vulgar Translation which is this Thou who judgest all the Earth wilt by no means execute this Judgment it referrs to the other part also That God would not be so severe as to destroy a whole Country whilst there were many good Men still remaining in it And so the word Right includes in it Clemency And indeed this Passage seems to relate to both parts of his Request And is to be interpreted thus Shall not the Supreme Judge show Mercy as well as do Justice Ver. 26. And the LORD said If I find fifty c. then will I spare c. This shows the foregoing Interpretation to be right God promising most graciously to be merciful to all for the sake of a few in comparison with the Multitude of Offenders Ver. 27. Who am but Dust and Ashes Very mean and vile Ver. 28. Lack five of the fifty righteous A great Argument of Abraham's Modesty who durst not presume to ask too much at once but by degrees proceeds in the following Verses to petition for greater abatements And that with fear and trembling lest the LORD should be angry with his importunity Ver. 32. I will not destroy it for tens sake A wonderful representation of the tender Mercy of the most High who condescended so low as to grant a Reprieve to the whole Country for the sake of so small a Number if they could have been found in it And his Mercy was still greater even beyond Abraham's desire for he spared one of the five Cities For the sake of three or four Persons as we read XIX 20 21. We do not find that Abraham makes express mention of Lot in any of the foregoing Petitions But it is plain from XIX 29. that he was in his Thoughts which God knew and he is comprehended in those words Verse 23. of this Chapter Wilt thou destroy the Righteous with the Wicked Ver. 33. And the LORD went his way The Divine Majesty or the Glory of the Lord disappeared and ascended perhaps towards Heaven after this Communication with Abraham was finished And Abraham returned to his place In the Plain of Mamre verse 1. CHAP. XIX Ver. 1. AND there came two Angels There were three at the first XVIII 2. but the Chief of them was gone having dispatch'd his Message to Abraham unto whom he was peculiarly sent See XVIII 2. At even They had been with Abraham in the heat of the Day And were now come to the Gates of Sodom Lot sat in the gate of Sodom The Hebrew Doctors will have it that he was made a Judge in this City and the prime Judge of all For they adventure to Name five in Bereschith Rabba and say Lot was the President of the Court which sat in the Gate of the City But this is only a fansie of theirs He rather sat in the Gate of this City as Abraham did at his Tent door to invite Strangers to his House according to the Hospitality of those days which was the greater Charity because he knew the City to be so wicked that if we may believe the Hebrew Doctors they not only denied them all assistance but abused them and were cruel to them see Gemara Sanhedrim C. XI Pirke Elieser cap. 25. for which last they quote those words of Ezekiel XXII 29. they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully Which are spoken of Israel whom XVI 49. he had compared with Sodom One of whose Sins he says was want of Compassion to the poor and needy Rose up to meet them c. Just as Abraham did whose Civility he imitates as well as his Charity For the bowing himself so lowly was a Token of the great Honour he paid them Who had the appearance of great and noble Persons And therefore he calls them Lords in the next Verse Ver. 2. Turn in I pray you and tarry all night c. It is late and the Night draws on take up your Lodging with me and refresh your selves and go away as early as you please And they said Nay c. It was as great a Civility in strangers not to be forward to accept as it was in him to invite And therefore they refuse him at first to try his Kindness But intending no doubt to embrace his offer if he pressed them further So the following words are to be understood We will abide in the street all night Unless you persist in your Invitation In those hot Countries it was not unusual to lie in the open Air especially in Summer And in a City they were safe from being infested by wild Beasts or Robbers Concerning washing the feet see XVIII 4. Ver. 3. He pressed upon them greatly Would not be denied but was so earnest that they yielded It is the same word with that verse 9. Bake unleavened Bread which would be soonest ready that so they might in good time repose themselves Ver. 4. And before they lay down To take their rest Both old and young A manifest Token of an universal Depravation of Manners and Dissolution of Government From every quarter Or as some understand it from the most extream parts of the City As in Psalm XIX 4. One it seems told another what goodly Persons were come to their City And all ran to the House where they heard they were with the same wicked Inclinations This is a proof there were not ten righteous Persons in Sodom Ver. 5. That we may know them A modest word for a lewd Fact Some indeed will have it understood simply of their examining what they were whence they came and what their business was Which might perhaps be their pretence but Lot's answer to them verse 7 8. interprets their meaning to be filthy Ver. 6. Went out at the door To try if he could persuade them to depart From whence
the more reasonable because he might think though God had spared them for the present yet they taking no warning by the Calamity of their Country would shortly perish as the rest had done And so Theodoret and others think this City was afterwards destroyed Of which there is no certain Record and if the Tradition be true it was not speedily swallowed up as they report but retained for some time the Name of Zoar being before called Bela XIV 2. Dwelt in the Mountain It is not said what Mountain but it is probable one of the Mountains in the Country afterward called Moab from one of his Children which he here begat For Epiphanius Haeres LIII describes the Country of Moab as lying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. beyond the Salt or Dead Sea See Salmas Exerc. Plin. p. 615. Ver. 31. There is not a Man in all the Earth Not one remaining of their Kindred that they knew For they were not much acquainted we may suppose beyond that Country which was destroyed and those of Zoar were so wicked that they look'd upon them as Beasts rather than Men. Ver. 32. Let us make him drink Wine Which they brought with them out of Sodom to support their Spirits in their flight or else got at Zoar Of which they invited their Father to drink liberally and chear himself under his extream great Sorrow That we may preserve Seed of our Father This Fact of theirs being objected by Celsus against our Religion Origen gives this account of it Lib. IV. contra Cels That these two Maids having learnt something of the Conflagration of the World and seeing their own City and Country destroyed by Fire imagined 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the Seminary of Mankind remained only in their Father and them And if what they did was upon this supposition That there was no other way to restore the World they did no worse than the Stoicks thought their wise Man might do if the Race of Mankind were extinct so that none but he and his Daughter were left alive Irenaeus makes the same Excuse for them and says they did this innocently and in their simplicity believing all Mankind were destroyed L. IV. cap. 51. But I take their Conjecture to be highly probable who conceive that the eager Desire which then possessed the Hearts of Good People to fulfill the Promise of the Messiah was that which put them upon this otherwise monstrous Crime For which there are these Reasons First That they had lived so chastly in the midst of the Impurities of Sodom that one cannot think a Spirit of Uncleanness now entred into them and carried them to this Action And indeed Secondly Their joyning together in this Contrivance whereas Matters of this Nature use to be carefully concealed from the nearest Friends or make them fall out if they find themselves ingaged in the same Intrigue shows that they were acted by Counsel and Design and not by brutish Lust And Thirdly Their perpetuating the Memory of this Fact in the Names of their Children is a demonstration there was something extraordinary in it and that they were not ashamed of it but rather gloried in it desiring it might be remembred that these Children were descended from Lot Who they thought perhaps might pretend to fulfil the Promise as well as Abraham Being the Son of Abraham's elder Brother and called out of Sodom by the Ministry of Angels as Abraham was called out of Chaldaea Ver. 23. He perceived not when she lay down c. This seems hard to be understood But it must be noted That Moses only says he did not perceive when she came to bed to him and when she got up again not that he did not perceive when he lay with her of which he could not but have some perception Though M. Montaigne in his Essays relates a Story of a Widow who being drunk was abused by a Hind in her House and afterward finding her self with Child could not remember how it came to pass But the Fellow at last confessed his Fact Of which whatsoever Sense she had then she had perfectly forgot it when she awaked Ver. 34. Go thou in c. If he had retained any remembrance of what he had done the Night before one cannot think he would have faln into the same Snare so soon again For which reason it is probable he did not think he had been intoxicated but only drank so freely as to make him sleep soundly and forget his Sorrow Ver. 37. Moab Most will have this word to signifie from my Father But Drusius in Deut. II. 8. takes the import of it to be Aqua Patris Ver. 38. Ben-ammi This signifies as much as the Son of my People Which doth not acknowledge so plainly as the other That this Son was begotten by her Father But only that he was the Son of one of her own Nation or Kindred not by a Stranger CHAP. XX. Ver. 1. JOurneyed from thence i. e. From Mamre where he had dwelt a great while and where many remarkable Passages had hapned XIII 18. XVIII 1. Toward the South Country Toward Egypt For some fansie the very Stench of the Lake of Sodom was offensive to him in Mamre Sojourned in Gerar. The Metropolis of Palestine and as some compute it not much above six Mile from Mamre Ver. 2. Abraham said of Sarah c. Just as he had done in Egypt XII 13. when there was greater reason for it she being then thirty Years younger than now when she was no less than ninety Years old But it seems her Beauty remained at this Age being healthful and having born and suckled no Children And Women in those days living so long that they were as fresh at ninety as they are now at forty or fifty When many that are of excellent Constitutions and naturally handsom continue very lovely Abimelech The Name of all the Kings of Palestine as Pharaoh was of the Kings of Egypt It is not improbable as the Author of Tzemath David conjectures that the succeeding Kings took the Name of him who was the first King of the Country Ad A. M. 2600. Sent and took Sarah By Violence some think but I see no ground for it He desired to have her and might think Abraham would look upon it as a great Honour to have his Sister become Wife to a King And Abraham it is likely showed no unwillingness not being in a Condition to deny him Ver. 3. And God came to Abimelech in a dream by night Two differences are observed by Maimonides between this manifestation which God made of his Mind to Abimelech and that which he made to the Prophets For it is only said here God came to Abimelech and that he came in a dream by night The very same is said of Laban the Syrian who doth not seem to have been so good a Man as Abimelech XXXI 24. But of Jacob it is said God spake unto Israel and he spake to him in the Visions of
the Night not in a Dream and said Jacob Jacob XLVI 2. See More Nevoch P. II. c. 41. God was not a Stranger to other Nations when he was peculiarly kind to Abraham But spake to them in Dreams and sometimes in Visions as appears in Eliphaz and Elihu Job IV. 13. XXXIII 14 15 c. Thou art but a dead Man viz. If thou dost not restore Abraham his Wife verse 7. She is a Man's Wife Or married to a Husband as we translate it in the Margin so compleatly that he hath enjoyed her as his Wife For from this place the Jewish Doctors prove that the Marriage Contract was not perfected in these Days till the Parties had lain together After which if any other Person lay with the Woman he was to be put to death as an Adulterer but not if he lay with her after the Contract before it was consummated by actual Enjoyment See Mr. Selden de Jure N. G. L. V. c. 4. p. 551. Ver. 4. But Abimelech had not come near her To use her as his Wife Wilt thou slay also a righteous Nation He was afraid as became a good Man and a good King lest his People should suffer upon his account who in this Particular had no Guilt upon them Ver. 5. Said he not unto me c. The Fault is in them not in me For I had both their words for it that he was her Brother and he said nothing of her being his Wife In the integrity of my heart Not with any Intention to defile her but to make her my Wife And innocence of my hands I did not take her by Violence from Abraham but he and she consented to it Ver. 6. And God said unto him in a dream The same Expression is still retained which we had verse 3. to show that this was a lower Degree of Divine Manifestation than was in Abraham's Family I know thou didst this in the integrity c. i. e. That thou didst not design any Evil. For I also c. Or rather And I also withheld thee I dealt well with thee because of thy Integrity Some think he was withheld by a Disease in the Secret Parts verse 17. From sinning against me From committing Adultery Ver. 7. He is a Prophet This is the first time we meet with the word Nabi a Prophet And Abraham is the first that is honoured with this Name Which signifies one familiar with God who might come to him to consult him upon all occasions and be authorized to declare God's Mind and Will to others and also prevail with him by his Prayers for a Blessing upon them So it here follows He shall pray for thee Obtain Life and Health to thee The greater any Prophet was the more powerful he was in Prayer As appears by the Stories of Moses Elias and Samuel See Psalm XCIX 6. It appears by this whole History of Abimelech that he was a Man of great Vertue in those Days And not an Idolater but a worshipper of the True God as Melchizedeck the High-Priest of that Country was Yet not so well acquainted with Divine Revelations as Abraham was Ver. 8. Abimelech rose up early in the Morning This is a further Token of his Goodness that he delayed not to obey the Divine Command Called all his Servants His Privy Council as we speak who were all of the same Mind with him That this was a Divine Admonition which it was not safe to disobey From whence we may probably gather his Court was not so corrupted as Abraham suspected Ver. 9. What hast thou done unto us Into what Danger hast thou brought us Thou hast brought on me and my Kingdom a great Sin Run me into the hazard of committing a great Sin or suffering an heavy Punishment for so Sin is sometimes taken in not telling me the Truth Thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done This is not fair dealing