of the sacrifice in their hands as we find Exod. 29. 24. by that right putting them into their office and sanctifie them that they may minister unto me in the priests office 42 And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover †Heb. flesh â—… their nakedness their nakedness from the loins even unto the thighs g Including both Compare Exod. 20. 26. they shall †Heb. â—…e reach 43 And they shall be upon Aaron and upon his sons when they come in unto the tabernacle of the congregation or when they come near unto the altar to minister in the holy place that they bear not iniquity and die It shall be a statute for ever unto him and his seed after him CHAP. XXIX 1 AND this is the thing that thou shalt do unto them to hallow them to minister unto me in the priests office * Lev. 8. 1 â—… Take one young bullock and two rams without blemish a See Exod. 12. 5. Mal. 1. 13 14. 2 And * Lev. 6. 20. unleavened b To shew that the Priests should be and that Christ really was free from all malice and hypocrisie both which are compared to leaven Luk. 12. 1. 1 Cor. 5. 8. and that all the services offered to God by the Priests were to be pure and unmixed bread and cakes unleavened tempered with oyl and wafers unleavened anointed with oil of wheaten flower shalt thou make them 3 And thou shalt put them into one basket and bring them c To the door of the Tabernacle as it follows ver 4. in the basket with the bullock and the two rams 4 And Aaron and his sons thou shalt bring unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation and shalt wash them with water d Taken out of that laver Exod. 30. 18. This signified the universal pollution of all men and the absolute need they have of washing especially when they are to draw nigh to God And this outward washing was onely typical of their spiritual washing by the blood and spirit of Christ in order to their acceptance with God 5 And thou shalt take the garments and put upon Aaron the coat and the robe of the ephod and the ephod and the breast-plate and gird him with * chap. 28. the curious girdle of the ephod e Not about the loins but about the paps or breast as Christ and his ministers are represented Rev. 1. 13. The linnen breeches are here omitted because they were put on privately before they came to the door of the Tabernacle where the other things were put on 6 And thou shalt put the mitre upon his head and put the holy crown f i. e. The plate of gold chap. 28. 36. as appears by comparing Lev. 8. 9. upon the mitre 7 Then shalt thou take the anointing * chap. 〈◊〉 oyl and pour it upon his head and anoint him g Which signified the gifts and graces of the holy ghost wherewith Christ was and the Priests ought to be replenished See Isa. 61. 1. 1 Ioh. 2. 27. But here ariseth a difficulty for this anointing is sometimes spoken of as peculiar to the High-priest as Lev. 21. 10. sometimes as common to all the Priests Exod. 30. 30. and 40. 14 15. which may be thus reconciled The oil was sprinkled upon all the Priests and their right ears thumbs and toes and their garments ver 20 21. Lev. 8. 30. but it was poured out upon the head onely of the High-priest Psa. 133. 2. who herein was a type of Christ who was anointed above his fellows Psal. 45. 7. Heb. 1. 9. 8 And thou shalt bring his sons and put coats upon them 9 And thou shalt gird them with girdles Aaron and his sons and †Heb. bind put the bonnets on them and the priests office shall be theirs for a perpetual statute h So long as the Iewish Pedagogy and Policy lasts and thou shalt †Heb. fill the hand of * chap. 28. 41. consecrate Aaron and his sons 10 And thou shalt cause a bullock to be brought before the tabernacle of the congregation and * Lev. 1. 4. Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the bullock i To signify that they offered it for themselves and for their own sins which the offerer performing this rite was to confess Lev. 16. 21. that they acknowledged themselves to deserve that death which was inflicted upon this innocent creature for their sakes and to testify their faith in the future sacrifice of Christ upon whom their sins were to be laid and by whose blood they were expiated and that they humbly begged Gods mercy in pardoning their sins and accepting them to and in their holy office 11 And thou k Moses who though no Priest yet for this time and occasion was called by God to this work shalt kill the bullock before the LORD by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation 12 And thou shalt take of the bloud of the bullock and put it upon * chap. 27. 2. and 30. 2. the horns of the altar l Not of incense as some would have it but of the burnt-offerings as may appear 1. because it was that altar at the bottom whereof the bloud was to be poured as it is here expressed but that was not done at the altar of Incense as is evident and confessed Compare Lev. 16. 18 c. 2. it was that altar upon which the parts of the sacrifices were burnt as it here follows ver 13. for there is no distinction here between the two altars It is true in the following sin-offerings of the Priests the blood was put upon the horns of the altar of incense Lev. 4. 7. But it must be considered 1. that the blood was not poured out at the bottom of that altar 2. because Aaron and his sons were not yet compleat Priests but private persons and therefore did this at the same altar which the people used in their sin offerings Lev. 4. 25 30. with thy finger and pour all the blood beside the bottom of the altar 13 And thou shalt take all the fat that covereth the inwards and ‖ It seemeth by anatomy and the Hebrew Doctors to be the midriff the caul that is above the liver and the two kidneys and the fat that is upon them m The parts which in all sacrifices were burned unto God Lev. 3. 3. and 4. 10. to signify either the mortification of their inward and most beloved lusts or the dedication of the best of all sacrifices and of their inward and best parts to God and his service and burn them upon the altar 14 But the flesh of the bullock and his skin and his dung shalt thou burn with fire without the camp it is a sin-offering n To wit for the high-priest as is plain from the whole context and therefore ought to be burnt by that law Lev.
Be it so that I have slain a man and that a young man why do you concern your selves in it It is to my own wounding and hurt not to yours I must suffer for it not you Some take this to be a sorrowful confession of his bloody crime q. d. I have murdered a man to my wounding c. i. e. to my utter ruine or to the wounding and grief of my Heart and Conscience But this seems not to agree either with the quality of Cains Family or with the temper of Lamechs Person or with the scope of the Holy Ghost in this place which is to describe not the vertues but the crimes of that wicked race According to the Marginal Translation the sense may be this fear not for me for if any man though in his youth and strength should assault me and give me the first wound he should pay dearly for it and though I were wounded and weakned the remainders of my strength would be sufficient to give him his deaths wound The words also may be otherwise rendred the particle chi being taken interrogatively as it is Isa. 29. 6. and 36. 19. and elsewhere Have I slain a man to my wounding and or or a young man to my hurt i. e. that thereby I should deserve such a mortal wound or hurt to be inflicted upon me by way of retaliation You have therefore no cause of fear either for my sake or for your own 24. If Cain shall be avenged o If the slaughter of Cain shall be punished in him that shall kill him whosoever he be seven-fold truly Lamech seventy and seven-fold p i. e. My death shall be much more certainly and severely revenged by God upon any man that shall murder me These words may be either 1. A profane scoffe q. d. Since Cain my Father and pattern in murther was so far from being punished by the hand of God that he had a special protection from him that no man should dare to touch him I whose murther is not so hainous as his was shall not fare worse than he and therefore have no reason to fear either God or Men. Or 2. An argument or ground of his security q. d. I am not onely secured by my own puissance but by God's Providence which certainly will be more watchful over me who have not committed any such horrid crime than over him that killed his own innocent Brother 25. And Adam knew his Wife again and she bare a Son and called his name †Heb. Sheth Seth q She gave the name but not without Adams consent Gen. 5. 3. For God said she r By divine inspiration hath appointed me another seed s Note that the word Seed is used of one single person here and Gen. 21. 13. and 38. 8. Which confirms the Apostles argument Gal. 3. 16. in stead of Abel t To succeed his Father Adam as Abel should have done in the Priesthood and Administration and care of Holy things in the Church of God whom Cain slew 26. And to Seth to him also there was born a Son and he called his name †Heb. Enosh Enos u Which properly signifies a miserable man to note the great wickedness and wretchedness of that Generation which the Hebrew Writers generally observe then began men ‖ Or to call themselves by the name of the Lord. to call upon the Name of the LORD x To pray unto God to Worship God in a more publick and solemn manner Praying being here put for the whole Worship of God as Gen. 12. 8. and 26. 25. and in many other places According to the marginal version the sense is this Then when the World was universally corrupt and had forsaken God and his service good men grew more valiant and zealous for God and did more publickly and avowedly own God and began to distinguish and separate themselves from the ungodly World and to call themselves and one another by the Name of God i. e. the Sons Servants or Worshippers of God as they are expresly called and that as it seems upon this occasion Gen. 6. 2. And in this sense this phrase is elsewhere taken as Isa. 43. 7. and 44. 5. and 65. 1. Some render the place thus Then began Men to profane the name i. e. the Worship of the Lord by Idolatry or Superstition But this seems neither to agree with the Hebrew phrase nor to suit with this place where he speaks of the posterity of Seth who were the Holy Seed and only Church of God then in the World CHAP. V. 1. THis is the * 1 Chron. 1. 1. book a i. e. The List or Catalogue as this word is taken Nehem. 7. 5. Matth. 1. 1. as it is also put for any short writing as for a bill of Divorce as Deut. 24. 1 2. of the Generations of Adam b i. e. His posterity begotten by him the word being passively used But he doth not here give a compleat list of all Adams Children but only of his godly Seed which preserved true Religion and the Worship of God from Adam to the Flood and from whose Loins Christ came Luke 3. In the day that God Created Man c This is here repeated to note the different way of the production of Adam and of his posterity his was by creation from God theirs by Generation from their Parents in the likeness of God made he him d See Gen. 26. 27. 2. Male and Female created he them e See Gen. 1. 26. Math. 19. 4. Mark 10. 6. and blessed them f With power to propagate their kind and with other blessings See Gen. 1. 28. and called their Name Adam g Which name is given both to every man as Gen. 9. 6. Psal. 49. 20. and to the first man as Gen. 2. 23. and to the whole kind both the Man and the Woman who are called by one name to shew their intimate Union and Communion in all things in the day when they were created 3. And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years h After he was created in which time he begat other Sons and Daughters as appears from what was said before and begat a Son in his own likeness after his image i Either 1. In regard of the natural frame of his Body and Soul But this was so evident of it self that the mention of it had been frivolous Nor is there any reason why that should be said of Seth rather thâ—…n of Cain or Abel Or 2. In regard of his corruption q. d. a weak sinful mortal man like himself For Adams image is here plainly opposed to the likeness of God wherein Adam is said to be created ver 1. And this is fitly said of Seth to signifie that although he was a worthy and good man and Adam excepted the most eminent person of the whole Church of God yet he no less than wicked Cain was begotten and born in sin