such as I might have expected from thee Ver. 10. What sawest thou c. What didst thou observe in my Country that made thee think we would meddle with thy Wife What Tokens of Injustice or Impurity didst thou see among us Ver. 11. Because I thought surely c. The word Rak which we translate surely signifies only And may be thus well translated here this only I saw wanting in your Country the fear of God i. e. A Sence of Religion which restrains Men from all manner of Wickedness It seems the People were not so good as their King Ver. 12. And yet indeed she is my Sister Do not condemn me of telling a Lye for she is truly my Sister Such was the Language of those Days to call their Wives Sisters and their Nephews Brothers As he calls Lot XIII 8. who was his Nephew and the Brother of Sarah as was observed upon XI 29. She is the Daughter of my Father i. e. His Father's Grand-Daughter who are frequently in Scripture called the Children of their Grand-Fathers For she was Daughter to Haran elder Brother of Abraham But not the Daughter of my Mother It seems Terah had two Wives by one of which he had Haran the Father of Lot and Sarah and by the other he had Abraham So Sarah was Daughter to one who was his Brother by his Father's side but not by his Mother And with such a Niece they thought it not unlawful then to marry No regard being had to consanguinity if we may believe R. Solomon Jarchi by the Father's side before the Law of Moses but only by the Mother's The more received Opinion indeed of the Hebrew Doctors is as Mr. Selden observes L. V. de Jure N. G. cap. 2. that Sarah was indeed the Daughter of Terah by his second Wife and so Abraham's half Sister And Said Batricides Patriarch of Alexandria above seven hundred Years ago in his Arabick History tells us the Name of Terah's first Wife was Jona and the Name of his second Tevitha by whom he had Sarah But there is no other Authority for this Ver. 13. When God caused me to wander The Hebrew word which we translate wander being in the Plural Number the LXX render the word Elohim God the Angels Who by the Command of God led him from his Father's House through divers Countries But the Chaldee translates it when because of the Idols of Chaldaea I was called away from my own Country c. For so the Gods that is the Idol Gods might be said to cause him to wander Because it was by reason of them that God would not have him stay any longer in his own Country But there is no need of these Devices Nothing being more usual in the Hebrew Language than for the Plural Number to be put instead of the Singular especially when they speak of God as Bochart observes in many places Gen. XXXV 7. Exod. XXXII 4. Psalm CXLIX 2. Eccles XII 1. See Hierozoic P. I. L. II. c. 34. Nay Hackspan hath rightly observed that there are Nouns of the Plural
contra Cels It is well known also that these Mountains were well shaded with Trees so that commonly Groves and Mountains are mention'd together as Places for Religious Worship Ver. 3. And Abraham rose up early in the Morning c. Some here take notice of the readiness of his Obedience in several Instances First That he rose up early Secondly Sadled his Ass himself though the Phrase doth not certainly import so much Thirdly Carried Wood ready cleft along with him for the Offering lest he should find none there And Isaac his Son It is an Enquiry among the Jews how old Isaac was at this time Some of them say seven and thirty whom the Arabick Christian Writers follow Patricides and Elmacinus Aben Ezra more probably saith he was thirty But there is no certainty of such things For I find in the Gemara Sanhedrim Cap. X. n. 4. it is said this fell out a little after he was weaned See verse 9. And went unto the place That is toward the Place Which he did not see till the third Day after he set out Ver. 4. On the third Day It was not much above one Day 's journey from Beersheba to Moriah But an Ass goes slowly especially being loaded as this was with a burden of Wood and with Provisions we must suppose for their Journey And Abraham and his Son and Servants went on foot and could not travel far on a Day Isaac being but young for it doth not appear they had more than one single Ass verse 5. And saw the place afar off It is most reasonable to suppose that God had given him some Token or Sign whereby he should know it And I cannot but think it highly probable that the Divine Glory appeared in the place where he was to make the Oblation Which Conjecture I find confirmed by R. Elieser among other of the Jews who says That when God bad him go to the place he would tell him of verse 2. and there offer his Son he askt how he should know it And the Answer was Wheresoever thou seest my Glory there I will stay and wait for thee c. And accordingly now he beheld a Pillar of Fire reaching from Heaven to the Earth and thereby knew this was the Place See Pirke Elieser c. 31. Ver. 5. Go yonder and worship This confirms the fore-mentioned Conjecture That the Divine Glory appearing upon the Mountain he went thither to worship God And come again to you He either speaks of himself alone or believed God would restore Isaac to Life though he did slay him Ver. 6. And laid it upon Isaac his Son A Figure of Christ who carried his own Cross John XIX 17. according to the Roman Custom Philo's Reflection upon Isaac's carrying the Wood for his own Sacrifice is That nothing is more laborious than Piety Ver. 7. Behold the Fire and the Wood c. It appears by this that he had not hitherto acquainted Isaac with his Intention Ver. 8. So they went both of them together It seems they staid a while as they were going together verse 6. till Isaac had finished this Discourse with his Father and then they proceeded Ver. 9. Built an Altar there Of Turf some think or of such Stone as he could gather there And bound Isaac his Son Both his Hands and his Feet as it is explained in Pirke Elieser Cap. XXXI When the Gentiles offered humane Sacrifices they tied both their Hands behind their Backs as appears from Ovid L. III. de Pont. Eleg. 2. and other Authors Whether Isaac was thus bound it matters not but we cannot doubt that Abraham had now acquainted him with the Will of God and persuaded him willingly to comply and submit unto it Wherein he pre-figured Christ the more exactly who laid down his Life of himself and no Man without his Consent could take it from him as he speaks John X. 17 18. We have reason to believe this of Isaac because he being younger and stronger could have made resistance had he been so minded Josephus says he was twenty five Years old L. I. Antiq. 14. And Bochartus makes him twenty eight the word Naar which we translate Lad being used for one of that Age nay Joseph is called so when he was thirty Years old Hierozoic P. I. L. III. c. 9. This is certain That he was old enough to carry such a load of Wood Verse 6. as was sufficient to make a fire to offer up a Burnt-Offering There are those also who think Isaac was laid upon the Altar to be offered in that very Place where Christ was crucified And thus much is true That though Mount Calvary was without Jerusalem and therefore different from Mount Moriah on which the Temple stood Yet they were so near and it 's likely only Parts of one and the same Mountain that they were anciently both comprehended under the Name of Moriah Ver. 10. Abraham stretched forth his Hand c. His Obedience proceeded so far that it evidently appeared he was fully resolved to do as he was bidden For the Knife was just at Isaac's Throat ready to do the execution Insomuch that God made account of it as if it had been actually done and accepted his Obedience as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as intirely perfect and absolutely compleated as Philo speaks And yet there have been those who disparage this Obedience by endeavouring to make the World believe that the Sacrificing of Children was in use before Abraham's time And the very first thing that hath been alledged as a proof of it is the very Objection in Philo made by cavilling Calumniators as he calls them who said Why should such Praise be bestowed on Abraham 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if he had attempted a thing altogether new which private Men and Kings and whole Nations do upon occasion The learned Reader cannot but know that one of our own Countrymen Sir J. Marsham in Canon Chronic. § V. hath set this in the front of all his Arguments to prove that Abraham was not the first who sacrificed his Son Without acquainting the Reader with Philo's Answer to this which quite overthrows all his Pretensions For he says Lib. de Abrahamo p. 375 376. Edit Paris That some Barbarians have done this following the Custom of their Country or being in great distress c. But nothing of this Nature could move Abraham to it for the Custom of Sacrificing Children was neither in Babylon nor Mesopotamia nor Chaldaea where he had lived a long time No nor as it follows a little after in that Country where he then lived But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he was to be the Beginner of a perfectly new and unusual Example What plainer Confutation can there be of what the fore-named Author pretends than this Which he most disingenuously concealed Nor is there more strength in what follows in him out of Sanchuniathon who says that Saturn offered his only Son For by Saturn it is evident he meant Abraham as appears by the
yet he saw them degenerating apace into all manner of Wickedness especially into Idolatry Which would bring them he knew to utter Desolation when they had filled up the measure of their Iniquity XV. 16. Ver. 4. But go into my Country i. e. Into Mesopotamia where he lived for some time in Haran after he came from Vr Which was also in that Country as I observed upon XI 31. It seems also his Brother had removed hither Following his Father Terah's and Abraham's Example See XI 31. And my kindred The Family of his Brother Nahor which he heard lately was increased XXII 20. who though they had some Superstition among them retained the worship of the True God as appears from this very Chapter verse 31 50. And take a Wife unto my Son Isaac Which no doubt was by Isaac's Consent as well as his Father's Command Ver. 5. Must I needs bring thy Son again into the Land from whence thou camest He desires like a conscientious Man to understand the full Obligation of his Oath before he took it And his doubt was whether if a Woman would not come with him into Canaan he should be bound to go again a second time and carry Isaac to her Ver. 6. Beware that thou bring not my Son thither again He would by no means his Son should go to that Country which God commanded him to forsake That Command obliging not only himself but his Posterity See Verse 8. Ver. 7. The LORD God of Heaven c. He who Rules all things above as well as below who brought me from my own into this Country and hath promised and confirmed that Promise with an Oath that my Posterity shall inherit it will prosper thy Journey and dispose some of my Kindred to come hither and be married to my Son Send his Angel before thee Good Men were ever very sensible of God's Providence governing all things and prospering their proceedings by the Ministry of Angels Which Abraham's Servant takes particular notice of verse 40. Ver. 8. And if the Woman will not be willing to follow thee c. If it fall out otherways than I hope thou hast done thy Duty If thou bring not my Son into that Country again He speaks both here and verse 6. as if Isaac had once been there Because Abraham himself came from thence and this Servant also and a great many of his Family XII 5. who if Isaac went to settle there must have gone with him as part of his Substance Ver. 10. And the Servant took ten Camels c. Camels were of great use in those Countries as they are at this day Some of them being made for carriage of Burdens and others for swift travelling which latter sort were called by a peculiar Name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dromedaries as Salmasius observes in his Plinian Exercit p. 987. These perhaps were of that kind for the greater expedition Like those we read of 1 Sam. XXX 17. For all the Goods of his Master were in his Hands He might chuse what Accommodations he pleased for his Journey having every thing belonging to his Master at his command Who being a great Person it was fit his principal Servant should be well attended as it appears he was verse 32. especially when he went upon such an â—…rand as to court a Wife for his Master's Son Most referr this to the Presents he carried along with him And R. Solomon will have it that he carried a Writing with him under his Master's Hand an Inventory we call it specifying all his Goods and Riches that they might know what a great Match his Son was City of Nahor Which was Haran from whence Abraham came XI 31. and to which Jacob went to find his Kindred XXVIII 10. How far it was thither we are not told nor how long they were going to it And Moses omits also whatsoever passed in the way as not pertinent to his Story Ver. 11. Camels kneel down The Posture wherein they rest themselves Ver. 12. O LORD God of my Master Abraham c. He had observed the Kindness of God to have been so great to Abraham and Abraham to have such a peculiar Interest in his Favour that in confidence he would make good Abraham's words verse 7. 40. he not only begs he might have good success in his Journey but desires a sign of it to confirm his Faith and such a sign as was most apposite to denote the Person that would make a good Wife by her Courtesie Humility Condescention Hospitality prompt and laborious Charity All which are included in what he desires and she did Ver. 14. Thereby shall I know that thou hast showed kindness to my Master He had no Confidence that God would do any thing for his own sake but for his Master 's whom God had most wonderfully blessed Ver. 15. And it came to pass before he had done speaking c. This shows it was by a Divine Suggestion that he made this Prayer which was answered immediately Such is the Divine Goodness or rather to use the words of Sam. Bochartus upon occasion of many such Instances Sic enim parata obvia esse solent Dei beneficia ita ut preces nostras non tam sequantur quam occupent alque antecedant P. I. Hierozoic L. 2. cap. 49. So forward is God to bestow his Benefits upon us that they do not so much follow our Prayers as prevent and go before them See Verse 45. With her Pitcher upon her Shoulder Behold the Simplicity Frugality and Industry of that Age. Ver. 20. Drew for all his Camels There were ten of them verse 10. and they are a very thirsty sort of Creatures And therefore she took a great deal of Pains to serve him who was but a stranger in this manner Which showed extraordinary Goodness and a most obliging Disposition at which he might well be amazed as it follows in the next Verse Ver. 21. Wondring at her held his peace c. He was so astonish'd at her Kindness readiness to do Good and laborious Diligence c. and also at the Providence of God in making things fall out so pat to his Desires that for the present he could not speak Having his Mind imploy'd in marking and observing every Passage whereby he might judge how to conclude whether this was the Woman or no whom God designed for his Master's Son Ver. 22. The Man took Gave her as the Phrase is often used But he first asked her whose Daughter she was as appears from verse 47. A golden Ear-ring Or rather as the Margin hath it a Jewel for the Forehead And so we translate the Hebrew word Ezek. XVI 12. and this Person himself expounds it verse 47. I put the Ear-ring or Jewel upon her Face i. e. her Forehead For such Ornaments were used in those Times and Countries hanging down between the Eye-brows over the Nose Two Bracelets for her Hands i. e. Wrests Ver. 26. Bowed his Head and worshipped the LORD