be assured I will be much more solicitous for the blood of men when it shall be shed by unjust and violent hands will I require i I will make inquisition for the Author of such bloodshed as I did after Cain and consequently punish him For this phrase of requiring implies punishment See Gen. 42. 22. Deut. 18. 19. compared with Acts 3. 23. Psal. 9. 13. If Magistrates neglect this duty I my self will avenge it by my own hand At the hand of every Beast will I require it k Not for the punishment of the Beast which being under no Law is not 〈◊〉 of sin nor punishment but for caution to men for whose use seeing they were made it is no abuse of them if they be destroyed for mans benefit Compare Exod. 21. 28. Levit. 20 15. and at the hand of Man at the hand of every mans Brother l This is added either 1. as an aggravation of the crime because the man slain was the Brother of the Murderer all men being made of one blâ—…od Act. 17 26. And having one Father even God Mal. 2. 10. and Adam too Upon which accounts all men are frequently called one anothers 〈◊〉 as is manifest from Gen. 26. 31 and 29. 4. Levit. 19. 17. and 25. 14. and 26. 37. and from many other places of Scripture Or 2. As an assurance of the punishment of the Murderer without any exception of the nearest relation which though it makes the sin greater yet many times is a security against punishment the murtherer easily finding favour and pardon from his Parents and dear Friends But the former sense seems the better will require the †Heb Soul Life of Man 6. * Matth. 26. 52. Revel 13. 10. Whoso sheddeth ‖ Or the blood of man in man mans blood m Willfully and unwarrantably For there is a double exception to this Law 1. Of casual Murder expressed Numb 35 31. Deut. 19. 4. 2. Of death inflicted by the hand of the Magistrate for crimes deserving it mentioned in the following words and elsewhere by man n i. e. By the hand of man namely the Magistrate Rom. 13. 4. Who is hereby impowered and required upon pain of my highest displeasure to inflict this punishment See Exod. 21. 12. Levit. 24. 17. Matth. 26. 57. 〈◊〉 For that Man i. e. For that mans sake whose blood he hath shed which cries for vengeance shall his blood be shed * Chap. 1. 2â—… For in the image of God made he man o So that Murder is not only an offence against man but also an injury to God and a contempt of that image of God which all men are obliged to reverence and maintain and especially Magistrates who being my Vice-gerents and Servants are therefore under a particular obligation to punish those who dâ—…face and destroy it 7. And yet be ye fruitful and multiply p i. e. As for you I do not repent of that former blessing I gave to your Parents Gen. 1. 28. but do hereby renew it to you and â—…your Seed after you bring forth abundantly in the Earth and multiply therein 8. And God spake unto Noah and to his Sons with him saying 9. And I behold I establish my Covenant q i. e. My promise For the Beasts included in this Covenant ver 10. are not capable of a Covenant properly so called And the word Covenant is oft used for a simple promise as we shall see hereafter with you and with your Seed r i. e. Your posterity as that word is frequently taken as Gen. 12. 7. Exod. 28. 43. c. after you 10. And with every †Heb. living soul. living Creature that is with you of the Fowl of the Cattle and of every Beast of the Earth with you from all that go out of the Ark to every Beast of the Earth ‖ To wit which shall hereafter be in the Earth So they are distinguished from these which were now with them 11. And * Isai. 54. 9 I will establish my Covenant with you neither shall all Flesh be cut off any more by the Waters of a Flood neither shall there any more be a Flood s i. e An universal deluge For particular inundations there have been whereby Towns and Countries have been overwhelmed with all their inhabitants to destroy the Earth 12. And God said This is the token of the Covenant t This i. e. The bow mentioned in the next verse I appoint to you for a sensible sign and evidence to assure you that I shall perform this Covenant or Promise which I make between me and you and every living Creature that is with you for perpetual Generations 13. I do set ‖ Heb. I have given i. e. I will from time to time give and place my Bow u God calleth it his Bow partly because it was his workmanship and chiefly because it was his pledge and the seal of his promise in the Cloud x A proper seat for it That they might now fetch an argument of Faith from thence whence before they had matter of just fear and that which naturally was and is a sign of Rain might by this new appointment of God be turned into an assurance that there should be no such overflowing Rain as now had been and it shall be for a token of a Covenant between me and the Earth 14. And it shall come to pass when I bring a Cloud over the Earth y Not always but very frequently which is sufficient for this purpose that the Bow shall be seen in the Cloud 15. And I will remember my Covenant which is between me and you and every †Heb. every living Soul in all flesh living Creature of all Flesh and the Waters shall no more become a Flood to destroy all Flesh. 16. And the Bow shall be in the Cloud and I will look upon it that I may remember the Everlasting Covenant z i. e. This Covenant made with all succeeding Generations of men and Beasts This and the like speeches are oft ascribed to God after the manner of Men who being forgetfull need helps for their memory between God and every living Creature of all Flesh that is upon the Earth 17. And God said unto Noah This is the token of the Covenant a The same thing is so oft repeated for the strengthning of the Faith of all men and especially of Noah and his Sons whom the remembrance of that dreadful deluge which they had experience of had made exceeding prone to fears of the like for time to come which I have established between me and all Flesh that is upon the Earth 18. And the Sons of Noah that went forth of the Ark were Shem and Ham and Iapheth And Ham is the Father of †Heb. Chanaan Canaan b Which is here mentioned to make way for the following relation 19. These are the three Sons
they have imagined to do 7. Go to let us m i. e. The blessed Trinity See Gen. 1. 26. go down and there confound their Language n By making them forget their former Language and by putting into their minds several Languages not a distinct Language into each person but into each Family or rather into each Nation that they may not †Heb. hear understand one anothers speech o And thereby be disenabled from that mutual commerce which was altogether necessary for the carrying on of that work 8. So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the Earth p Thus they brought upon themselves the very thing they seared and that more speedily and more mischievously to themselves For now they were not only divided in place but in Language too and so were unfitted for those Consederacies and Correspondencies which they mainly designed and for the mutual Comfort and Help of one another which otherwise they might in good measure have enjoyed And they left off to build the City 9. Therefore is the Name of it called ‖ That is confusion Babel because the LORD did there confound the Language of all the Earth and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the Earth 10. * Chap. 10. 32. 1 Chron. 1. 17. These are the Generations of Shem q Not all of them as appears both from the next verse and from the former Chapter but of those who were the seminary of the Church and the Progenitors of Christ. Shem was an hundred years old and begat Arphaxad two years after the Flood 11. And Shem lived after he begat Arphaxad five hundred years r So that he lived almost all the time of Abraham which was a singular blessing both to himself who hereby saw his Children of the tenth Generation and to the Church of God which by this means enjoyed the Counsel and Conduct of so great a Patriarch and begat Sons and Daughters 12. And Arphaxad lived five and thirty years and begat Salah 13. And Arphaxad lived after he begat Salah four hundred and three years and begat Sons and Daughters 14. And Salah lived thirty years and begat Eber. 15. And Salah lived after he begat Eber four hundred and three years and begat Sons and Daughters 16. * 1 Chro. 1. 19. And Eber lived four and thirty years and begat * called Luk. 3. 35. Phalec Peleg 17. And Eber lived after he begat Peleg four hundred and thirty years s So that he was the longest liv'd of all the Patriarchs which were born after the Flood and begat Sons and Daughters 18. And Peleg lived thirty years and begat Reu. 19. And Peleg lived after he begat Reu two hundred and nine years and begat Sons and Daughters 20. And Reu lived two and thirty years and begat * Luk 3. 35. Saruch Serug 21. And Reu lived after he begat Serug two hundred and seven years and begat Sons and Daughters 22. And Serug lived thirty years and begat Nahor 23. And Serug lived after he begat Nahor two hundred years and begat Sons and Daughters 24. And Nahor t The first Patriarch who fell to Idolatry lived nine and twenty years and begat * Luk. 3. 34. Thara Terah 25. And Nahor lived after he begat Terah an hundred and nineteen years and begat Sons and Daughters 26. And Terah lived seventy years and * Josh. 24. 2. 1 Chro. 1. 26. begat u i. e. Began to beget as Gen. 5. 32 Abram x Who is first named in order of Dignity for which cause Shem is put before Ham and Iapheth and Moses before Aaron not in order of time which seems to be this Haran probably was the eldest because Nahor married his Daughters Nahor the second and Abram certainly was the youngest because Terah Abrams Father lived two hundred and five years ver 32. and Abram after his Fathers Death Acts 7. 4. went out of Haran when he was seventy five years old Gen. 12. 4 5. therefore he was not begotten in Terahs seventieth year when Terah began to beget his Sons as here is said but in his one hundred and thirtieth year and so there remains seventy five years precisely to Abrams departure And Sarai Harans Daughter was but ten years younger than Abram Gen. 17. 17. and therefore Haran was Abrams Elder Brother Nahor and Haran 27. Now these are the Generations of Terah Terah begat Abram Nahor and Haran And Haran begat Lot 28. And Haran died before his Father Terah y i. e. In the presence and during the Life of his Father in the Land of his Nativity in Ur of the Caldees 29. And Abram and Nahor took them Wives The Name of Abrams Wife was Sarai and the Name of Nahors Wife Milcah the Daughter of Haran z Such Marriages of Uncles and Nieces being permitted then Exod. 6. 20. as in the beginning of the World the Marriages of Brethren and Sisters were though afterwards the Church being very much enlarged they were severely forbidden Levit 18. 12 14. the Father of Milcah and the Father of Iscah a Who is either Sarai as the Jews and many others think or rather another person For 1. Why should Moses express Sarai thus darkly and doubtfully Had he meant her he would have added after Iscah this is Sarai according to his manner in like cases Gen. 14. 2 7. and 35. 6. He elsewhere calleth her the Daughter not of his Brother as he should have done had she been Iscah but of his Father by another Mother 30. But Sarai was barren she had no child b See Gen. 16. 1 2. and 18. 11 12. 31. And Terah took Abram his Son c See Ios. 24. 2. Nehem. 9. 7. 1 Chron. 1. 26. Being informed by his Son of the command of God he did not despise it because it came to him by the hands of his inferiour but chearfully obeyeth it and therefore he is so honourably mentioned as the Head and Governour of the Action and Lot the Son of Haran his sons son and Sarai his daughter in law his Son Abrams wife and they went forth with them †i. e. Terab and Abram went with Lot and Sarâ—…i as their Heads and Guides from * Neh. 9. 7. Act. 7. 4. Ur of the Caldees to go into the Land of Canaan and they came unto Haran d Called Charran Act. 7. 4. and by the Romans Carrae a place in Mesopotamia strictly so called in the way to Canaan and near to it well known by Crassus his defeat there See Gen. 24. 10. and 28. 10. and 29. 4. and dwelt e Or rested or abode being detained there for a season peradventure by Terab's disease which begun there for the next verse tells us of his death there 32. And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years and Terah died in Haran CHAP. XII 1.
thoroughly instructed in Religion Gen. 18. 19. and doubtless did willingly embrace it and submit to this Sacrament which is not of thy seed 13 He that is born in thy house and he that is bought with thy Money must needs be Circumcised And my Covenant shall be in your Flesh for an Everlasting Covenant t So it was and is properly in regard of the thing signified to all true Beleivers and for the sign it is so called because it was to endure through all Generations till the coming of the Messias The word Olam here and elsewhere rendred everlasting or for ever being oft used to express not only simple eternity but any long continuance for many ages yea sometimes for a mans Life See Exod. 21. 6. Deut. 15. 17. 1 King 9. 3. 14 And the uncircumcised man-child * Or rather And as for the uncircumcised man-child So the nominative is put absolutely as is frequent in the Hebrew Tongue whose Flesh of his fore-skin is not circumcised u Or Who shall not circumcise the Flesh of his fore-skin For the Hebrew verb may be rendred actively Which seems best here because the punishment seems more justly to belong to the Parent who was guilty of this neglect than to the Child who was not capable of this precept and therefore not guilty of the violation of it And this may further appear from Exod. 4. 24 25. where God seeks to kill not the Child but the Father Moses for this sin And the Flesh of the Childs Foreskin is rightly called the Flesh of his i. e. The Parents Foreskin because the Child is a part and the possession of his Parent So that this threatning concerns only grown persons and of them only such as shall willfully and unnecessarily neglect this duty For otherwise it was neglected by the Israelites for forty years together in the Wilderness Ios. 5. 7. without any token of Gods displeasure for it that soul shall be cut of from his People x This phrase denotes either 1. An exclusion from fellowship with Gods People and from all the promises priviledges and blessings belonging to them either in this Life or that to come Or rather 2. An untimely and violent death as may be gathered from Exod. 31. 14. to be inflicted by the Magistrate to whom God committed the execution of this as well as other Laws and in case of his neglect and default or the secrecy of the fact by the extraordinary hand of God who sometimes ascribes this act to himself as Levit. 17. 10. and 20. 6. He hath broken my Covenant y That sacred bond which tyed him and me together and by his neglect and contempt of the condition required on his part he hath forfeited the blessing promised on my part 15 And God said unto Abraham as for Sarai thy Wife thou shalt not call her Name Sarai but Sarah z Sarai signifies my Lady or my Princess which confines her dominion to one Family but Sarah signifies either a Lady or Princess simply and absolutely without restriction or the Princess of a multitude the Hebrew letter he being taken out of Hamon and added to her Name as it was to Abrams Name shall her Name be 16 And I will bless her and give thee a Son also of her Yea I will bless her and †Heb. she shall become Nations she shall be a mother of * Chap 35. 11. Nations Kings of people shall be of her 17 Then Abraham fell upon his face and laughed a Through admiration and holy rejoycing at so great a blessing not through unbelief as Sarah did Gen. 18. 12. 13. as appears from Rom. 4. 19 20. And though the outward act was the same in both yet God discerned their differing dispositions and intentions therein and said in his heart shall a Child be born unto him that is an hundred years old and shall Sarah that is ninety years old bear 18 And Abraham said unto God O that Ishmael might live before thee b Grant O Lord that the giving of one Son may not be joyned with the taking away of another that Ishmael may faithfully serve thee and may have a share in thy favour and gracious Covenant For this seems to be the meaning of this phrase of living before God or in Gods presence by comparing a parallel phrase of walking before God ver 1. and elsewhere and an opposite phrase from thy face shall I be hid Gen. 4. 14. 19 And God said * Chap. 18. 10. and 21. 2. Sarah thy Wife shall bear thee a Son indeed and thou shalt call his name Isaac c Which signifies laughter not from Sarahs laughter which as yet had not happened but from Abrams past laughter ver 17. and future joy in his Son and I will establish my Covenant with him for an Everlasting Covenant and with his seed after him 20 And as for Ishmael I have heard thee ‖ To wit in part or so far as is here expressed and probably as to the chief blessing of the Covenant to wit the forgiveness of his sins and eternal Life as the Hebrew Doctors and some others collect from Gen. 25. 17. and from other considerations behold I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and will multiply him exceedingly * Chap. 25. 16. twelve princes shall he beget and I will make him a great nation 21 But my covenant will I establish with Isaac d The Covenant of the promised Seed to come out of his Loins and of Life and Salvation to accrue to himself and to his posterity by vertue of that Seed In comparison whereof God speaks slightly of all the Temporal blessings conferred upon Ishmael though in themselves they were great and glorious By which it may sufficiently appear that Abrahams Faith whereby he is said to be justified Rom. 4. Had a farther reach in it than to his own immediate Child even to the Messias whose Day therefore Abraham is said to have seen Ioh. 8. 56. whom Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year 22 And he left of talking with him and God went up e To Heaven in a visible manner as it seems he conversed with him in some visible shape Compare Gen. 35. 13. Iudg. 13. 20. from Abraham 23 And Abraham took Ishmael his Son and all that were born in his house and all that were bought with his money every male among the men of Abrahams house and circumcised the flesh of their fore-skin f Partly by his own hand and partly by the help of others whom he by Divine instinct called to and directed in that work in the self-same day g In which God appeared to him and gave the command So he made hast and delayed not to execute Gods command And his Servants also yielded a ready and chearful obedience to this severe and painful precept being moved thereunto by Abrahams example and soveraign Authority by
and said unto his father Bless me even me also O my Father p i. e. Thou art my Father no less than his and therefore as a child I claim a share in thy blessing 35 And he said Thy brother came with subtilty and hath taken away thy blessing q Which was thine by the right of nature and custom of Nations and by my hearty desire and intention as well as by thy own expectation and opinion 36 And he said * chap. 25. 26. Is not he rightly named ‖ That is a supplanter Jacob r He puts a perverse construction upon Iacobs name as if it belonged not to him so properly because of the manner of his Birth as because of his falseness and deceitfulness and his tripping up his Brothers heels for he hath supplanted me these two times * chap. 25. 33. he took away my Birth-right s A false Accusation Iacob did not take it deceitfully but Esau sold it profanely and behold now he hath taken away my blessing and he said Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me 37 And Isaac answered and said unto Esau Behold I have made him thy lord and all his brethren have I given to him for servants and with corn and wine have I ‖ Or supportedâ—… sustained him and what shall I do now unto thee t The blessing of Abraham is not at my disposal but Gods who hath manifested his Mind and Will by my Errour it cannot be divided into several hands nor imparted to one who though my Son yet hath made himself unworthy of it my son 38 And Esau said unto his father Hast thou but one blessing my father u By which words Esau manifests his profane and worldly mind that he esteemed this Blessing but as one among many others equal to it and did not apprehend the true and peculiar excellency and absolute necessity of it and that it was impossible for him or his posterity to be happy without an interest in this covenant and continuance in that Church to which it was appropriated bless me even me also O my father And Esau lift up his Voice * Heb. 12. 17. and wept 39 And Isaac his father answered and said unto him Behold * Ver. 28. Heb. 11. 20. thy dwelling shall be ‖ Or of the fatness the fatness of the earth and of the dew of heaven from above x In a country competently fruitful and refreshed with convenient dews and showers Obj. Thus Esau seems to have the same blessing which was before given to Iacob Ans. 1. Thought it may seem to be the same as to the fertility of the Soil in which divers other parts of the World did and do equal the land of Canaan yet there is an observable difference in the manner of Isaacs expression When he speaks of Esau he onely saith Thy dwelling shall be the fatness c. But when he speaks to Iacob he saith God give thee or shall give thee of the fatness c. which words being as it may seem purposely omitted concerning Esau and so emphatically expressed concerning Iacob seem to intimate especially if compared with many other Scriptures where that phrase is applyed to good men that Esaus fat soil was rather taken by himself then given by God or if given by God to him it was only by his general providence by which he giveth food to all creatures whereas Iacobs fat and fruitful Soil was derived to him and his by Gods special gift as a token of his singular kindness and pledge of greater blessings 2. This is but one branch of the blessing the other part which concerns Dignity and Supâ—…rity is expresly given to Iacob ver 29. and denied to Esau ver 40. 40 And by thy sword shalt thou live y By violence and rapine in an unquiet and military posture troubling others and forced to defend thy self But this as also the following clause though spoken to Esau was not fulfilled in him but in his posterity the Edomites whose History makes good this prophecy Thus things spoken and promised to Abraham were fulfilled in his Posterity as Gen. 12. 3. and 22. 18. and shalt serve thy brother and * 2 Sam. 8. 14. 2 King 8. 20. it shall come to pass when thou shalt ‖ Or have mourned or been dejected Ps. 55. 2. have the dominion z When thou shalt grow potent some render the words thus When thou shalt have mourned or groaned as the same word is used Psal. 55. 2. When thou hast oppressed as long as I think fit that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck 41 And Esau hated Jacob b And this hatred was hereditary extending to their Posterity also See Ezek. 35. 5. Amos 1. 11. Obad. v. 10. because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him and Esau said in his heart c Within himself Although he could not contain it there but declared his intentions to some of his confidents by which meaâ—…s it came to Rebekahs ear The days of mourning for my father are at hand * Obad. 10. then will I slay my brother Jacob. 42 And these words of Esau her elder Son were told to Rebekah and she sent and called Jacob her younger son and said unto him Behold thy brother Esau as touching thee doth comfort himself purposing to kill thee 43 Now therefore my son obey my voice and arise flee thou to Laban my brother to Haran 44 And tarry with him * chap. 29. 20. a few days d So she expected and intended but was greatly disappointed for he tarried there twenty years until thy brothers fury turn away 45 Until thy brothers anger turn away from thee and he forget that which thou hast done to him then I will send and fetch thee from thence Why should I be deprived ‖ Or even also of you both in one day e Of thee by Esaus bloody hands and of Esau who was likely to suffer death for his murder either by the Authority of the Magistrate as God commanded Gen. 9. 6. or by the hand of God who oft-times supplies the Magistrates defects in that particular and in some extraordinary manner executes this vengeance See Gen. 4. 11 16. Acts 28. 4. 46 And Rebekah said to Isaac * chap. 26. 35. I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth †Esaus wives who were Hittites Gen. 26. 34. if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth such as these which are of the daughters of the land what good shall my life do me f Therefore let us after the Example of Abraham send him to fetch a wife from his own Kindred This indeed was one reason but the other she conceals from Isaac thus prudently alledging several reasons one to Iacob and another as it is probable to Esau and each most sutable to the person to whom she speaks CHAP. XXVIII 1