Sabaei in the furthermost parts of Arabia near the Persian and the Red-Sea there were also a People of that Name descended it is very probable from this Son of Jokshan in the very Entrance of Arabia Foelix as Strabo tells us Who says that they and the Nabataei were the very next People to Syria And were wont to make Excursions upon their Neighbours By which we may understand which otherwise could not be made out how the Sabaeans broke into Job's Country and carried away his Cattle For it is not credible they could come so far as from the Persian or Arabian Sea But from this Country there was an easie Passage through the Desarts of Arabia into the Land of Vz or Ausitis which lay upon the Borders of Euphrates See Bochart in his Phaleg L. IV. cap. 9. And Dedan There was one of this Name as I said before the Son of Rhegma Gen. X. 7. who gave Name to a City upon the Persian Sea now called Dadan But besides that there was an Inland City called Dedan in the Country of Idumaea mentioned by Jeremiah XXV 23. XLIX 8. whose Inhabitants are called Dedanim Isai XXI 13. And this Dedan here mentioned may well be thought to be the Founder of it as the same Bochart observes L. IV. cap. 6. And the Sons of Dedan were Ashurim and Letushim and Leummim If these were Heads of Nations or Families the memory of them is lost For it is a mistake of Cleodemus who mentions the first of these in Euseb Praepar Evang. L. IX c. 20. to derive the Assyrians from this Ashurim They having their Original from Ashur one of the Sons of Shem X. 22. Ver. 4. And the Sons of Midian Ephah The Name of Ephah the eldest Son of Midian continued a long time for these two are mentioned by Isaiah as near Neighbours LX. 6. And not only Josephus Eusebius and St. Hierom but the Nubiensian Geographer also tells us of a City called Madian in the Shoar of the Red-Sea Near to which was Ephah in the Province of Madian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epha or Hipha is the same with that Place the Greeks call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Ptolomy mentions both a Mountain and a Village of this Name on the same Shoar a little below Madiane which is the Madian here mentioned as Bochart observes in his Hierozoic P. I. L. 2. cap. 3. And Epher I can find no remainders of his Family unless it be among the Homeritae before-mentioned whose Metropolis was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In which Theophilus sent by Constantius to convert that Country built a Church as Philostorgius relates L. III. Hist Eccles § 4. Which City is mentioned by many other Authors as Jacobus Gotofredus observes in his Dissertations upon Philostorgius Particularly by Arrianus in his Periplus of the Red-Sea where he calls the Metropolis of the Homeritae expresly by the Name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which one cannot well doubt came from this Epher And Hanoch In that part of Arabia Foelix where the Adranitae were seated there was a great trading Town called Cane as Ptolomy tells us and shows its distance from Alexandria 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 L. VIII Pliny also mentions a Country in Arabia which he calls Regio Canauna which may be thought to have taken its Name from this Person and his Posterity And Abidah The Relicks of this Name remain if the two last Syllables as is usual be inverted in the People called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who lived in an Island called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which lay between Arabia and India and is by Authors said to belong sometimes to the one and sometimes to the other Philostorgius saith only they bear the Name of Indians in the place before-named where he saith Theophilus who was sent to convert the Homerites was born here But Pliny reckoning up the Tracts of Arabia places the Isle called Devadae which I take to be this over against the fore-named Region called Canauna L. VI. cap. 28. And Strabo as Gothofred observes Agatharcides and others call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And Eldaah I know not where to find any Remains of this Name unless it be in the City Elana which might easily be formed from Eldaah by leaving out the Daleth and turning the Ain into Nun than which nothing more common which was seated in the Sinus Arabicus toward the East called by others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aelana from whence the Sinus it self was called Elanites and the People that lived in it Elanitae as Salmasius shows out of many Authors Exercit. in Solinum p. 482. Ver. 5. Gave all he had to Isaac As he designed long before XXIV 36. Ver. 6. Sons of his Concubines Which were Hagar and Keturah Who were Wives but of an inferior sort according to the manner of those Times and Countries Keturah is expresly called his Concubine 1 Chron. I. 32. as she is above verse 1. of this Chapter called his Wife Which R. Bechai in Mr. Selden cap. 3 de Successionibus thus explains She was his Concubine because of a servile Condition but his Wife because married with Covenants to provide for her and her Children though they were not to heir his Estate The Talmudists indeed do not perfectly agree in this matter For though they all agree and prove it evidently that they were real Wives yet some say they were made so only by Solemn Espousals without any Marriage Settlement in Writing as the principal Wives had Others think they had a Writing also but not with such Conditions as the principal Wives enjoyed Abarbinel hath an accurate Discourse about this which Buxtorf hath translated into his Book de Sponsalibus n. 17. And see also Mr. Selden L. V. de Jure N. G. cap. 7. p. 570 c. and G. Sckickard de Jure Regio cap. 3. p. 70. Gave gifts Some Portion of his Money or moveable Goods Or perhaps of both Which in all probability he gave to Ishmael as well as to these Sons though it be not mentioned Gen. XXI 14. because Moses here saith he gave Gifts to the Sons of his Concubines of which Hagar was one Into the East Country Into Arabia and the adjacent Countries as was said before For the Midianites are called the Children of the East in Judg. VI. 3 33. VII 12. VIII 10. Ver. 7. These are the Days of the Years of Abraham c. This is spoken by anticipation to finish the Story of Abraham for Esau and Jacob were born before he died And were now fifteen Years old For Isaac was but sixty Years old when they were born verse 26. and seventy five when Abraham died Who was an hundred Years old at Isaac's birth and lived to the Age of one hundred seventy and five Ver. 8. Abraham gave up the ghost Died of no Disease but old Age. In a good old Age. Without Pain or Sickness Full of Years The Hebrew hath only the word full We add
Phrases being used here of the death of Ishmael that were Verse 8. of the death of Abraham they show the meaning is no more but that they left the World as others had done before them We do not read where Ishmael was buried It is likely in his own Country not in the Cave of Machpelah For that had been to give his Posterity a claim to a share in the Land of Canaan Ver. 18. They dwelt from Havilah unto Shur c. See Gen. X. 7. Josephus L. I. Antiq. cap. 12. makes the Ishmaelites to have possessed the whole Tract between Euphrates and the Red-Sea Which appears by this place not to be true For between them and Euphrates were the Amalekites and Moabites who did not reach to Euphrates neither The Ishmaelites therefore possessed the Country which in that part Eastward that was next to the Amalekites was called the Wilderness of Havilah and in that part next to Egypt was called the Wilderness of Shur And in other places of Scripture is called Kedar the Wilderderness of Paran and the Wilderness of Sin All which was comprehended afterward under the Name of Arabia For Stephanus as Salmasius observes Plin. Exerc. p. 488. makes but two Arabia's One which he calls the Spicy between the Persian and the Arabian Sea The other on one end of it Westward was next to Egypt on the other end Northward next to Syria As thou goest towards Assyria The Wilderness of Shur was over against Egypt and touched it in that part by which the Way lay from Egypt to Assyria Or as some understand the whole Verse The Sons of Ishmael dwelt from Shur which is towards Egypt unto Havilah which is towards Assyria in the way from Egypt thither He died Heb. fell in the presence of all his Brethren Of all his Relations or Kindred Which are call'd Brethren in Scripture But his death has been spoken of before and in this Verse mention being made only of the situation of his Country some interpret it in this manner His Lot fell i. e. he had his Portion in the presence of all his Brethren According to the Promise made to his Mother XVI 12. The Children of Keturah lying on the East of his Country and Isaac's Seed on the West Or if we take it to relate to his death it may have the same Sence Till death he dwelt in the presence of all his Brethren and was in a flourishing condition Ver. 19. These are the Generations of Isaac His principal design being to give an Account of those descended from Abraham by Isaac Moses returns to that after a short Account of his other Posterity Ver. 20. The Syrian of Padan-Aram c. Bethuel and Laban are called Aramites or Syrians not because they were of that Nation but because they lived in the Country of Aram or Syria that is in Padan-Aram as it is here explained and appears more fully from Rebekah's discourse with her Son Jacob when she sent him thither XXVIII 2 5. where he living twenty Years with his Uncle Laban was upon that account called a Syrian though born in Canaan Deut. XXVI 5. Padan-Aram was a part of Mesopotamia I say a part of it for Mesopotamia it self was called Aram-Naharaim that part of Syria for there were many other Aram's which lay between the two great Rivers of Euphratis and Tigris Which Country had two parts also One toward the North from the Mountains of Armenia to the River Chaboras i. e. Araxes from whence Balaam seems to have been fetcht Numb XXIII 7. which was exceeding fruitful and upon that account called Padan Which signifies in Arabick the same that Sede doth in Hebrew i. e. a Field And therefore what Moses calls going to Padan-Aram Gen. XXVIII 2. the Prophet Hosea calls fleeing to Sede-Aram into the Country or Field of Syria Hosea XII 12. This being a cultivated Country abounding with all plenty The other part of Mesopotamia was Southerly from the fore-named River unto Babylon And was very stony and barren The Syrians lived in the former And the Arabians in the latter as Bochart observes L. II. Phaleg cap. 6. Ver. 21. Isaac intreated the LORD for his Wife c. The Hebrew word Atar doth not signifie barely to intreat or pray But to beseech with earnestness vehemence and importunity It 's most likely he continued these importunate Prayers several Years The desire of seeing the Messiah making them very uneasie under barrenness And some of the Hebrews fansie That she remaining barren twenty Years Isaac at last carried her with him to Mount Moriah where he should have been offered and there made most fervent Supplications for a Son As if he would remember God of the Promise he had there made him that he would multiply Abraham's Seed as the Stars of Heaven XXII 17. Ver. 22. And the Children strugled together within her Some time before her delivery verse 24. she felt as if two were wrestling together in her Womb And put her into Pangs by striving which should get out first If it be so why am I thus If I cannot be delivered why did I conceive And she went The Strugling and Pangs we must suppose ceased for some time So that she was able to go and consult the Divine Majesty about this unusual Contest To enquire of the LORD There was some Place where the Divine Majesty used to appear which was the setled Place of Worship See IV. 3. Maimonides will have it that she went to the School of Sem or Heber who were Prophets to desire them to consult the Divine Majesty about her Case More Nevoch P. II. cap. 41. And it is very probable that there was some divinely-inspired Person attending the SCHECHINAH wheresoever it was Such as Melchizedek was at Salem Whom Patricides takes to have been the Person to whom Rebekah resorted for Resolution of her Doubt Ver. 23. And the LORD said unto her By Melchizedek saith the fore-named Patricides By an Angel saith Maimonides Who tells us in the place now mentioned their Masters are so setled in their Opinion that she went to enquire of the fore-named Prophets and that by the LORD is meant his Angel that they will have Heber to be him that gave the answer for Prophets say they are sometimes called Angels or the Angel that spake to Heber in this Prophecy But it is most reasonable to think that the LORD spake to her by an Angel from the SCHECHINAH Two Nations are in thy Womb. The Heads of two Nations Two manner of People shall be separated Greatly differing in their Dispositions Manners course of Life and Country Which will make them perpetually disagree From thy Bowels Shall issue from thee The elder shall serve the younger In his Posterity not in his own Person Ver. 24. When her days to be delivered were fulfilled This demonstrates the time of her delivery was not come when the strugling first began Ver. 25. Red all over Some will have it with red Hair not only on his
blessed In this is contained the Promise of the Messiah the highest Blessing God could bestow Which he assured Abraham should spring out of his Family XXII 18. and now assures the same to Isaac Ver. 5. Because that Abraham obeyed my Voice In going out of his own Country when God called him in circumcising himself and his Family but especially XXII 18. in offering his Son Isaac And kept my charge i. e. Observed the Sabbath-Day says Menasseh Ben-Israel out of the Hebrew Doctors L. de Creat Problem VIII But it seems more rational to understand by this word which we translate charge all that he commanded him to observe The Particulars of which follow My Commandments my Statutes and my Laws These are nicely distinguished by some of the Jews especially Abarbinel Who by Commandments understands not only that of Circumcision but of expelling Ishmael And by Statutes Hebr. Chukkothai which always relates to Ceremonial things not only binding his Son Isaac to offer him in Sacrifice but his offering a Ram afterwards in his stead And by Laws which include the Judicial part of Moses his Writings his taking a Wife for Isaac out of another Country and bestowing Gifts upon the Children of his Concubines reserving the Land for Isaac But this may seem too curious And so many words may be thought rather to be used only to express his exact Obedience to God in every thing whether belonging to Religion or to Justice Mercy or any other Duty According to what he required of him XVII 1. Walk before me and be thou perfect Ver. 6. And Isaac dwelt in Gerar. This is a fresh Instance of his constant Obedience in trusting to God's Providence here and not going down into Egypt as he was inclined Ver. 7. She is my Sister Or Cousin for so she was He told part of the Truth but not all For he feared to say c. He imitated his Father as Children are apt to do Ver. 8. Sporting with Rebekah his Wife Using such familiarity with her and blandishments as were not allowable between Brethren and Sisters but common between Man and Wife even openly As embracing her in his Arms and kissing her perhaps very often He having an exceeding great love to her XXIV 67. Ver. 9. Of a surety she is thy Wife It seems he took Isaac to be so good a Man that he lookt upon the Liberties he took with Rebekah as tokens of conjugal Love not of incestuous Desires Ver. 10. Brought guiltiness upon us It is likely the Punishment inflicted upon his Father and Family XX. 17. only for taking Sarah into his House with an intention to make her his Wife was yet in memory among them Ver. 11. He that toucheth this Man or his Wife c. This looks like a modest word as it is used XX. 6. and 1 Cor. VII 1. But the Chaldee Paraphrast and the Hebrew Doctors interpret it of not doing them any injury Because he speaks of the Man as well as his Wife and so it is explained verse 29. Ver. 12. Then Isaac sowed in that Land Most take this to have been in the time of Famine Which makes it the greater wonder that the Ground should then bring forth so plentifully But it seems more likely to me that the Dearth was at an end For it is said Verse 8. that he had been in that Country a long time when Abimelech saw him sporting with his Wife An hundred fold This in it self is not wonderful though at this time it was a singular Blessing of God after there had been some time ago a dearth and perhaps the Soil not rich which afforded so large a crop Otherwise Varro says L. I. de Re Rustica c. 44. that in Syria about Gadera and in Africa about Byzacium they reap'd an hundred Bushels for one ex modio nasci centum Pliny and Solinus say the same of that Country Byzacium In so much that Bochartus fansies the Metropolis of that rich Country viz. Adrumetum had its Name from hence signifying in the Phoenician Language as much as the Region of an hundred fold Lib. I. Canaan cap. 24. Nay some places in Africa were so rich that they produced two hundred yea three hundred fold as he shows out of several good Authors in the 25th Chapter of that Book Whence he thinks Africa had its Name being as much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Terra Spicarum a Land of Ears of Corn. All which I have noted that this Passage may not seem incredible to any Reader And the LORD blessed him Or for the LORD blessed him This is the reason of the fruitfulness of that Soil which naturally would not have yielded so much Ver. 13. And the Man waxed great c. I suppose he had many such friutful Years so that his Riches increased till he grew very great and bought more Cattle than he had before For in them consisted the ancient Riches as Servius tells us on the first of Virgil's Eclogues Omne Patrimonium apud majores peculium dicebatur a pecoribus in quibus universa eorum substantia constabat Vnde etiam PECVNIA dicta fuit à PECVLIO The same also we find said by Columella Ver. 14. Great store of Servants The Margin hath store of Husbandry Which is very likely because he was incouraged in it by his great Crops Which could not likewise but increase the Number of his Servants The Arabick set forth by Erpenius hath only a great revenue or vast increase Which among the Eastern People as I said was principally from their Cattle But God blessed him with abundance of Corn also Ver. 16. Thou art much mightier than we As the People envied him verse 14. so the King himself it seems began to fear him And therefore desired him in a friendly manner to leave his Country For they were not yet grown so wicked as to attempt to destroy those who lived quietly among them when they apprehended they would become richer and stronger than themselves Ver. 17. The Valley of Gerar. Where that was is uncertain but at some distance from the City where Abimelech dwelt and near to which Isaac had inhabited before Ver. 18. Which they had digged in the days of Abraham He chose to open the old ones rather than dig new both because he was certain there to find a Spring of Water and because it was most easie and less obnoxious to Censure or Envy And because he would preserve his Father's Memory for which reason he did not give them new Names but those they had in his Father's Days Ver. 19. They digged in the Valley c. In process of time they found a necessity of more Water and so digged till they met with a new Spring in the Valley Ver. 20. The Water is ours Because it was found in their Soil as Menochius observes But they having let the Ground to Isaac the Water was truly his as long as the Contract lasted Ver. 21. And they digged another Well I suppose in
Ver. 13. Vpon me be thy curse i. e. There is no danger I will warrant the success Ver. 15. Took goodly Raiment c. His best Clothes which most suppose were laid up in a Chest among odoriferous Flowers or other Perfumes Both to preserve them from Moths and to comfort the Brain when they were worn For their smell is mentioned verse 27. It is a groundless fansie of the Jews that these were Sacerdotal Garments and the very same that Adam wore which descended to Noah c. for as there was no Sacrifice now to be made so the Primogeniture did not make him a Priest more than Jacob as was noted before One may rather say these were Garments belonging to him as Heir of the Family Between whom and the other Sons it 's very probable the Affection of Parents was wont to make some difference in their Apparel Ver. 16. Put the Skin of the Kids of the Goats It is observed by Bochartus That in the Eastern Countries Goats-Hair was very like to that of Men. P. I. Hierozoic L. 2. c. 51. So that Isaac might easily be deceived when his Eyes were dim and his Feeling no less decayed than his Sight Ver. 18. Who art thou My Son He suspected him from his Voice and returning so soon from Hunting Ver. 19. I am Esau thy first-born c. Here are many untruths told by Jacob besides this for his Father did not bid him go get him some Venison nor did God bring this Meat to him which he had prepared c. which cannot be wholly excused But it must be confessed he and his Mother were possessed with a false Opinion That they might deceive Isaac for the good of his Family Arise I pray thee and sit and eat c. He was lying upon his Bed one would guess by this being aged and infirm And he intreats him to raise up himself and sit For so they did in those Days as we do now at their Meals This appears afterwards when Joseph's Brethren sat down to eat Bread XXXVII 25. and sat when they eat with Joseph in Egypt XLIII 33. And so Homer makes all his Hero's sit at their Feasts as Athenaeus observes Which Custom continued among the Macedonians in the days of Alexander as Bochartus observes in his Hierozoic P. I. L. II. c. 50. Ver. 21. Come near c. Isaac still suspected by this long discourse with him wherein he observed his Voice that it was not Esau And the Hebrews in Bereschith Rabba say that he fell into a great sweat and his Heart melted in him like Wax while he talked with him So that an Angel came to support him from falling down Ver. 23. So he blessed him After he had once more askt him whether he was his very Son Esau which Jacob affirmed verse 24. who was punished for this Deceit when he was cheated himself by Laban in the business of his Wives as well as in other things And as the Hebrews observed he that deceived his Father by the Skins of the Kids of Goats was deceived himself into a false opinion that Joseph was killed by his Brethren dipping his Coat in the Blood of a Kid of the Goats Gen. XXXVII 31. Ver. 26. Come now and kiss me Some think he had a desire to be satisfied that way whether he was Esau or not But I take it rather to be a Token of his great Love and Affection wherewith he bestowed his Blessing upon him Ver. 27. He smelled the smell of his Raiment As he embraced him he perceived the fragrancy of his Garments Which he could not before while he stood remote his Senses being weak and dull The Jews who fansie these to have been the Garments wherein Adam ministred imagine also that they retained the scent which they had in Paradise So Bereschith Rabba and R. Sol. Jarchi as Braunius observes L. I. de Vestib Hebr. Sacerd. c. 4. See the smell of my Son The apprehension of one Sense is in this Language often used for the apprehension of another as Maimonides speaks P. I. More Nevoch cap. 46. as see the Word of the LORD Jer. II. 31. i. e. Hear his Word And so in this place See the smell is as much as Smell the Odour of my Son c. But it may simply signifie Behold or observe no Field that God hath adorned with the greatest variety of the most fragrant Flowers smells sweeter than my Son Ver. 28. Therefore God give thee c. I take it for a sign that God will give thee for so it may be translated as a Prophecy as well as a Prayer the greatest abundance Which proceeds from a rich Soil well watered from Heaven These two are the causes of Plenty The Dew of Heaven Rain fell only at certain Seasons in that Country But there was a recompence for it by large Dews which very much refreshed the Earth and are represented in Scripture as a Divine Gift Job XXXVIII 28. Micah V. 7. which God threatens sometimes to with-hold because of Mens Offences 1 Kings XVII 1. Ver. 29. Let People serve thee c. As the former part of the Blessing relates to Wealth So this to Dominion and Empire Which was signally fulfilled in the Days of David when the Moabites Ammonites Syrians Philistines and Edomites also were subdued under him Let thy Mother's Sons bow down to thee This is a third part of the Blessing giving him a Prerogative in his own Family And in the next words he pronounces a Blessing upon all that should be Friends to him as on the contrary a Curse upon his Enemies Ver. 33. Isaac trembled very exceedingly What the Hebrews say upon verse 21. see there had been more proper here That his Heart melted and he was ready to swoon away Who A broken form of Speech Yea and he shall be blessed He had blessed him so Seriously and with such Affection and it is likely extraordinary Confidence of God's Approbation that he would not revoke it For he felt as I take it the Spirit of Prophecy upon him when he pronounced this Blessing And it inlightned him to understand the Oracle formerly delivered XXV 23. Ver. 35. Taken away thy Blessing Which I intended to have bestowed on thee looking upon it as thine by the right of being my First-born Ver. 37. All his Brethren His Kindred What shall I now do unto thee my Son Having given Jacob so much it was but a small matter he could do for him Ver. 39. Behold thy dwelling shall be the fatness c. Some have translated it Thy dwelling shall be without the fatness of the Earth and the Dew from above But by thy Sword shalt thou live c. i. e. He prophesies that he should inhabit a poor Country But maintain himself plentifully by his Sword For otherwise they think his Blessing would be the same with Jacob's verse 28. But if we retain our Translation there is a manifest difference between this and Jacob's Benediction For here he makes no
as true Gods animated by some heavenly Power Of which worship see Photius in his Bibliotheca CCXLII. But especially Bochartus L. II. Canaan cap. 1. where he shows the Phoenicians at least as the Jews think first worshipped this very Stone which Jacob anointed And afterward consecrated others which they called Baetylia and Baetyli in memory of this Stone anointed at Bethel See p. 785 786. Certain it is this Idolatrous Practice came very early into the World Which made Moses forbid the erecting of such Pillars they being in his time converted to a prophane use Lev. XXVI 1. Deut. XII 3. XVI 22. But the Name of that City Which was near to the place where this Pillar was set up Was Luz at the first So called perhaps from the many Almond-trees which grew there for Luz signifies an Almond see XXX 37. among which it is probable Jacob took up his lodging because they were a kind of Covering to him Both this Luz in the Tribe of Benjamin and the other among the Hittites in the Tribe of Ephraim Judg. I. 26. Bochart doubts not had there Name from this Original L. I. Canaan cap. 35. Ver. 20. Jacob vowed a Vow This is the first Vow that we read of in Scripture Which all Men allow is a part of Religion and so was acknowledged by the Law of Moses Deut. XXIII 21. Psalm L. 12. Psalm LXV 2 c. Perhaps Jacob was the first that in this manner expressed his devout Affection towards God If God will be with me c. Perform his Promise to me verse 15. Give me Bread to eat c. Support and maintain me which is the explication of the Promise Ver. 21. Then shall the LORD be my God I will most Religiously worship and serve him Which doth not imply that he would not worship him if he did not bring him home in Peace But that if he did he would perform some special Service to him and worship him with extraordinary Devotion Consecrating as it follows this Place to his Honour offering him Sacrifice and giving him the Tenths of all he had to maintain his worship Ver. 22. And this Stone which I have set for a Pillar All Pillars were not unlawful but such only as were for Idolatrous uses As Maimonides resolves L. de Idol cap. VI. § 8. And therefore the Jews so expound those words before-mentioned Thou shalt not set thee up any Statue or Pillar which the LORD thy God hateth Deut. XVI 22. concerning Pillars set up for worship not of those for memorial Shall be God's House Here will I set apart a Place for God's Solemn Worship and Service Build an Altar and offer Sacrifice c. See XXXV 3. Give the tenth unto thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Josephus the Tithe of all his In-come for the maintenance of Burnt-Sacrifices and such like pious Uses and perhaps for the relief of the Poor As for the Priests we do not yet read of any Tithe given to them Though Mr. Selden in his History of Tithes p. 4 c. and Review p. 451. thinks they were paid to Isaac who was then Priest of the Family And so Bishop Montacute in his Book against him p. 199. who observes that we read only of Abraham and Jacob paying Tithe not of Isaac Because Isaac was a more special Type of Christ than either of these And Abraham and Jacob were Types of those two People who were to have part in the true Isaac for Abraham was Father of all the Faithful and Jacob was the Type of the Synagogue as St. Ambrose handles these Matters in the Life of Abraham Yet the same Bishop confesses That many doubt whether Jacob paid the Tenth of all to Isaac or immediately to God Because Jacob also was a Priest himself See p. 205 c. This I think we may certainly conclude from this place That Jacob the Grand-Child of Abraham vowing the Tenth of all as Abraham had given the Tenth of the Spoil he was induced to it by the Custom which was then among Religious People How they came to pitch upon this Portion rather than a Fifth Sixth or any other is not so easie to be resolved But they seem to speak with much Reason who observe that in this Number Ten all Nations