and well with the flocks and bring me word again so he sent him out of the vale of Hebron and he came to Shechem 15 And a certain man found him and behold he was wandring in the field and the man asked him saying What seekest thou 16 And he said I seek my brethren tell me I pray thee where they feed their flocks 17 And the man said they are departed hence for I heard them say Let us go to Dothan q A place not very far from Shechem where afterwards a City was built See 2 King 6. 13. And Joseph went after his brethren and found them in Dothan 18 And when they saw him afar off even before he came near unto them they conspired against him to slay him 19 And they said one to another Behold this †Heb. Master of dreams dreamer r Heb. this master of dreams this crafty dreamer that covers his own ambitious designs and desires with pretences or fictions of dreams cometh 20 Come now therefore and let us slay him and cast him into some pit s Partly as unworthy of burial partly to cover their villanous action and partly that they might quickly put him out of their sight and minds and we will say some evil beast hath devoured him t There being great store of such creatures in those parts See 1 King 13. 24. 2 King 2 24. and we shall see what will become of his dreams 21 And * chap. 42. 22. Reuben heard it and he delivered him u He did so as to the violent and certain dispatch of his life which was intended Or the act is here put for the purpose and endeavour of doing it in which sence Balak is said to fight against Israel Jos. 24. 9. and Abraham to offer up Isaac Heb. 11. 17. So here he delivered him i. e. used his utmost power to deliver him that so he might recover his fathers favour lost by his incestuous action out of their hands and said Let us not kill him 22 And Reuben said unto them Shed no blood but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness and lay no hand upon him That he might rid him out of their hands to deliver him to his father again 23 And it came to pass when Joseph was come unto his brethren that they stript Joseph out of his coat his coat of many ‖ Or pieces colours that was on him 24 And they took him and cast him into a pit and the pit was empty there was no water in it 25 And they sate down to eat bread x To refresh themselves their consciences being stupified and their hearts hardned against their brother notwithstanding all his most passionate intreaties to them Gen. 42. 21. and they lift up their eyes and looked and behold a company of * See v. 28 36. Ishmeelites y The Posterity of Ishmael See Gen. 25. 18. came from Gilead z A famous place for balm and other excellent commodities and for the confluence of Merchants See Ier. 8. 22. and 22. 6. with their camels bearing spicery and balm a Or rosin as the antient and divers other translatours render it and myrrhe going to carry it down to Egypt 26 And Judah said unto his brethren What profit is it if we flay our brother b If we suffer him to perish in the pit when we may sell him with advantage and conceal his bloud c i. e. His death as the word blood is oft used See Deut. 17. 8. 2 Sam. 1. 16. and 3. 28. 27 Come and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites and let not our hand be upon him for he is our brother and our flesh and his brethren †Heb. hearkned were content 28 Then there passed by Midianites d This story seems a little involved and the persons to whom he was sold doubtful Here seem to be two if not three sorts of Merchants mentioned Ishmaelites and Midianites here and Medanites as it is in the Hebrew ver 36. which were a distinct people from the Midianites as descending from Medan when the Midianites descended from Midian both Abrahams Sons Gen. 25. 2. The business may be accommodated divers ways either 1. the same persons or people are promiscuously called both Ishmaelites and Midianites as they also are Iudg. 8. 1 24 28. either because they were mixed together in their dwellings and by marriages or because they were here joyned together and made one Caravan or company of merchants And the Text may be read thus And the Midianite merchant-men either the same who are called Ishmaelites ver 27. or others being in the same company with them passed by and they i. e. not the Merchant-men but Iosephs brethren spoken of ver 27. the relative being referred to the remoter antecedent as it is frequently in the Scripture liâ—…t up Ioseph and sold him to the Ishmaelites or Midianites c. or 2. the persons may be distinguished and the story may very well be conceived thus The Ishmaelites are going to Egypt and are discerned at some distance by Iosephs brethren while they were discoursing about their brother In the time of their discourse the Midianites who seem to be coming from Egypt coming by the pit and hearing Iosephs cries there pull him out of the pit and sell him to the Ishmaelites who carry him with them into Egypt There they sell him to the Medanites though that as many other historical passages be omitted in the sacred story And the Medanites or Midianites if you please onely supposing them to be other persons then those mentioned ver 28. which is but a fair and reasonable supposition sell him to Potiphar Merchant-men and they drew and lift up Joseph out of the pit and * Psal. 105. 17. Wisd. 10. 13. Act. 7. 9. sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for * See Mat. 27. 9. twenty pieces of silver and they brought Joseph into Egypt 29 And Reuben returned unto the pit e That according to his brethrens order ver 27. he might take him thence and sell him and behold Joseph was not in the pit and he rent his clothes f As the manner was upon doleful occurrences See below ver 34. Numb 14. 6. Ezra 9. 3. Iob 1. 20. and 2. 12. 30 And he returned unto his brethren and said The child g So he calls him comparatively to his brethren though he was 17 years old ver 2. is not h i. e. Is not in the land of the living or is dead â—…s that phrase is commonly used as Gen. 42. 13 36. compared with Gen. 44. 20. Iob 7. 21. Ier. 31. 15. Lam. 5. 7. Mat. 2. 18. and I whither shall I go i Either to find the child or to flee from our father He is more solicitous then the rest because he being the eldest brother his father would require Ioseph at his hand and being so highly incensed against him for his former
u This looks like a lye for Iacob either did not know this fact or rather was so well assured of Iosephs clemency and goodness that he never feared his revenge But guilt doth so awaken fear that it makes a man never to think himself secure saying 17 So shall ye say unto Joseph Forgive I pray thee now the trespass of thy brethren and their sin for they did unto thee evil And now we pray thee forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father x For whose sake pardon those that joyn with thee in his worship And Joseph wept y Partly in Compassion to their fear and trouble And partly because they still retained a diffidence in his kindness after all his great and real demonstrations of it when they spake unto him 18 And his brethren also went and fell down before his face and they said Behold we be thy servants z Ready and willing to undergo that servitude into which we so wickedly sold thee 19 And Joseph said unto them * chap. 45. â—… Fear not for am I in the place of God a It is Gods prerogative to take vengeance which I dare not usurp See Deut. 32. 35. Or â—…an I do what I please with you without Gods leave Therefore fear him rather than me and upon your experience of his wonderful care and kindness to you believe that God will not and therefore that I neither can nor will do you any hurt But it is not unusual to put the Hebrew he for halo as it is Gen. 27. 36. 1 Sam. 2. 28. 2 Sam. 23. 19. 1 Kings 16. 31. c. and so the words may be very well rendred Aâ—… not I 〈◊〉 God i. e. Subject to his will a minister of his Providence Dare I destroy those whom God so eminently designed to save Dare I punish those whom God hath pardoned 20 But as for you ye thought evil against me b Therefore I do not excuse your guilt though I comfort you against despondency but God meant it unto good to bring to pass as it is this day to save much people alive 21 Now therefore fear ye not I will nourish you and your little ones c Expect not onely a free pardon from me but all the kindness of a loving brother And he comforted them and spake †Heb. to their hearts kindly unto them 22 And Joseph dwelt in Egypt he and his fathers house and Joseph lived an hundred and ten years 23 * Numb 32. 39 And Joseph saw Ephraims children of the third generation d Reckoning from and after Ephraim i. e. Ephraims Grand-childrens children So early did Ephraims priviledge above Manasseh appear and Iacobs blessing Gen. 48. 19. take place the children e Heb. Sons For though he had but one Son viz. Giiead by his first wife yet he married a second Wife and by her had two other Sons 1 Chron. 7. 16. which Ioseph lived long enough to â—…ee Or under the name of children his grandchildren also might be comprehended So there is no need of that Enallage of Sons for one Son which we meet with in other places also of Machir the son of Manasseh were †Heb. born brought up upon Josephs knees f Laid upon Iosephs lap or knees where Parents use ofttimes to take up and repose their Infants to express their love to them and delight in them And some observe that it was an antient custom in divers Nations that the Infant as soon as it was born was laid upon the Grandfathers knees So it is an Ellipsis whereby one word is put for two or under one Verb. See more of this phrase on Gen. 30. 3. and 48. 12. 24 And Joseph said unto his brethren * Heb. 11. 22. Exod. 3. 16. I die and God will surely visit you g i. e. Deliver you out of this place where I foresee you will be hardly used after my decease or fulfill his promised kindness to you as that word is used Gen. 21. 1. Exod. 4. 31. There is a double visitation oft mentioned in Scripture the one of Grace and Mercy which is here meant the other of Justice or Anger as elsewhere and bring you out of this land unto the land * chap. 15. 14. and 26. 3. and 35. 1â—… and 46. 4. which he sware to Abraham to Isaac and to Jacob. 25 And Joseph took an oath h For the same reason which moved Iacob to require an Oath from him Gen. 47. 30 31. of the children of Israel i He saith not of his brethren but of Israels children under which his Grandchildren are comprehended and seem principally intended here either because his brethren were most of them dead or rather because he knew that they were not to go out of Egypt in his brethrens time but in their second or third Generation saying * Exod. 13. 19. Josh. 24. 32. Acts 7. 16. God will surely visit you and ye shall carry up my bones k i. e. My dead body but he mentions onely his bones because part of his body was corrupted and the other part though preserved from corruption by the embalming yet was so changed and adulterated with the Spices and other materials which they used that it looked like another thing Onely his bones remained intire and unchanged Quest. Why did he not desire to be presently carried thither and buried there as his father did Answ. 1. Lest he should disoblige the Egyptians and provoke them against his brethren and children The removal of his Father thither was necessary and forced from him by an Oath but the order for the removal of himself would have been voluntary and designed and therefore could not have escaped the censure of an ungrateful contempt of the Land of Egypt which as it was thought good enough for him and his to live in should have been judged so too for his burial 2. That by these his remains his memory might be the longer and better preserved both with the Egyptians who for his sake might shew kindness to his near Relations and with the Israelites to whom this was a visible pledge of their deliverance and an help to their Faith and an obligation to them to persist in the true Religion hence 26 So Joseph died being an hundred and ten years old l So for about Thirteen years of affliction he enjoyed Eighty years of Honour and as much Happiness as Earth could afford him â—…nd they imbalmed him and he was put in a coffin in Egypt ANNOTATIONS ON EXODUS The ARGUMENT AFter the Death of Joseph who had sent for his Fathers house into Egypt the Children of Israel exceedingly multiplied notwithstanding Pharaoh's cruel oppressing of them from under which God hearing their cry brought them with a strong hand Wherefore this book is called by the Greeks Exodus i. e. a going forth containing an historical accompt of passages for about one hundred and
z Neither the friends of the party stain nor the Magistrate shall give him a pardon or accept a ransom for him Numb 35. 31. 13 And if a man lie not in wait a If it appear that the manslayer did not intend nor desire it but onely it fell out by his heedlesness or by some casualty but God deliver him into his hand b By some special unexpected providence or God and not man God without the mans contrivance or design for otherwise in a general sence and way God delivered Christ into the hands of Iudas and the Iews who did advisedly and maliciously kill him then * Deut. 19. 3. Josh. 20. 2. I will appoint thee a place whither he shall flee c i. e. A city or place of refuge Numb 35. 11. Deut. 19. 5. 14 But if a man come presumptuously d i. e. Do this proudly boldly purposely and malitiously for so the word signifies upon his neighbour to slay him with guile * 1 Kin. 2. 28. thou shalt take him from mine Altar e Which not onely in the wilderness but afterward seems to have been esteemed a place of refuge 1 King 1. 50. as it also was among the Heathens But God so far abhors murder that he will rather venture the pollution of his own Altar than the escape of the murderer See 2 King 11. 15. that he may die 15 And he that smiteth e Either 1. So as is before mentioned ver 12. so as they die And to smite sometimes signifies to kill as Gen. 4. 15. 2 King 14. 5. compared with 2 Chron. 25. 3. And this may be here added by way of distinction q. d. That killing of another man which is punished with death must be done presumptuously but the killing of parents though not done presumptuously is a capital crime Or 2. the meer smiting of them to wit wilfully and dangerously Nor will any think this law too severe that considers that this is an act full of horrid impiety against God who hath so expresly and emphatically commanded children to honour their Parents of highest and most unnatural ingratitude and utterly destructive to humane Society his father or his mother shall be surely put to death 16 And he that stealeth a man and selleth him or if he be found in his hand f i. e. In the man-stealers hand q. d. though he keep him in his own hands for his own use for still it is a theft and he is made that mans slave and it is in his power to sell him to another when he pleaseth and therefore deserves death he shall surely be put to death 17 And * Lev. 20. 9. Prov. 20. 20. Mat. 15. 4. Mar. 7. 10. he that †Or revileth curseth ‖ Or revileth to wit wilfully malitiously obstinately against all admonition by comparing Deut. 21. 18. his father or his mother shall surely be put to death 18 And if men strive together and one smite †Or his neighbour another with a stone g Or any other instrument fit for such a mischievous purpose An usual Synecdoche or with his fist and he die not but keep his bed 19 If he arise again and walk abroad upon his staff then shall he that smote him be quit only he shall pay for †Heb. ceasing the loss of his time h i. e. Of the profit which he could or commonly did make of his time in the way of his calling and shall cause him to be throughly healed i i. e. Pay the charges of the cure 20 And if a man smite his servant k Namely a stranger for an Israelite was to be better used See Lev. 25. 39 40. c. or his maid with a rod l A fit and usual instrument for correction whereby it is implyed that if he kill'd him with a sword or any such weapon he was to die for it and he die under his hand m i. e. Whilest the master is correcting him he shall be surely †Heb. avenged punished n Not with death for then it would have been said so as it is before and after but as the Magistrate or Judge shall think fit according to the diversity of circumstances and therefore no particular punishment is set down 21 Notwithstanding if he continue a day or two he shall not be punished for he is his money o i. e. His possession bought with his mony and therefore 1. had a power to chastise him according to his demerit which might be very great 2. is sufficiently punished with his own loss 3. may be presumed not to have done this purposely and maliciously 22 If men strive and hurt a woman with child p To wit the wife of the other person who interposed her self to succour her husband so that her fruit depart from her and yet no mischief follow q Neither to the woman nor child for it is generally expressed so as to reach both in case the abortive had life in it he shall be surely punished according as the womans husband will lay upon him and he shall pay as the Judges determine r The husband shall impose the fine and if it be unreasonable the Judges shall have a power to moderate it 23 And if any mischief s Either to the mother or to the child whether it be death or any maime or mischief follow then ‖ Who Ans. Not the private person which would have introduced infinite mischiefs and confusions but the Magistrate for these laws are given to Moses and the execution of these things was committed to Moses and others under him thou shalt give life for life 24 * Lev. 24. 2â—… Deut. 19. 21. Mat. â—… 38. Eye for eye t This is called the law of retaliation and from hence the heathen Lawgivers took it and put it into their laws But though this might sometimes be practised in the letter yet it was not necessarily to be understood and executed so as may appear 1. by the impossibility of the just execution of it in many cases as when a man that had but one eye or hand was to lose the other which to him was a far greater mischief then what he did to his neighbour whom he deprived but of one of his eyes or hands And this is a sure and righteous rule Punishments may be less but never should be greater than the fault And how could a wound be made neither bigger nor less than that which he inflicted 2. by comparing this with other laws wherein a compensation is allowed in like cases as ver 18 30. And when it is enjoyned that no satisfaction shall be taken for the life of a wilful murderer Numb 35. 31. it seems therein implyed that satisfaction may be taken for lesser injuries And indeed the payment of such a price as the loss of an eye or hand or foot required though it might not so
His family as Gen. 7. 1. to wit the Priests and Levites See Numb 1. 49. 7 And he shall take the two goats and present them before the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation 8 And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats one lot for the LORD m For the Lords use and service by way of sacrifice Both this and the other Goat typified Christ this in his death and passion for us that in his Resurrection for our deliverance and the other lot for the †Heb. Azazel scape-goat 9 And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the LORDS lot †Heb. went up fell n So the lot is said to fall Ionah 1. 7. Act. 1. â—…6 Heb. went up to wit out of the vessel into which the lots were put and out of which they were brought up and offer him foâ—… a sin-offering 10 But the goat on which the lot fell to be the scape-goat shall be presented alive before the LORD to make an atonement with him o In manner hereafter expressed ver 21. 22. and to let him go for a scape-goat into the wilderness 11 And Aaron shall bring the bullock p Mentioned in general ver 6. The ceremonies whereof are here particularly described This was a differing bullock or heifer from that Numb 19. as appears by comparing the places of the sin offering which is for himself and shall make an atonement for himself and for his house and shall kill the bullock of the sin offering which is for himself 12 And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar q To wit of burnt-offering where the fire was alwayes burning and whence fire was taken for such uses as these before the LORD and his hands full of sweet incense r Of which see Exod. 30. 34 35 38. beaten small and bring it within the vail s i. e. Into the Holy of holieâ—… ver 2. 13 And he shall put the incense upon the fire t Which was in the censer ver 12. before the LORD that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy-seat that is upon the testimony that he die not u For so gross an errour committed in the highest acts of worship and that by an High-Priest whose knowledge and function was a great aggravation to his sin 14 And * Heb. 9. 13. and 10. 4. he shall take of the blood of the bullock and * chap. 4. 6. sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy-seat x To teach us that God is mercifull to sinners onely through and for the blood of Christ. eastward y i. e. With his face east-ward or upon the eastern part of it towards the people who were in the court which lay east-ward from the Holy of holies which was the most western part of the Tabernacle This signified that the High-priest in this act represented the people and that God accepted it on their behalf and before the mercy-seat z On the ground shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times 15 Then shall he kill a Either this was done before he entred into the Holy of holies though it be mentioned after such trans-placings of passages being not unusual or rather he went out of the Holy of holies and killed it and then returned thither again with its blood and this agrees best with the text nor are transpositions to be allowed without necessity And whereas the High-priest is said to be allowed to enter into that place but once in a year that is to be understood but one day in a year though there seems to have been occasion of going in and coming out more than once upon that day the goat of the sin-offering that is for the people and bring his blood within the vail and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock and sprinkle it upon the mercy-seat and before the mercy-seat 16 And he shall make an atonement for the holy place b Of which see below ver 19 20. and Exod. 29. 36. Lev. 8. 15. Heb. 9. 13. because of the uncleannesses of the children of Israel c For though the people did not enter into that place yet their sins entred thither and would hinder the effects of the High-priests mediation on their behalf if God was not reconciled to them and because of their transgressions in all their sins and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation that †Heb. dwelleth remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleannesses d Encompassed with their sins being in the midst of a sinfull people who defile not themselves onely but also Gods Sanctuary as God complains Ezek. 23. 