in a manner end their Account Aristotle in his Problems § XV. L. 3. and then begin again with compound Numbers Or as others phrase it This is the end of less Numbers and the beginning of greater So that it was lookt upon as the most perfect of all other and accordingly had in great regard But after all it seems most likely to me that they had some Divine Direction for it as they had for Sacrificing And it may be further noted That what they gave to their Kings was the Tenth Part as well as what they gave to God And nothing more common among the Gentiles than Tenths paid to their Kings and that very anciently for it appears from 1 Sam. VIII 14 15 17. that it was part of the Jus Regium among the Eastern People Aristotle himself mentions it under the Name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an ancient Law in Babylon And it was also used in Athens which was a Commonwealth as Dr. Spencer shows in his Learned Work de Leg. Hebr. Ritual L. III. cap. X. § 1. And Bishop Mountague shows they were paid among the Romans p. 248 c. CHAP. XXIX Ver. 1. AND Jacob went on his journey Because the Hebrew Phrase for went on is lift up his Feet some will have it that he proceeded most cheerfully in his Journey after this Glorious Vision Which we may believe to be true though not signified by this manner of speaking To the People of the East To Mesopotamia which lay Eastward from Canaan Ver. 2. A great Stone upon the Well's mouth To keep the Water clean and cool Ver. 5. Laban the Son of Nahor Grand-Son of Nahor Who is mentioned rather than Bethuel because he was the Head of the Family Ver. 6. Rachel his Daughter Her Name in Hebrew signifies a Sheep For it was anciently the manner to give Names even unto Families from Cattle both great and small So Varro tells us Lib. II. de Re Rustica c. 1. Multa nomina habemus ab utroque pecore c. a minore PORCIVS OVILIVS CAPRILIVS a majore EQVITIVS TAVRVS c. See Bochart P. I. Hierozoic Lib. II. cap. 43. Ver. 7. It is yet high day c. A great deal of the Afternoon yet remains It was the Custom of those Eastern Countries where the Sun had great Power in Summer time to bring their Flocks towards Noon into shady places where there was Water to refresh them Otherwise the extream Heat would have killed them There they rested it appears by many places of Scripture particularly Cantic I. 7. till the Heat of the Day was over and then having watered them again they carried them out to feed till Sun set Ver. 9. For she kept them It
same Religion by their partaking of the same Sacrifice Which Jacob no doubt offered to the True God Called his Brethren to eat Bread Invited them to Feast with him upon that Sacrifice Whereby they confirmed the Covenant lately made between them Ver. 55. Laban blessed them Prayed God to preserve and prosper them Returned to his place viz. Haran CHAP. XXXII Ver. 1. THE Angels of God met him To incourage and comfort him with the assurance that God was with him This is a remarkable Passage showing the singular Care God had of him Who as he appeared to him when he went from Canaan so now appeared to him again in his return thither that he might depend upon the Promise he then made him XXVIII 13 14 15. Ver. 2. This is God's host Which attend upon the SCHECHINAH or Divine Majesty to execute his Commands Mahanaim i. e. Two Hosts or Camps as it is in the Margin Either because there were several Squadrons as we speak of the Angels drawn up like an Army ready for his defence Or because besides his own Family which was pitched here in order like a Camp there was that of the Angels also The former seems most probable because this Name relates to God's Host mentioned before which consisted of several Troops of Angels Ver. 3. And Jacob sent messengers before him c. As he was about to pass over Jordan verse 10. he sent some to wait upon his Brother Vnto the Land of Seir. Which Esau it seems had conquered in Jacob's absence according to the Blessing of his Father XXVII 40. By thy Sword shalt thou live This Jacob thought fit to congratulate to him and at the same time to try how he stood affected towards himself The Country of Edom. So it was called in Moses his time Ver. 4. Thus shall ye speak to my Lord Esau He calls him his Lord that he might mollifie his Anger if any remained by humble Language Which sounded as if he had no thoughts of the Birth-right he had purchased of him This also was the Style wherein others addressed themselves to Esau after he had won the Principality of Seir. Thy Servant Jacob. These are submissive words also importing his Inferiority I have sojourned with Laban c. This hath the same design with the foregoing words to insinuate that he was much inferior to Esau having been a Servant a long time to Laban Ver. 5. And I have Oxen c. Yet he adds this That he was plentifully provided for lest Esau should think he came a begging and might prove a burden to him so the Hebrews understand it And Maimonides observes that he mentions only Oxen Asses and Flocks i. e. of Sheep and Goats because these were the common Possessions of all Men and in all Countries that had any thing But Horses and Camels were not ordinary Goods but the Possessions of a few great Persons and in some Countries only More Nevochim Par. III. cap. 39. Jacob indeed had Camels verse 7 15. and XXXI 17. but it is likely they were not many and he had no great breed of them Men-Servants and Maid-Servants These were a part of their Possessions as Oxen and Sheep were which they bought and sold and were no where more plentiful than in Syria from whence Jacob came if it were then such a Country as it was in after-times when the Roman Writers say they were servituti nati born to slavery That I may find grace in thy sight He courts his Friendship and desires he would favour him and not hinder him in his Passage to their old Father Ver. 6. We came to thy Brother Esau and also he cometh to meet thee They reported no doubt what he reply'd to Jacob's Message and this coming to meet him signifies that he gave them a civil reception And pretended at least to be glad to hear of his Brother's return and therefore prepared to come and welcome him into his own Country Four hundred Men with him Nobly attended partly to show his Greatness and partly to do honour to Jacob by a Publick Salutation Ver. 7. Then Jacob was greatly afraid c. Being conscious to himself what cause Esau had not to love him He interpreted his coming to meet him with such a Number otherwise than it was represented The Vision of Angels indeed who met him verse 1. might have fortified him against all fear of Esau's meeting him But the first Motions of such Passions cannot always be prevented He divided the People that were with him c. Put his Family and all belonging to him in as good a Posture as he was able Ver. 9. O God of my Father Abraham c. As he had prudently disposed all things for the preservation of his Family at least of some of them So he addresses himself to God of whose Goodness both Abraham and Isaac had had very long experience without whose Favour he knew the Angels themselves could do nothing for him For they are his Host verse 2. and act only by his Command Return unto thy Country He represents to God that he was in the way of Obedience to his Orders And then remembers him of his gracious Promise I will deal well with thee Ver. 10. I am not worthy c. Next he acknowledges what God had done for him already and how unworthy he was of the smallest part of it With my Staff As a poor Traveller having no more than I could carry about me Travellers used Staffs then as they do now for their Ease and for their Defence Ver. 11. The Mother with the Children i. e. My whole Family Which could not consist with God's Promise mentioned in the next Verse Ver. 12. As the Sand of the Sea The words of God's Promise are as the dust of the Earth XXVIII 14. But that signified the same with what God had said to Abraham XXII 17. which this Promise authorized him to apply to himself as the Seed whom he intended to bless Ver. 13. He lodged there i. e. In Mahanaim or thereabouts Where he hoped God would command the Angels which he had seen to Protect him And took of that which came to his Hand c. According to this Translation he took what he first light upon without any choice being still in a Passion of Fear But the Hebrew Phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which was in his Hand signifies what was in his Power to present him withal viz. Such Cattle as are after mentioned though he had no Jewels or precious Raiment And it appears that he chose them with great Consideration in exact Proportions For having commended himself upon such good Grounds to the Protection of the Almighty his Fear vanished Ver. 14. Two hundred She-Goats and twenty He-Goats c. The Males bear the proportion of one to ten Females And so it was in the Rams and Bulls which was the proportion Varro saith was observed in his Days and Country See Bochart in his Hierozoic P. I. L. II. cap. 54.
only in the Land of Seir or barely in Seir to which he invited Jacob at his return XXXII 3. XXXIII 14 16. This Mountainous Country which was richer than the other he got into his possession after that time Esau is Edom. The Father of the Edomites as it follows verse 9. Ver. 12. She bare to Eliphaz Amalek This was necessary to be set down as I observed on verse 1. that there might be a distinction between the Amalekites who were to be destroyed and the rest of the Posterity of Esau Concerning whom it is said Thou shalt not abhor an Edomite because he is thy Brother Deut. XXIII 7. Thus Joseph Albo. For though they made a distinct People from the Edomites and lived in a neighbouring Country yet they possessed that part of Mount Seir which was near Kadesh Barnea as may be gathered from Numb XIII 29. and XIV 43. Ver. 15. These were Dukes The word Allouphe if we may believe R. Solomon Jarchi signifies Heads Chiefs or Rulers of Families Who may be called Princes though their Government was not yet Regal but a kind of Aristocracy in the beginning Ver. 16. Duke Korah He is not reckon'd among the Sons of Eliphaz verse 11. but called the Son of Aholibamah verse 14. and accordingly said to Rule over a Family descended from hers verse 18. We must suppose therefore there were two Korah's one the Son of Aholibamah the other a Nephew of Eliphaz by some of his Sons or Grand-Sons Who came to be a great Ruler and to get the Government of some of these Families And according to the Style of Scripture is reckoned for Eliphaz his Son Ver. 20. These are the Sons of Seir the Horite From this Seir the Country had its Name But from whom he descended is not recorded Who inhabited the Land Who were the ancient Inhabitants of this Country before Esau conquered it And perhaps were the first that possessed it after the Flood Whose Genealogy I suppose is here mentioned because Esau's Posterity married with some of them Particularly his eldest Son Eliphaz took Timna Sister of Lotan one of Seir's Sons for his Concubine verse 22. Yea Esau himself seems to have married one of this Family viz. Aholibamah Whose Father and Uncle are said to be Hivites verse 2. but here plainly called Horites Being descended from Seir the Horite though dwelling then among the Hivites Ver. 21. These are the Dukes of the Horites The Heads of their Families who governed the Country before Esau and his Posterity dispossessed them And setled themselves in the same form of Government which they found among these Horites In the Land of Edom. So it was called in the days of Moses Ver. 24. This is that Anah who found the Mules in the wilderness Not by Accident but by his Art and Industry he invented as we speak this mixture and produced this new kind of Creature So it is commonly interpreted But the word found though used four hundred times in Scripture never signifies as Bochart hath observed P. I. Hierozoic Lib. II. cap. 21. the Invention of that which was not before but the finding that which already is in being Nor doth Jemim signifie Asses in Scripture And therefore others have read the Hebrew word as if it had been written Jamim as St. Hierom observes imagining that as Anah fed his Father's Asses he found a great collection of Waters See Vossius L. III. de Idolol cap. 75. which some fansie to have been hot Waters or Baths as the Vulgar Latin interprets it But then we must read the Hebrew quite otherwise than we do now And Bochart gives other Reasons against this Interpretation and endeavours to establish another Opinion That by Jemim we are to understand Emim a Gigantick sort of People mentioned in Scripture and next Neighbours to the Horites These Anah is said to find i. e. to meet withall and incounter or rather to have fall'n upon on a sudden and unexpectedly as this Phrase he shows signifies in Scripture This Opinion he hath confirmed with a great many Reasons to which another late learned Writer Wagenseil thinks an Answer may be given Though he inclines to it if one thing were not in the way which makes him think here is rather meant some Herb or Plant called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word the LXX retains not knowing how to translate it And thus Aben-Ezra affirms many Interpreters of the Scripture have understood it Which seems to be the most probable Conjecture of all others See Wagenseil in his Annot. upon that Title of the Talmud called Sota p. 217 218 c. As he fed the Asses of Zibeon his Father The Sons of Princes were wont to follow this Imployment in ancient Times as Bochart shows out of many Authors Particularly the Scholiast upon Homer's Odysses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hierozoic P. I. L. II. cap. 44. Ver. 28. The Children of Dishan are these Vz c. From this Man the whole Country or a great part of it is called by the Name of Vz Lament IV. 21. which was in Arabia Petraea in the Borders of the Land of Canaan Ver. 30. These are the Dukes that came of Hori This Hori was the Ancestor of Seir by whom this Country was first planted Among their Dukes Or according to their Families or Principalities Ver. 31. And these are the Kings that reigned in the Land of Edom. It appears by this that after several Dukes as we translate it had ruled the Country the Edomites changed their Government into a Monarchy And here follows a Catalogue of their Kings For I can find no ground for the Opinion of the Hebrew Doctors that Alluph a Duke differed in nothing from Melech a King but that the latter was crowned the former not crowned Before there reigned any King over the Children of Israel Moses having a little before this XXXV 11. mentioned the Promise of God to Jacob That Kings should come out of his Loins observes it as a thing remarkable being a great exercise of their Faith that Esau's Posterity should have so many Kings And there was as yet no King in Israel when he wrote this Book nor as it is commonly interpreted a long time after This Moses might well write without a Spirit of Prophecy nor is there any reason to say this Passage was inserted by some Body else after the death of Moses We might rather affirm if it were needful that Moses his meaning is All these were Kings in Edom before his own time Who was the first King in Israel Deut. XXXIII 5. For he truly exercised Royal Authority over them as Mr. Selden observes L. II. de Synedr cap. 1 2. Ver. 32. The name of his City was Dinhabah Of which he was Governor perhaps before he was made King and wherein he reigned Ver. 33. Of Bozrah Which was afterward the principal City of the whole Country as we read in the Prophet Isaiah XXXIV 6. and Jeremiah XLIX 3. and Amos I. 12. It seems by
Which was fulfilled when they came for Corn into Egypt of which these Sheaves some think were an apt representation Ver. 8. Shalt thou indeed reign over us It seems they could readily interpret the meaning of a Dream Which shows how common they were in those Days For his Dreams and for his Words This seems to import that he had more Dreams of like nature and was wont to talk of them Which they thought savoured of Arrogance Ver. 9. He dreamt yet another Dream Which confirmed the former by repeating the same thing under different Figures For as the former was taken from the Earth so this from Heaven And is more comprehensive than the former for it concerns his Father as well as his Brethren Behold the Sun and the Moon c. They seemed to descend to him or he to be carried up to them Where they bowed and lay at his Feet Ver. 10. His Father rebuked him Gave him a check that Joseph might not grow conceited of himself and his Brethren might not be provoked to hate him What is this Dream that thou hast dreamed What an idle Dream is this Shall I and thy Mother and Brethren c. Who can believe this Thy Mother is dead which is sufficient to show the vanity of this Dream and thy Father sure is not to truckle unto thee no nor thy elder Brethren Ver. 11. His Brethren envied him Though Jacob seemed to slight what he said it incensed his Brethren against him But his Father observed the Saying He did not look upon it as a mere Fancy but thought there might be something in it And therefore though he thought fit publickly to slight it yet he took such notice of it privately that he preserved it in Mind and laid it up in his Heart as the Scripture elsewhere speaks And it really was fulfilled when he went down into Egypt and no doubt showed that Respect which was due to the Vice-Roy of the Country And so did his Mother Bilhah and all his Brethren Ver. 12. His Brethren went to feed their Father's flock in Shechem As their Flocks increased so they inlarged their Pasture And they often removed to find fresh Pasture Besides he had made a Purchace in this Place where they fed his Flocks in his own Ground Ver. 13. Come I will send thee unto them Make thy self ready that I may send thee to inquire of thy Brethrens Welfare About which he was now the more solicitous because they were gone to a Place where they had some Years ago given great provocation to the Country by their barbarous Cruelty Ver. 15. A certain Man found him Some take this to have been an Angel Who took care of him when he was at a loss which way to go So Maimonides P. II. More Nevochim cap. 42 Where he makes this Passage the very same with that XVI 7. The Angel of the LORD found her c. Ver. 18. They conspired against him The Hebrew word signifies they took subtil and crafty Counsel against him to slay him Laid their Heads together as we now speak to kill him so that the Murder might be concealed from their Father Ver. 19. Behold this Dreamer cometh In the Hebrew This Master of Dreams or a frequent Dreamer one that hath Dreams at command Ver. 20. Cast him into some pit Which they were wont to dig frequently in those Countries to hold Rain-Water for their Cattle when they could not find a Spring or were near no River Ver. 21. He delivered him out of their Hands Preserved him from being murdred by them as they intended Which he did by the following Counsel Which seemed to have something of Humanity in it and yet would effect what they resolved Ver. 22. Cast him into this pit That he might perish with hunger And lay no Hands upon him c. Let not us kill him This he said that he might save his life intending secretly to draw him out of the Pit and restore him safe to his Father By which piece of good Service Reuben perhaps hoped to reconcile his Father to him who was justly angry with him for defiling his Bed XXXV 22. Ver. 23. His Coat of many colours By this it seems he was distinguished from the rest of his Brethren Being not yet grown up to such laborious Imployments as they followed abroad and therefore indulged to wear a richer sort of Garment with his Father at home For according to the common Notion it was wrought or embroidered with Flowers which was accounted Noble as well as Beautiful in ancient Times As appears by Plato who commending the Government then admired in Greece compares it to such a Garment that hath variety of Colours in it L. VIII de Republ. p. 557. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ver. 24. The pit was empty there was no Water in it This shows the use of such Pits was to hold Water Which at this time was dried up for want of Rain Ver. 25. A company of Ishmaelites In the Language of these Times it is called a Caravan Merchants not daring to travel alone or in small Numbers in those Eastern Countries through the Desarts for fear of Robbers or of wild Beasts From mount Gilead They came from Parts beyond that but passed that way to Traffick there With there Camels Which were and still are the most proper Beasts for Carriage in those Countries Being able to travel a great way in the Desarts without Drink And the Midianites who are here the same with the Ishmaelites ver 28. had as great a breed of them as any other Country As Bochart observes P. I. Hierozoic L. II. cap. 3. Bearing Spicery The word Necoth which we and a great many others translate Spicery in general seems to signifie some particular sort of Spicery as the following words do A great many Conjectures there are what sort and Bochart most probably concludes it to be Storax See the fore-named Book P. II. Lib. IV. cap. 12. Balm So Kimchi whom the Modern Interpreters generally follow expounds the Hebrew word Tzeri Which the Ancients interpret Resin and Bochart justifies them by such Reasons as these That there was no Balm in Gilead in these Days but it was brought thither out of Arabia Foelix in the Reign of King Solomon And then it grew on this side Jordan about Engaddi and Hiericho not beyond Jordan in the Land of Gilead Ib. Par. I. Lib. II. cap. 51. Ver. 26. What profit is it if we slay our Brother c. We shall get nothing by letting him die in the Pit Had we not better make Money of him And conceal his Blood Though we should be able to conceal his Murder which is not easie to do Ver. 27. For he is our Brother and our Flesh Natural Affection persuaded to this rather than to the other And his Brethren were content As many of them as were then present for Reuben was not among them at this Consultation Ver. 28. Then passed by Midianites They are called Ishmaelites just
before verse 25 And so they are immediately in this very Verse Sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites For they were very near Neighbours and joyned together in Trade making now one Caravan with a joynt Stock as this Story intimates Read Judg. VIII 1 3 22 23 24 26. and it will appear the Scripture speaks of them as one and the same People in after-times For twenty pieces of Silver Most understand so many Shekels Which was a very small Price but therefore demanded and no more that the Bargain might be clapt up the sooner Ver. 29. Reuben returned to the pit He pretending some business had withdrawn himself from the Company with an intention when his Brethren were gone from the Pit to come privately and take Joseph out and carry him to his Father Upon that Design he now came thither Rent his Clothes As they used to do when they mourned for the dead Whereby he expressed his real Grief for his Brother Ver. 30. The Child is not He is dead as this Phrase commonly signifies Whither shall I go I know not whither to flee to hide my self from my Father's Anger Who might justly expect the eldest Son should take the greatest Care of him Ver. 31. And they took Joseph's Coat c. His Brethren it seems persuaded Reuben also to joyn with them in concealing the Sale of Joseph and making their old Father believe he was devoured by some wild Beast Ver. 32. They sent the Coat c. They first sent it by a Messenger and immediately followed themselves with the Tale which is here related Ver. 33. An evil Beast Some wild Beast of which there were great store in those Countries such as Lions and Bears for he could not suspect his Brethren would kill him Ver. 34. Rent his Cloathes and put sack-cloth on his loins This was the highest degree of Mourning in those Days We read often of putting on Sack-Cloth in future Ages upon such sad Occasions But this is the first time we meet with it which shows the great Antiquity of such Customs Mourned for his Son many Days Beyond the ordinary time of Mourning Many Years as the word Days sometimes signifies perhaps till he heard he was alive So the following Verse seems to denote that he resolved not to cease Mourning for him as long as he lived Ver. 35. All his Sons and Daughters He had but one Daughter Therefore the meaning is his Sons Wives or their Daughters I will go down into the Grave c. If Scheol here be expounded Grave then the next words must be thus translated mourning for my Son as R. Solomon interprets them For Joseph was not buried in a Grave and therefore he could not think of going down to him thither And thus Christophorus à Castro upon the Second of Baruch acknowledges Scheol signifies in this place and interprets it in this manner Lugere non desinam donec me sepulturae demandetis I will not cease to Mourn till you lay me in my Grave But if we follow our Translation which is most common I will go down to my Son then Scheol must signifie the State or Place of the dead as it often doth And particularly Isaiah XIV where the King of Babylon is expresly denied the honour of a Grave verse 19 20. Scheol is said to be moved for him and to meet him and to stir up the dead for him verse 9. Thus his Father wept for him Continued his Mourning not only by wearing Sack-Cloth but in such passionate Expressions as these Ver. 36. And the Midianites In the Hebrew the word is Medanim a distinct Name from those verse 38. who were a People derived from Medan one of the Sons of Keturah and Brother to Midian XXV 2. They and the Midianites lived near together in Arabia not far from the Ishmaelites Who all joyned together in this Caravan and made one Society of Merchants consisting of Medanites Midianites and Ishmaelites An Officer The Hebrew word Saris oftentimes signifies an Eunuch By whom the Eastern Queens were attended But it likewise signifies all the great Courtiers as the Chaldee here translates it such as the Bed-Chamber-Men the Lord-Chamberlain as we now speak and such like Officers of State And therefore is rightly translated here for Potiphar had a Wife The truth is this was the prime signification of the word Till in after times the depravation of Manners and the jealousie of the Eastern Kings made them set none but Slaves who were castrated to attend their Queens by whom they were preferred to great Offices and so came to enjoy this Name Pharaoh This was a common Name to all the Kings of Egypt See XII 15. Captain of the Guard The LXX translate it Master Cook And so Epiphanius calls his Wife 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Haeres XXVI n. 17. Our Margin hath it Chief of the Slaughter-men or Executioners But the word Tabachim may better be translated Soldiers than Butchers or Executioners And here some think may denote him whom we call the Provost-Marshal Others will have it the Master of the Horse But I see no more proper translation than ours Captain of the Guard Or rather Chief Commander of the King's Guard such an one as Nebuzaradan was 2 Kings XXV 20. For Schar is more than one whom we now call a Captain See XL. 3. This Phrase Schar-Hatabachim is explained by Hottinger out of the Ethiopick Tongue See Smegma Orient p. 85. CHAP. XXXVIII Ver. 1. AT that time It is uncertain whether he mean at the time Joseph was sold which is just before mentioned or at the time Jacob returned from Mesopotamia to live in Canaan XXXIII 18. or when he went to settle with his Father at Mamre XXXV 27. But take it any of these ways there was time enough for all the Events following before they went into Egypt supposing Judah's Children to have married very young As may be seen in most Interpreters Judah went down from his Brethren Either upon some business or in some discontent Adullamite A Citizen of Adullam which was a famous Town or City that fell afterwards to the Tribe of Judah Whose King was slain by Joshua XII 19 And where there was a famous Cave in which David hid himself 1 Sam. XXII 1. Ver. 2. Judah saw there So as to fall in Love with her For according to the old Saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Daughter of a certain Canaanite It was not so bad for a Man circumcised to marry the Daughter of one uncircumcised as it was to give their Daughters in Marriage to an uncircumcised Husband XXXIV 14. For an uncircumcised Man was accounted unclean though he had renounced Idolatry But a Woman born of uncircumcised Parents was not so accounted if she embraced the worship of the True God Whence Salmon a great Man in the Tribe of Judah married Rahab who was a Canaanite Such a one we must suppose this Woman whom Judah married to have been or else he had offended his Father as much as