38 39. 17 * Luk. 1. 10. And there shall be no man in the tabernacle †Heb. of meeting Exod. 29. 42. of the congregation e i. e. In the holy place where the Priests and Levites were at other times This was commanded for the greater reverence to the Divine Maiesty then in a more special manner appearing and that none of them might cast an eye into the Holy of holies as the High-priest went in or came out when he goeth in to make an atonement in the holy place untill he come out and have made an atonement for himself and for his houshold and for all the congregation of Israel 18 And he shall go out unto the altar f To wit the altar of incense where the blood of sacrifices was to be put Levit. 4. 4. and particularly the blood of the sin-offerings offered upon this day of atonement Exod. 30. 10. and which is most truly and properly said to be before the Lord i. e before the place where God in special manner dwelt to wit the Holy of holies Some understand it of the altar of burnt-offerings because he is said to go out to it But that going out relates not to the Tabernacle but to the Holy of holieâ—… into which he was said to go in ver 17. Add to this that this 〈◊〉 which is atoned by the High-priest seems to be in that place where he onely might now come and therefore in the Holy place called here the Tabernacle from which all other priests were for this day excluded whereas the altar of burnt-offerings was without the Holy place or Tabernacle to wit at the door of it and in the court of the Priests that is before the LORD and make an atonement for it and shall take of the blood of the bullock and of the blood of the goat and put it upon the horns of the altar round about 19 And he shall sprinkle of the blood upon it with his finger seven times g To signify its perfect cleansing seven being a number of perfection and our perfect reconciliation by the blood of Christ here represented and cleanse it and hallow it from the uncleannesses of the
that day shall the priest make an atonement for you to cleanse you that ye may be clean from all your sins before the LORD 31 It shall be a sabbath of rest y Observed as a sabbath day by cessation from all worldly and servile works and diligent attendance upon Gods worship and service unto you and ye shall afflict your souls by a statute for ever 32 * And the priest whom he shall anoint z Heâ—… i. e. either God who commanded him to be anointed as men are oft said to do what others do by their command or the High-priest who was to anoint his successour Or the third person is here put indefinitely or impersonally for who shall be anointed chap. 4. 3 5 6. and whom he shall †consecrate to minister in Heb. fill his â—…d the priests office in his fathers stead shall make the atonement and shall put on the linen clothes even the holy garments 33 And he shall make an atonement for the holy sanctuary and he shall make an atonement for the tabernacle of the congregation and for the altar and he shall make an atonement for the priests and for all the people of the congregation 34 And this shall be an everlasting statute unto you to make an atonement for the children of Israel for all their sins * once a year And he Exod 30 10. â—…b 9. 7. did as the LORD commanded Moses CHAP. XVII 1 AND the LORD spake unto Moses saying 2 Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons and unto all the children of Israel and say unto them This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded saying 3 What man soever there be of the house of Israel that killeth a Not for common use or eating for such beasts might be killed by any person or in any place but for sacrifice as manifestly appears both from ver 4. where that is expressed and from the reason of this law which is peculiar to sacrifices ver 5. and from Deut. 12. 5 15. 21. an oxe or lamb or goat in the camp b In Canaan the city answered to the camp and so it forbids any mans doing this either in the city or in the country or that killeth it out of the camp b In Canaan the city answered to the camp and so it forbids any mans doing this either in the city or in the country 4 And bringeth it not unto the door of the tabernacle c This was appointed partly in opposition to the heathens who sacrificed in all places partly to cut off occasions of Idolatry partly to prevent the peoples usurpation of the Priests office and partly to signify that God would accept of no sacrifices but through Christ and in the Church of both which the Tabernacle was a type See Heb. 9. 11. and according to his own prescript But though men were tyed to this law God was free to dispense with his own law which he did sometimes to the Prophets as 1 Sam. 7. 9. and 11. 15. c. and afterwards more fully and generally in the days of the Messiah Mal. 1. 11. Ioh. 4. 21 24. of the congregation to offer an offering unto the LORD before the tabernacle of the LORD blood shall be imputed unto that man d He shall be esteemed and punished as a murderer both by God and by men See Isa. 66. 3. The reason is because he sned that blood which though not mans blood yet was as pretious being sacred and appropriated to God and typically the price by which mens lives were ransomed he hath shed blood and that man shall be cut off from among his people e By death either by the hand of God in case men do not know it or neglect to punish it or by men if the fact was publick and evident 5 To the end that the children of Israel may bring their sacrifices which they f Either 1. the Egyptians and other idolatrous nations which commonly sacrificed to Idols or Devils in fields or any places who are not here named but may be designed by the particle they in way of contempt as if they were not worthy to be named as that particle is used Luk. 14. 24. and 19. 27. Ioh. 7. 11. and 8. 10. Or rather 2. the Israelites now mentioned and plainly understood in the following they who before the building of the Tabernacle took the same liberty herein which the Gentiles did from which they are now restrained offer in the open field even that they may bring them unto the LORD unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation unto the priest and offer them for peace-offerings g He nameth these not exclusively to others as appears from the reason of the law and from ver 8 9. but especially because in these the temptation was more common in regard of their frequency and more powerful because part of these belonged to the offerer and the pretence was more plausible because their sanctity was something of a lower degree than others these being onely called holy and allowed in part to the people when the other are called most holy and were wholly appropriated either to God or to the Priests unto the LORD 6 And the priests shall sprinkle the blood h This verse contains a reason of the foregoing law because of Gods propriety in the blood and fat wherewith also God was well pleased and the people reconciled And these two parts onely are mentioned as the most eminent and peculiar though other parts also were reserved for God upon the altar of the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation and burn the fat for a * Exod. 29. 18. chap. 4. 31. sweet savour unto the LORD 7 And they shall no more offer their sacrifices unto devils i So they did not directly or intentionally but by construction and consequence because the Devil is the author of idolatry and is eminently served pleased and honoured by it And as the Egyptians were notorious for their Idolatry as appears by the testimony of Scripture and of all antient writers so the Israelites were infected with their leaven Ios. 24. 14. Ezek. 20. 7. and 23. 2 3. And the name of Devils is commonly given in Scripture to Idols yea even to those which seemed most innocent as to Ieroboams Calves 2 Chron. 11. 15. by which he and the people designed and professed to worship the true God as is manifest from the nature of the thing and from many places of Scripture and the worshippers of Idols are esteemed and called worshippers of Devils See Deut. 32. 17. Psal. 106. 37. 1 Cor. 10. 20. Rev. 9. 20. The Hebrew word rendred Devils signifies goats either because goats were eminently worshipped by the Egyptians as Herodotus Strabo and others note and diverse of the Idols of the Heathens were of that or a like form or because the Devil did oft appear to the Heathens in that shape as their own
devoted which shall be devoted of men y Not by men as some would elude it but of men for it iâ—… manifest both from this and the foregoing verses that men here are not the persons devoting but devoted Quest. Was it then lawful for any man or men thus to devote another person to the Lord and in pursuance of such vow to put him to death Ans. This was unquestionably lawful and a duty in some cases when persons have been devoted to destruction either by Gods sentence as Idolaters Exod. 22. 20. Deut. 23. 15. the Canaanites Deut. 20. 1â—… the Amalekites Deut. 25. 19. 1 Sam. 15. 3 26. Benhadad 1 King 20. 42. or by men in pursuance of such a sentence of God as Numb 21. 2 3. and 31. 17. or for any crime of an high nature as Iudg. 21. 5. Ios. 7. 15. But this is not to be generally understood as some have taken it as if a Iew might by vertue of this Text devote his child or his servant to the Lord and thereby oblige himself to put them to death which peradventure was Iepthe's errour For this is expresly limited to all that a man hath or which is his i. e. which he hath a power over But the Iews had no power over the lives of their children or servants but were directly forbidden to take them away by that great command thou shalt do no murder And seeing he that killed his servant casually by a blow with a rod was surely to be punished as is said Exod. 21. 20. it could not be lawful wilfully and intentionally to take away his life upon pretence of any such vow as this But for the Canaanites Amalekites c. God the undoubted Lord of all mens lives gave to the Israelites a power over their persons and lives and a command to put them to death And this verse may have a special respect to them or such as them And although the general subject of this and the former verse be one and the same yet there are two remarkable differences to this purpose The verb is active ver 28. and the agent there expressed that a man shall devote but it is passive ver 29 and the agent undetermined which shall be devoted to wit by God or men in conformity to Gods revealed will 2. The devored person or thing is onely to be sold or redeemed and said to be most holy ver 28. but here it is to be put to death and this belongs onely to men and those such as either were or should be devoted in manner now expressed shall be redeemed but shall surely be put to death 30 And * Gen. 28. 22. Num. 18. 21 24. Mal. 3. 8. 10. all the tithe of the land z There are divers sorts of Tithes but this seems to be understood onely of the ordinary and yearly tithes belonging to the Levites c. as the very expression intimates and the addition of the fifth part in case of redemption thereof implies whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree is the LORDS it is holy unto the LORD 31 And if a man will at all redeem ought of his tithes he shall add thereto the fifth part thereof 32 And concerning the tithe of the herd or of the flock even of whatsoever passeth under the rod ‖ Either 1. the tithers rod it being the manner of the Iews in tithing to cause all their cattel to pass through some gate or narrow passage where the tenth was marked by a person appointed for that purpose and reserved for the Priest Or 2. the shepherds rod under which the herds and flocks passed and by which they were governed and numbred See Ier. 33. 13. Ezek. 20. 