the Body only hanged on a Gibbet But it is more likely he was hanged by the Neck as Malefactors are now among us upon a Gallows And the Birds shall eat thy Flesh He was left there to be devoured by Birds of prey Ver. 20. Pharaoh's birth-day Either the Day on which he was Born or the Day on which he came to the Crown Which was Natalis Imperii the Birth-Day of his Empire Both of them were wont to be celebrated with Rejoycing and great Feasts in ancient time as well as now See the Commentators upon Matth. XIV 6. Ver. 21. And he gave the Cup. His Fault we may suppose was of a smaller Nature or there was not evident proof against him or he had better Friends who interceeded for him So that he was not only pardon'd but restored to his Office Ver. 22. But he hanged the chief Baker Ordered him to be hanged being found guilty of what he was accused c. Ver. 23. Yet did not the chief Butler remember Joseph but forgat him He repeats it to show how very unmindful he was of him After the manner of those vain Courtiers who have no value for Wisdom or Vertue but are wholly given up to their Pleasures It would have cost him nothing to mention Joseph to Pharaoh But he seems to have been one of those who will spend their Interest as we now speak for no Body but themselves Or as it may be interpreted he did not as soon as he came to his Place call him to mind who foretold his good Fortune And so in process of time he quite forgot him CHAP. XLI Ver. 1. AT the end of two full Years It is uncertain whether two Years after Joseph was first put in Prison or after the chief Butler was taken out of Prison It seems to relate to the latter being connected immediately with that History Pharaoh dreamed Had an extraordinary Dream sent from God He stood by the River Where they were wont to recreate themselves especially in hot Weather and when they expected its rise to such a degree as to give hopes of a plentiful Year Ver. 2. Behold there came up out of the River This is a most apt and lively Figure representing things exactly conformable to the state of that Country Which was inriched by the yearly over-flowing of the River Nilus Without which the Beasts would have had no Grass to feed them much less to fatten them But Bochart thinks the Hebrew word Jeor which we translate River properly signifies a Cut as we speak or a Canal out of Nile Of which there were many for the drawing its Water into several Parts of the Country Hierozoic P. I. Lib. II. cap. 42. Well-favoured Kine c. Or Oxen. By which the Fields being ploughed and all the business of Husbandry managed their fatness was a proper Token of Fertility as their leanness was of Famine So Bochart observes and see Vossius de Idolol Lib. I. cap. 29. And they fed in a Meadow This represented Nile as having over-flowed a great way to the inriching of a Pasture at a distance from the River Ver. 3. Stood by the other Kine This signified the Events denoted hereby to be near one to the other Vpon the Brink of the River Not feeding in a Meadow as the former did but picking up Grass here and there near the River For this was a sign it had not over-flow'd at all or very little There being no Food for the Cattle but on the River's Bank Where perhaps he saw them eating the Flags Ver. 5. Came up upon one Stalk A Token of great Plenty Ver. 6. Blasted with the East-wind To this Wind which the Hebrews call Kadim is ascribed in Scripture all the Mischief that was done to Corn or Fruit by Blasting Smutting Mildews Locusts c. and was more pernicious in Egypt than other Places because it came through the vast Desarts of Arabia Ver. 7. And behold it was a Dream Or behold the Dream continued to run in his Mind When he was awake he could not put it out of his Thoughts but it perpetually presented it self to him as it had done when he was asleep This shew'd it to be one of those Dreams which the Greeks called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sent from God As the Interpretation and the Event shewed afterward more evidently Bochart notes out of Josephus L. XVII a Dream of Archelaus mentioned Matth. II. 22. composed of both these Figures For he saw ten Ears of Corn very plump and ripe devoured by Oxen. Which Simon Essaeus interpreted to signifie that he should live ten Years and then there should be a great turn of Affairs because Oxen turn up the Ground by the Plough and accordingly it came to pass Hierozoic P. I. L. II. cap. 41. Ver. 8. His Spirit was troubled He could not rest satisfied till he understood the meaning of these Dreams Which he thought imported some great Alteration in the State of his Country Called for all the Magicians of Egypt The word in Hebrew or rather Chaldee for Magicians had a bad signification in after-times But what kind of Men they were now we do not know Whether they professed to interpret Dreams and expound Things secret by natural Observations or such Rules as are now found in the Books of Oneirocriticks or by consulting Daemons or only by the foolish Art of Astrology to which they were much addicted in future Ages Our learned Nic. Fuller Lib. V. Miscell Sacr. cap. 11. thinks the Hebrew word Chartummim imports such as divined by certain Superstitious Characters Pictures Images and Figures which they engraved with Magical Rites and Ceremonies All the wise Men thereof These were the same I suppose with those who were called Philosophers in Greece From whence several great Men went to learn of the Egyptian Priests Who were famous for Wisdom before it came into Greece Told them his Dream He told them both his Dreams as appears from what follows But Moses speaks in the Singular Number because they were in effect but one and the same Dream But there was none that could interpret them Either they were amazed and did not attempt an Exposition as beyond their Skill or what they said gave no satisfaction to the king The seven Kine and the seven Ears it is likely they thought had a great Mystery in them if the worship of the Planets were then among them Which they invoked with secret or inutterable Invocations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Oracle mentioned by Porphyry speaks which were invented by that most excellent of all Magicians saith the same Oracle the King of the seven Sounds whom all Men know i. e. Ostanes or Hostanes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By which seven Sounds of which he was the Inventor and Governor Mr. Selden thinks is meant the Harmony which the Ancients supposed the Seven Planets to make Whom these Magicians called upon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with seven Invocations to each Planet
upon its proper Day As he shows Lib. III. de Jure N. G. cap. 19. But the more they laboured to find out this Mystery the more they were puzzled and perplexed in their Thoughts Nor could their Prayers if they went that way to work help them to disclose the Secret Ver. 9. I do remember my faults this day Call to mind the Offences I committed against Pharaoh Or as some will have it my Ingratitude to one who was in Prison with me Ver. 11. Each Man according to the interpretation of his Dream Just according to the Event was each of our Dreams Ver. 13. As he interpreted to us so it was He repeats the thing often to show how exactly Joseph hit the Truth in his Interpretation Me he restored to my Office c. He told me that on such a Day I should be restored to my Office and he told the other he should be hanged Ver. 14. Brought him hastily With all speed that Pharaoh might not continue in suspence Out of the Dungeon It is reasonable to think That though he was thrown into the Dungeon at the first XL. 15. he did not continue there when he lookt after all the Prisoners and did the whole business of a Keeper XXXIX 22 23. Therefore this Part as is usual is put for the Whole Signifying no more than that they brought him out of Prison where he had been in the Dungeon And he shaved himself c. It was the Custom in most Countries when Men were in a mournful Condition to neglect their Hair both of the Head and the Beard And not to shift their Clothes as in Prosperity but to continue in a rueful Dress whereby they expressed the Sence they had of their Calamity Ver. 16. It is not in me A modest answer I do not pretend to more Wisdom than those thou hast already consulted God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace But God I doubt not will direct me to give the King a satisfactory answer Nay an answer that shall be serviceable to him and to his Kingdom Ver. 17. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph c. We may well suppose that Joseph desired to know the Dream Which Pharaoh repeats in this and the following Verses something more fully than it is set down before Ver. 21. When they had eaten them up it could not be known that they had eaten them c. An Emblem of a very grievous Famine Which is represented not only by the lean Kine devouring the Fat as much as to say the barren Years consuming all the growth of the Fertil but by their remaining Lean as if they had eaten nothing Which represents what often happens in Famine that Men eat greedily but are not satisfied Because God breaks the Staff of Bread Levit. XXVI 26. i. e. takes away its nourishing Virtue as Bochart expounds it Hierozoic P. I. Lib. II. cap. 41. But this seems to be a straining of that Phrase break the Staff of Bread Which signifies no more than want of Bread to support Man's Life And all that can be gathered from this part of the Dream is That there should be such exceeding great scarcity that Men should have but just enough to keep them alive Ver. 25. The Dream of Pharaoh is one One and the same thing is represented by two several Figures God hath shewn Pharaoh what he is about to do God hath in these Dreams revealed to Pharaoh what he intends shortly to bring to pass Ver. 26. The seven good kine c. He represents in this and in the following Verse how one thing is signified by two Dreams Seven good Kine and seven good Ears representing seven Years of plenty and seven lean Kine and seven empty Ears as many Years of scarcity Ver. 28. This is the thing which I have spoken c. I have told the King in short what the Divine Providence is about to effect Ver. 29. Behold there come seven Years c. I will repeat it more at large Take notice then that in the next seven Years to this there shall be very great crops of Corn every where throughout the whole Country Ver. 30. And there shall arise after them c. And immediately after they are ended shall follow seven Years as barren as the former were fruitful the Earth bringing forth little or no Corn. Which will make so great a Famine that there shall be no memory of the foregoing plenty for there shall be no Corn left but all eaten up throughout all the Land of Egypt Ver. 31. And the plenty shall not be known c. I say there shall be no mark remaining of the foregoing Plenty by reason of the extream Scarcity in the following Years which will be very heavy Ver. 32. And for that the Dream was doubled c. The repetition of the Dream signifies the certainty of what I say God having so determined who will shortly justifie the Truth of my Predictions Both here and in the foregoing Discourse verse 25 28. he directs Pharaoh to look up unto God as the Author of all these Events and that not in an ordinary but extraordinary manner For such Fertility and such Famine did not proceed from mere Natural Causes but from an Over-ruling Providence It is observed by Pliny L. V. Nat. Hist cap. 9. that when Nile rose only twelve Cubits a Famine followed When thirteen great Scarcity When fourteen they had a good Year When fifteen a very good And if it rose sixteen it made delicias luxuriant Plenty And the greatest increase they ever knew was to eighteen Cubits Now that this River should overflow so largely for seven Years together as to make vast Plenty and then for the next seven Years not to overflow its Banks at all or very little and so make a sore and long Famine could be ascribed to nothing but an extraordinary Hand of God it being quite out of the course of Nature And indeed the Dream seems to signifie something beyond that for it is unnatural for Oxen to devour one another Ver. 33. Look out a Man discreet and wise One fit to manage so great an Affair He that could foretell such Events was fit to advise what was to be done upon the foresight of them But it 's probable he did not presume to give such Directions till he was askt his Opinion Ver. 34. Let Pharaoh do this When this is done Let him appoint Officers Let that Chief Ruler appoint Officers under him in the several Provinces of the Kingdom Such as the Romans called Praefectos Annonae Take up a fifth part Some have askt why not the half since there were to be as many Years of Famine as of Plenty To which such answers as these have been given by Interpreters That the greater and richer sort were wont in time of Plenty to fill their Store-Houses as a Provision against a scarcer Year which sometimes hapned And Secondly That in time of Famine Men are wont to live more frugally and not
set down to express the Fear which Jacob himself was in at the sight of the Money though we may well suppose their Fear was increased when they perceived him to have the same Apprehensions which they had of some Design that might be laid against their Lives when they returned to Egypt though they brought their younger Brother with them Ver. 36. Simeon is not He lookt upon him as dead being in the Power of so rough a Man as they described the Lord of the Land to be Especially if he did not send Benjamin thither as for the present he was resolved not to do All these things are against me Or upon me as the Hebrew words carry it These are heavy Burdens which lie upon me not upon you Who can be content to have Benjamin go after I have lost two of my Sons already Ver. 37. Slay my two Sons if I bring him not to thee Nothing could be more foolishly said for what Good would it do Jacob nay what an increase of his Affliction would it have been to lose two Grand-Children after he had lost another Son But it was spoken out of a passionate Desire to redeem Simeon and to make more Provision for their Family Being confident that Joseph who professed to fear God verse 18. would be as good as his Word Ver. 38. He is left alone The only Child of his Mother Bring down my grey Hairs with sorrow to the Grave You will make me who am worn away already die with Grief CHAP. XLIII Ver. 1. AND the Famine was sore c. Still increased to a greater scarcity Ver. 2. When they had eaten up the Corn that they brought out of Egypt So that they had nothing to live upon but only the poor Crop that their own Country produced Which could not long sustain them Buy us a little Food He hoped it is likely the next Year would be better and so only desired a supply of their present Necessity Ver. 3. And Judah spake unto him c. Reuben had spoken to him in vain XLII 37 38. and Levi perhaps had not yet recovered his Interest in him since the barbarous Action at Shechem And therefore Judah took upon him to persuade his Father being next in Birth and of no small Authority among his Brethren Ye shall not see my Face But be taken for Spies and so lose their lives Ver. 5. We will not go down Because it would not only have been to no purpose But also indangered their lives Ver. 6. Wherefore dealt ye so ill with me c. It was unkindly done of you to tell him of another Brother For what need was there to say any thing of one who was not with you Ver. 7. The Man askt us straitly c. They having told him they were all one Man's Sons XLII 11. he might well ask them what Mans And whether there were any more of them And whether their Father and Brother were yet living And we told him according to the tenor of these words Answered every Question as Truth required Ver. 8. Send the Lad with me Trust him with me He calls him Lad because he was the youngest of them all and one of whom his Father was as tender as if he had been a little Child Though indeed he had Children of his own XLVI 21. That we may live c. These were very moving Arguments the Preservation of a whole Family Benjamin and all Who if he went might return in safety but if he staid at home must perish with all the rest Ver. 9. I will be surety for him Be bound in what Penalty thou pleasest to bring him back Of my hand shalt thou require him Punish me who will be answerable for him if he miscarry Bear the blame for ever Lie under thy Displeasure as long as I live All this signifies only that he would do his utmost to secure him And rather suffer the heaviest thing himself than lose Benjamin Ver. 10. For except we had lingred c. If thou hadst not hindred us by these scruples about Benjamin we had been there and at home again by this time Ver. 11. Take of the best Fruits The Hebrew word Mizzimrath signifies of the most praised or as Bochart more literally interprets it quae in hac terra sunt maximè decantata P. II. Hierozoic Lib. V. cap. 9. those Fruits which are most celebrated in the Land of Canaan Which was as famous for the things following as Egypt was for Corn. And it seems at this time did not want them which might make them more acceptable in Egypt where they grew at no time For Egypt being a low and plain Country and Canaan an hilly it made their Products very different Balm Rather Resin as was observed on XXXVII 25. Honey For which this Country was famous especially in some Parts of it about Tekoah as Bochart also observes And therefore was a fit Present for a King as we see in the Story of David 2 Sam. XVII 29 And was carried from hence to the Marts of Tyre Ezek. XXVII 17. Spices The word Necoth signifies Storax as was also observed before XXXVII 25. Myrrhe Which Bochart translates Mastich Nuts He also proves by many Arguments that the word Botnim signifies those Nuts we call Pistachio's Which may well be numbred among the best Fruits of the Land Being very friendly to the Stomach and Liver powerful against Poison and highly esteemed by the Ancients as a delicious Food And so Maimonides and Kimchi expound the word Almonds They are fitly joyned with Pistachio's as he observes being fructus congeneres And therefore Dioscorides treats of them together And Theophrastus describes the Pistachio as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like unto Almonds Vid. Canaan Lib. I. cap. Ver. 12. Take double Money Other Money besides their first Which if it signifie as much more as the first the reason was because he thought Corn might now be grown dearer Ver. 14. If I be bereaved I am bereaved I submit unto it and will bear it as patiently as I am able Or as some paraphrase it as I have been bereaved of Joseph and Simeon so now I am of Benjamin No new thing happens to me but I have been used to such Afflictions Which I may therefore bear more equally Ver. 15. Stood before Joseph Presented themselves to him in his Office as we speak or in the Place where he gave Audience to those who came to Petition him or to buy Corn of him For it is plain by the next Verse that he was not at his own House Ver. 16. Bring these Men home Conduct them to my House And slay The Hebrew Phrase signifies a great slaughter of several sorts of Creatures perhaps that there might be a plentiful Provision Ver. 18. And the Men were afraid c. Every thing as was observed before XLII 28. terrifies a guilty Conscience And fall upon us i. e. Kill us And take us for Bond-men c. Rather or take us for Bond-men and
was deprived of his Government and banished to Vienne in France And then Judaea was reduced into the Form of a Province and ruled by Roman Governors After which there was no King nor Ethnarch of Judaea So that after this time we may safely conclude the Jews lost even their Mechokkim or Governors as they had long ago lost the Scepter And had no Power remaining among them of administring the Affairs of their Commonwealth Now at this time our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ the true Shiloh came Who was the Founder of a new and heavenly Kingdom And nothing more was left to be done for the fulfilling of this Prophecy but after his Crucifying to destroy Jerusalem and the Temple and therewith the whole Form of their Government both Civil and Sacred Then all Power was intirely taken from Judah when Christ had erected his Throne in the Heavens and brought many People in several Parts of the Earth unto his Obedience and made them Members of his Celestial Kingdom Till which time this Prophecy was not compleatly fulfilled Which may be the reason possibly that it is not alledged by Christ and his Apostles because the Jews might have said We have still a Government among us Which could not be pretended after the destruction by Titus Which is now above Sixteen hundred Years ago And there is not the least sign of their restitution Which so perplexed R. Samuel Maroccanus that it made him write thus to a Friend of his above Six hundred Years since I would fain learn from thee out of the Testimonies of the Law and the Prophets and other Scriptures why the Jews are thus smitten in this Captivity wherein we are Which may be properly called the PERPETVAL ANGER OF GOD because it hath no end For it is now above a Thousand Years since we were carried captive by TITUS and yet our Fathers who worshipped Idols kill'd the Prophets and cast the Law behind their Back were only punished with a Seventy Years Captivity and then brought home again But now there is no end of our Calamities nor do the Prophets promise any If this Argument was hard to be answered then in his Days it is much harder now in ours Who still see them pursued by God's Vengeance which can be for nothing else but rejecting and crucifying the Messiah the Saviour of the World Ver. 11. Binding his Foal unto the Vine c. This Verse sets forth the great Fertility of Judah's Country abounding with Vineyards and Pastures by two Hyperbolical Expressions First That Vines should be as common there as Thorn-Hedges in other places so that they might tie Asses with their Colts to them Or as some will have it lade an Ass with the Fruit of one Vine Secondly That Wine should be as common as Water so that they should have enough not only to drink but to wash their Clothes in it Which doth not imply that they made it serve for that use but only denotes its plenty Which was so very great that in treading the Grapes and pressing out the Juice their Garments were all sprinkled with Wine which one might wring out of them Choice Vine The Vine of Sorek which we here translate choice and in Jerem. II. 21. noble Vine was the most excellent in all that Country For Sorek was a place not above half a Mile from the Valley of Eschol from whence the Spies brought the large Bunches as a Sample of the Fruitfulness of the Country See Bochart P. I. Hierozoic Lib. III. cap. 13. Ver. 12. His Eyes shall be red with Wine c. This Verse sets forth the Healthfulness and Vigour of the Inhabitants of that fertile Country But Dr. Castell thinks this not to be a good Translation because it can be said of none but a Drunkard that his Eyes are red with Wine And therefore it ought to be translated his Eyes or his Countenance for so Eyes sometimes signifies shall be brighter and more shining than Wine So the word we render red signifies in the Arabick Tongue as he shows in his Oratio in Schol. Theolog. p. 31. and in his Lexicon Yet the same word in the Proverbs XXIII 29. cannot have any other signification than red and the red Colour of the Eyes answers well here to the whiteness of the Teeth which follows and there is no more reason to think he means they should make their Eyes red with drinking Wine than that they should wash their Clothes in it But it may only express the great abundance of Wine to serve not only their necessity but excess And his Teeth white with Milk Milk doth not make the Teeth white but gives such an excellent Nourishment that they who live upon it are healthy and strong And their Teeth not so apt to rot as theirs who feed upon greater Dainties So the meaning is the rich Pastures in that Country should feed great Flocks and consequently they should have abundance of Milk so good and nourishing that the Teeth of the Country-men who lived upon it should be as white as the Milk they drank Or if the foregoing words be translated His Eyes shall be brighter than Wine these are to be translated His Teeth whiter than Milk Out of these three Verses foregoing Bochartus thinks the whole Story of Silenus was forged by the Poets See his Canaan Lib. I. cap. 18. p. 482. Ver. 13. Zebulon shall dwell at the Haven of the Sea Near the Lake of Tiberias called in Scripture the Sea of Gallilee He shall be an Haven for Ships The Lot that fell to him extended from thence to the Mediterranean Where there were Ports for Ships His Border shall be unto Zidon He doth not mean the City of Zidon for the Tribe of Zebulon did not extend themselves beyond Mount Carmel which is forty Miles at least from thence But the Country of Zidon i. e. Phoenicia as Bochart observes in his Phaleg L. IV. cap. 34. which the Zebulonites touched For as the Phoenicians were called Syrians from Sur i. e. Tyre so they were called Sidonians from Sidon as Hesychius tells us Who interprets 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whence the LXX have Phoenicians for Sidonians Deut. III. 9. and Phoenice for Sidon Isai XXIII 2. It is very much to be admired That Jacob should foretell so many Years before-hand the Situation of his Posterity in the Land of Canaan when their several Portions fell to them by Lot and not by their own choice Josh XIX 10 11. This could not have been but by the Spirit of Prophecy And it is remarkable also that he mentions Zebulon before Issachar who was his elder Brother XXX 11. for no other reason that I can discern but because Zebulon's Lot was to come up before Issachar's in the Division of the Land His being the third and Issachar's the fourth Josh XIX 10 17. By this they were taught that their Habitation in the Land of Canaan was the Gift of God and did not come
by chance Their Fore-father having so long before predicted the very Portion they should inherit Ver. 14. Issachar is a strong Ass As he compared Judah to a Lion because of his Valour so he compares Issachar to an Ass and a strong Ass because he foresaw they would be very patient and unwearied in rustical Labours In which Asses were principally employed in those Countries Couching down between two burdens There are various Opinions about the signification of that word which we translate Burdens But none seem to me so apt as that to express the great strength of an Ass Which lies down with its Load hanging down on both sides Whence a she Ass is called Athon as Bochart observes from the word Ethan which signifies strength Because no Beast of that bigness can carry such heavy Burdens Ver. 15. And he saw that rest was good Or as some will have it their resting place the Country that fell to their share in the Land of Canaan no part of which was more fruitful than some parts of Issachar's Portion Which way soever we take it he seems to foretell they would chuse to follow Husbandry rather than Merchandice as Zebulon did and love Quiet and Peace as Husbandmen do Especially when they live in a rich Soil as this Tribe did For so it follows And the Land that it was pleasant The famous Valley of Jezreel was in this Tribe Whose Border extended as far as Jordan where there was a very pleasant Country Josh XIX 18 22. Bowed his Shoulder to bear Taking any Pains to till the Land and to carry in the Corn with other Fruits of the Earth And became a Servant unto Tribute Submitting to the heaviest Taxes rather than lose their Repose For the preservation of which they were content to give any Money that they might redeem their Services in the Wars or otherways by large Contributions Ver. 16. Dan shall judge his People c. In the word Judge he alludes to the Name of Dan Which signifies Judging i. e. Ruling and Governing A great many follow Onkelos who expounds it thus A Man shall arise out of the Tribe of Dan in whose Days the People shall be delivered c. And accordingly we read that Sampson who was of this Tribe judged Israel twenty Years So the meaning is the Tribe of Dan shall have the Honour to produce a Judge as well as other Tribes But there is this exception to this Interpretation that all the Tribes did not produce Judges And all Israel whom the Judges governed cannot be said to be Dan's People But by his People whom he is said here to judge are properly meant those of his Tribe And therefore Jacob's meaning is that though he were the Son of a Concubine yet his Posterity should be governed by a Head of their own Tribe as the other Tribes of Israel were So by this he took away all distinction between the Sons of his Concubines of whom Dan was the first and those which he had by Leah and Rachel Ver. 17. Dan shall be a Serpent by the way The next words show what kind of Serpent he should be like an Adder in the Path. The Hebrew word Schephiphon some take for a Basilisk others for an Asp or a Viper others a Snake or Adder c. The Vulgar translates it Cerastes which is a kind of Viper And Bochartus in his Hierozoicon P. II. L. III. c. 12. hath confirmed this Translation by showing how well it agrees to the Characters which Authors give of it That it lies in Sand and in the Ruts which Cart-Wheels make in the High-way and so is ready to bite Travellers or their Horses Which is the harder to be avoided because it is of a Sandy Colour so that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 many tread upon it unawares And Nicander says the Poison of these Serpents is chiefly felt in the Thighs and Hams of those they bite Which perfectly agrees with what Jacob saith in the following words That biteth the Horse-heels so that his rider shall fall backward The Horse not being able to stand when the Venom works in his Legs the Rider must needs fall with him All this some make to be a description of Sampson who led no Armies against his Enemies but overthrew them by Subtilty and Craft But it rather belongs to all the Danites as what was said before to all the Zebulonites and Issacharians who Jacob foresaw would astu potius quam aperto Marte rem gerere manage their Wars rather by Cunning and Craft than by open Hostility as Bochart speaks An Example of which we have in Judg. XVIII 27. Ver. 18. I have waited for thy Salvation O LORD They that referr the foregoing words to Sampson make an easie Interpretation of this Verse Which is That Jacob foreseeing his great Atchievements for the Deliverance of his Children prays that God would upon all Occasions vouchsafe to send such Deliverers unto them from their Oppressors And the Chaldee Paraphrasts make him look beyond such Deliverers unto Christ the great Saviour of the World For these are the words of Onkelos in the Complutensian Edition for they are not to be found in Buxtorf's or Bomberg's I do not wait for the Salvation of Gideon the Son of Joash which is temporal Salvation or of Sampson the Son of Manoah which is also a transitory Salvation but I expect the Redemption of Christ the Son of David c. Jonathan and the Hierusalem Targum say the same And if we take all this Porphecy to belong to the whole Tribe as I believe it doth that doth not exclude such a Sence But Jacob foreseeing the Distresses wherein they would be Josh XIX 47. Judg. I. 34. prays God to help them and deliver them and teach them to look up to him in all their Straits and Necessities And especially to wait for the Messiah Yet after all I think the words may have another meaning which is this Jacob perceiving his approaching death and his Spirits beginning to fail him in the middle of his Speech to his Sons breaks out into this Exclamation which belongs to none of them saying I wait O LORD for a happy Deliverance out of this World into a better Place And then having rested himself a while to recover his Strength he proceeded to bless the rest of his Sons Ver. 19. Gad a Troop shall overcome him Or invade him There is an Allusion in every Word to the Name of Gad Whose Inheritance being in a Frontier Country beyond Jordan was very much exposed to the Incursions of the Ammonites and Moabites and the rest of those envious Neighbours that dwelt in or near Arabia And some think the word Troop hath a great Propriety in it signifying not a just Army but a Party as we speak a Band of Men that came oft-times to rob and spoil But it appears by the Prophet Jeremiah XLIX 1. that the Ammonites sometime possessed themselves of the Country of Gad or at least of some part