37. the tenth shall be holy unto the LORD 33 He shall not search whether it be good or bad neither shall he change it and if he change it at all then both it and the change thereof shall be holy it shall not be redeemed 34 These are the commandments which the LORD commanded Moses for the children of Israel in Mount Sinai ANNOTATIONS ON NUMBERS The ARGUMENT THis Book giveth us an History of almost forty years travel of the children of Israel through the Wilderness where we have an account of their journeys and what happened to them therein with their Government and how they were managed thereby Called Numbers by reason of the several Numbrings of the people as at the offerings of the Princes and at their several journeys c. But especially two One Chap. 1. Out of which the Priests and Levites were excepted but numbred by themselves viz. in the second year after they were come out of Egypt in the first month whereof the Passeover was instituted with the order about the Tabernacle both of the Levites and People and their several marches encampings and manner of pitching their Tents the Priest's maintenance and establishment by the miraculous budding of Aarons rod with the several impediments in their marches both among themselves by several murmurings seditions and conspiracies and from their enemies viz. the Edomites Canaanites over whom having obtained a victory and afterwards murmuring they were stung with fiery Serpents and cured by the brazen one Amorites whose Kings Sihon and Og they overcame and slew and Moabites where by the allurements of Balaam who was hired by Balak to curse Israel they joyned themselves to Baal-peor and are plagued for it that openly opposed them The other chief numbring is in Chap. 26. where they are found almost as many as the first though among them were none of the first numbring according to what God had threatned Chap. 14. save Moses Joshua and Caleb by reason of their desire to return back into Egypt upon the discouraging report of ten of those twelve that Moses sent to spy out the Land whereupon they were forced to wander above 38 years in the wilderness where he gave them several Laws Civil Ecclesiastical and Military as also particular directions about women's inheriting occasioned by the case of Zelophehad's daughters and concerning vows And then brings them back to the borders of Canaan where after divers victories obtained against their enemies they were directed how the Land of Canaan was to be divided among the Tribes and what portion the Levites were to have among them together with six cities of Refuge set apart for the Man-slayer At length Aaron being dead and Eleazar placed in his stead and Moses also having received the sentence of Death doth by God's appointment deliver up the people unto the charge and conduct of Joshua CHAP. I. 1 AND the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai a Where now they had been a full year or near it as may be gathered by comparing this place with Exod. 19. 1. and 40. 17. and other places in the tabernacle b From the mercy-seat of the congregation on the first day of the second month in the second year after they
the LORD in the wilderness of Sinai and they had no children and Eleazar and Ithamar ministred in the priests office in the sight of Aaron d In the time of Aarons life as this phrase is taken Nâ—…ab â—… 4. See also Psal. 72. 5 17. and under their fathers inspection and direction and as their fathers servants or ministers in the Priests-office for servants are oft described by this phrase of being or standing or 〈◊〉 in the sight or 〈◊〉 of their master their father 5 And the LORD spake unto Moses saying 6 Bring the tribe of Levi near and present them e Offer them to the Lord for his special service This was promised to them before and now actually conferred upon them before Aaron the priest that they may minister unto him 7 And they shall keep his charge f i. e. Aarons charge or those things which are committed principally to Aarons care and oversight and under him and his direction to the Levites and the charge of the whole congregation g i. e. Of all the sacrifices and services which were due to the Lord from all the people and because all the people could not and might not perform them or at least diverse of them in their own persons therefore they were to be performed by some particular persons in their name and stead formerly by the first-born Numb 8. 16. and now by the Levites See Numb 1. 53. and 16. 9. before the tabernacle h Emphatically not within the Tabernacle for the care of these things within the holy place was appropriated to the Priests as the care of the most holy place was peculiar to the High-priest of the congregation to do the service of the tabernacle 8 And they shall keep all the instruments of the tabernacle of the congregation and the charge of the children of Israel i Those things which all the children of Israel are in their several places and stations obliged to take care of though not in their persons yet by others in their stead to do the service of the tabernacle 9 And * chap. 8. 19. thou shalt give the Levites unto Aaron and to his sons they are †Heb. 〈◊〉 giveâ—… wholly given unto him k To attend upon him and observe his orders and case him of part of his burden in things hereafter mentioned out of the children of Israel 10 And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons and they shall wait on their priests office l In their own persons not by the Levites and the stranger m i. e. Every one who is of another family than Aarons yea though he be a Levite See Numb 1. 53. and 16. 40. that cometh nigh n To wit to execute any part of the Priest office shall be put to death 11 And the LORD spake unto Moses saying 12 And I behold * chap. 8. 16 and 18. 6. I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the first-born n Who were Gods propriety by right of Redemption Exod. 13. 12. and to whom the administration of holy things was formerly committed which now was taken away from them either because they had forfeited this priviledge by joyning with the rest of their brethren in the idolatrous worship of the calf or because they were to be mainly concerned in the distribution and management of the inheritances which now they were going to possess and therefore could not be at leisure to attend upon the service of the Sanctuaâ—…y Which made it fit that this work should be committed to other hands And God would not commit it to some other persons in each Tribe which might be an occasion of Idolatry confusion division and contempt of sacred things but to one distinct Tribe which might be intirely devoted to that service and particularly to the Tribe of Levi partly out of his respect to Moses and Aaron branches of this Tribe partly as a recompence of their zeal for God and against Idolaters See Exod. 32. 25 29. Deut. 33. 9. and partly because it was the smallest of the Tribes and therefore most likely to find both employment in and maintenance for the work that openeth the matrix among the children of Israel therefore the Levites shall be mine 13 Because * Exod. 13. 2. Lev. 27. 26. chap. 8. 16. Luk. 2. 23. all the first-born are mine * Exod. 13. 12 15. for on the day that I smote all the first-born in the land of Egypt I hallowed unto me all the first-born in Israel both man and beast mine they shall be I am the LORD o Who may appoint whom I please for my service 14 And the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai saying 15 Number the children of Levi after the house of their fathers by their families every male from a month old p Because at that time the first-born in whose stead the Levites came Numb 8. 16. were offered to God Luk. 2. 22. and to be redeemed Numb 18. 16. And from that time the Levites were consecrated to God and were as soon as they were capable to be instructed in their work Elsewhere they are numbred from twenty five years old when they were entred as novices to part of their work Numb 8. 24. and from thirty years old when they were compleatly admitted to their whole office and upward shalt thou number them 16 And Moses numbred them according to the †Heb. mouth word of the LORD as he was commanded 17 * Gen. 46. 11. Exod. 6. 16. chap. 26. 57. 1 Chron. 6. 1 2. and 23. 6. And these were the sons of Levi by their names Gershon and Kohath and Merari 18 And these are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families Libni and Shimei 19 And the sons of Kohath by their families Amram and Izhar Hebron and Uzziel 20 And the sons of Merari by their families Mahli and Mushi these are the families of the Levites according to the house of their fathers 21 Of Gershon was the family of the Libnite and the family of the Shimite these are the families of the Gershonite 22 Those that were numbred of them according to the number of all the males from a month old and upward even those that were numbred of them were seven thousand and five hundred 23 The families of the Gershonite shall pitch behind the tabernacle westward 24 And the chief of the house of the father of the Gershonite shall be Eliasaph the son of Lael 25 And the charge of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of the congregation shall be the * Exod. 25. 9. tabernacle q Not the boards which belonged to Merari ver 36. but the ten curtains mentioned Exod. 26. 1. and the * Exod. 26. 1. tent r To wit the curtains of goats hair * Exod. 26. 7. 14. the covering thereof s i. e. The coverings of
the day that the LORD commanded Moses and henceforward among your generations 24 Then it shall be if ought be committed by ignorance †Heb from the without the knowledge of the congregation that all the congregation shall offer one young bullock for a burnt-offering r In Lev. 4. the bullock is for a sin-offering here it is for a burnt-offering either because they are different laws as hath been said or because here is added a new penalty to breed the greater caution and diligence in the Israelites who had given many instances and now a fresh and eminent instance of their heedlesness in observing the commands of God and so besides that bullock for a sin-offering which he leaves to be gathered out of Levit. 4. 14. he now requires another bullock for a burnt-offering for a sweet savour unto the LORD with his meat-offering and his drink-offering according to the ‖ Or Ordiâ—… manner and one kid of the goats for a sin offering 25 And the priest shall make an atonement for all the congregation of the children of Israel and it shall be forgiven them for it is ignorance and they shall bring their offering a sacrifice made by fire unto the LORD and their sin offering before the LORD for their ignorance 26 And it shall be forgiven all the congregation of the children of Israel and the stranger that sojourneth among them seeing all the people were in ignorance 27 * Lev. 4. 〈◊〉 And if any soul sin through ignorance then he shall bring a she-goat of the first year for a sin offering 28 And the priest shall make an atonement for the soul that sinneth ignorantly when he sinneth by ignorance before the LORD to make an atonement for him and it shall be forgiven him 29 Ye shall have one law for him that †Heb. dâ—… sinneth through ignorance both for him that is born amongst the children of Israel and for the stranger that sojourneth among them 30 But the soul that doth ought s Understand such things as ought not to be done and things relating to the worship of God †Heb. 〈◊〉 high hand presumptuously t Heb. with an high or lifted up hand i. e. knowingly wilfully boldly resolvedly deliberately designedly So this phrase is elsewhere used See Exod. 14. 8. Lev. 26. 21. Numb 33. 3. Iob 15. 26. Psal. 19. 13. whether he be born in the land or a stranger the same reproacheth the LORD u i. e. He sets God at defiance and exposeth him to contempt as if he were unworthy of any regard and unable to punish transgressors and that soul shall be cut off from among his people 31 Because he hath despised the word of the LORD and hath broken his commandment that soul shall utterly be cut off his iniquity shall be upon him x i. e. The punishment shall be confined to himself and not fall upon the congregation as it will do if they neglect to cut him off 32 And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness they found a man that gathered sticks on the sabbath day y This seems to be added as an example of a presumptuous sin for as the law of the sabbath was plain and positive so this transgression of it must needs be a known and wilful sin 33 And they that found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron and unto all the congregation z i. e. To the Rulers of the congregation who as they represented and governed the congregation are called by the name of the congregation 34 And they a i. e. Moses and Aaron and the 70 Rulers last mentioned put him * Lev. 24. 〈◊〉 in ward because it was not declared what should be done unto him b i. e. In what manner he was to be cut off or by what kind of death he was to die which therefore God here particularly determines otherwise it was known in general that sabbath-breakers were to be put to death from Exod. 31. 14. and 35. 2. 35 And the LORD said unto Moses * Exod. 31 〈◊〉 The man shall be surely put to death all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp 36 And all the congregation brought him without the camp and stoned him with stones as the LORD commanded Moses 37 And the LORD spake unto Moses saying 38 Speak unto the children of Israel and bid * Deut. 22. 12. Mat. 23. 5. them that they make them fringes b These were certain threds or ends of their garments standing out a little further than the rest of their garments left there for this use in the †Heb. wings borders c i. e. in the four borders or quarters as it is Deut. 22. 12. Heb. wings which is oft used for borders or ends as Ruth 3. 9. 1 Sam. 15. 27. and 24. 5 c. of their garments d i. e. Of their upper garment or that wherewith they covered themselves as is expressed Deut. 22. 12. This was practised by the Pharisees in Christs time who are noted for making their borders larger than ordinary Mat. 23. 5. and by Christ himself as may be gathered from Luk. 8. 44. throughout their generations and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband e To make it more obvious to the sight and consequently more serviceable to the use here mentioned Or of a purple colour as the Iewish writers agree whose opinion is the more considerable because it was matter of constant practise among them of blue f. 39 And it shall be unto you for a fringe g It i. e. the ribband shall be unto you i. e. shall serve you for the fringe to wit to render it more visible and notorious by its certain and remarkable and distinct colour whereas the fringe without this was of the same piece and colour with the garment and therefore less observable Or it i. e. the ribband shall be in your fringes or put to your fringes fastened to them that ye may look upon it and remember h That by looking upon it you may remember that your eye may affect your mind and heart all the commandments of the LORD and do them and that ye seek not i Or inquire not for other rules or ways of serving me than I have prescribed you after your own heart and your own eyes k i. e. Neither after the devices and inventions of your own minds or hearts as Nadab and Abihu did when they offered strange fire and as you now did when you pretended to serve and please me by going up the hill and towards Canaan without and against my command nor after the examples or inventions of others which your eyes see as you did when you were set upon worshipping a calf after the manner of Egypt after which ye use to go a whoring l i. e. To depart from me and to prefer your
the congregation to minister unto them a i. e. In their stead and for their good So they were the servants both of God and of the Church which was an high dignity though not sufficient for their ambitious minds 10 And he hath brought thee near to him and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee and seek ye the priesthood also b There being at this time but very few Priests and the profits and priviledges belonging to them being many and great they thought it but fit and reasonable that they or some of the chief of them should be admitted to a share in their work and advantages 11 For which cause both thou and all thy company are gathered together against the LORD c Whose minister and chosen servant Aaron is You strike at God through Aarons sides Compare 1 Sam. 8. 7. Luk. 10. 16. Ioh. 13. 20. and what is Aaron that ye murmure against him 12 And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram d To treat with them and give them as he had done Korah and his company a timely admonition the sons of Eliab which said e Unto the messengers sent to them by Moses We will not come up f To Moses his Tabernacle whither the people used to go up for judgment Men are said in Scripture phrase to go up to places of judgment See Deut. 25. 7. Ruth 4. 1. Ezra 10. 7 8. But because they would not now go up therefore they went down quick into the pit ver 33. 13 Is it a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of a land that floweth with milk and honey g i. e. Out of Egypt a place indeed of great plenty bâ—… to them a place of torment and intolerable slavery They invidiously and scoffingly use the same words wherewith God by Moses commended the land of Canaan to kill us in the wilderness 〈◊〉 make thy self altogether a prince over us 14 Moreover thou hast not brought us into a land that floweth with milk and honey or given us inheritance of fields and vineyards wilt thou †Heb. â—…re out put out the eyes of these men h i. e. Of those who are confederate with us and of all the people who are of our mind Whilst thou make them blind or perswade them that they are blind and that they do not see what is visible to all that have eyes to wit that thou hast deceived them and broken thy faith and promise given to them or wilst thou lead them about like blind men whither thou pleasest one time towards Canaan another time toward Egypt again we will not come up i We will not obey thy summons nor own thy authority 15 And Moses was very wroth k Not so much for his own sake for he had learnt to bear indignities Numb 12. as for Gods sake who was highly dishonoured blasphemed and provoked by these speeches and carriages in which case he ought to be angry as Christ was Mark 3. 5. and said unto the LORD * Gen. 4. 4 5. Respect not thou their offering l i. e. Accept not their incense which they are now going to offer but shew some eminent dislike of it He calls it their offering though it was offered by Korah and his companions because it was offered in the name and by the consent of all the conspiratours for the decision of the present controversie between them and Moses I * Acts 20. 33. have not taken one ass m i. e. Not any thing of the smallest value as an ass was See 1 Sam. 12. 3. from them neither have I hurt one of them n I have never injured them nor used my power to defraud or oppress them as I might have done but which is here implied I have done them many good offices but no hurt therefore their crime is inexcusable because without any cause or provocation on my part 16 And Moses said unto Korah Be thou and all thy company before the LORD o Not in the Tabernacle which was not capable of so many person severally offering incense but at the door of the Tabernacle ver 18. which place is oft said to be before the Lord as Exod. 29. 42. Levit. 1. 11. c. where they might now lawfully offer it by Moses his direction upon this extraordinary occasion and necessity because this work could not be done in that place which alone was allowed for the offering up of incense not onely for its smallness but also because none but Priests might enter to do this work Here also the people who were to be instructed by this experiment might see the proof and success of it thou and they and Aaron to morrow 17 And take every man his censer and put incense in them and bring ye before the LORD every man his censer two hundred and fifty censers thou also and Aaron each of you his censer 18 And they took every man his censer p Which they could easily make in a sleight manner which would suffice for the present purpose and put fire in them q Taken from the Altar which stood in that place Levit. 1. 3 5. for Aaron might not use other fire Levit. 10. 1. And it is likely the remembrance of the death of Nadab and Abihu deterred them from offering any strange fire and laid incense thereon and stood in the door of the tabernacle of the congregation with Moses and Aaron 19 And Korah gathered all the congregation r That they might be witnesses of the event and upon their success which they doubted not of might fall upon Moses and Aaron with popular rage and destroy them And it seems by this that the people were generally incensed against Moses and inclined to Korahs side against them unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation and the glory of the LORD appeared s In the cloud which then shone with greater brightness and Majesty as a token of Gods approach and presence See Exod. 16. 7 10. Levit. 9. 6 23. Numb 20. 6. unto all the congregation 20 And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron saying 21 * Gen. 19. 1â—… 22. Jer. â—… â—… Rev. 18. â—… Separate your selves from among this congregation ‖ To wit Korah and his 250 men and the people whom he â—…athered against Moses and Aaron ver 19. that I may consume them in a moment 22 And they fell upon their faces and said O God * chap. 2â—… â—… Job 12. 2â—… Eccl. 12. â—… Isa. 57. 1â—… Zach. 12. â—… Heb. 12. â—… the God of the spirits t i. e. Of souls as the word spirit in Scripture is oft used as Psal. 31. 5. and 77. 3. Prov. 17. 22. Eccl. 12. 7. Luk. 23. 46. Act. 7. 59. And this is no empty title here but very emphatical and argumentative thus Thou art the maker of spirits Zach. 12. 1. destroy not thy own workmanship
this being no matter of religious priviledge but of common right and agreeable to the Law of nature and practise of wise heathens and for the sojourner among them that every one that killeth any person unawares may flee thither 16 * 〈◊〉 12 14. And if he smite him with an instrument of iron n Wittingly and wilfully though not with premeditated ma lice or design as appears by comparing this with ver 20 21 22 23. so that he die o To wit suddenly not so if he walked abroad afterward Exod. 21. 19 20. he is a murderer the murderer shall surely be put to death p Yea though he were fled into the City of refuge 17 And if he smite him †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with throwing a stone q Heb. with the stone of 〈◊〉 hand i. e. cast by the hand and that knowingly as appears by ver 23. wherewith he may die and he die he is a murderer the murderer shall surely be put to death 18 Or if he smite him with an hand-weapon of wood wherewith he may die and he die he is a murderer the murderer shall surely be put to death 19 The revenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer r Either 1. By himself as the following words shew so it is onely a permission that he may do it without offence to God or danger to himself Or 2. By the Magistrate from whom 〈◊〉 shall demand justice so it is a command as may appear by comparing this with ver 31. and Deut. 19. 12 13. when he meeteth him he shall slay him 20 But * Deut. 19. 11. if he thrust him of hatred or hurl at him by laying of wait that he die t Through sudden passion or provocation Or by 〈◊〉 or unawares 21 Or in enmity smite him with his hand that he die he that smote him shall surely be put to death for he is a murderer the revenger of blood shall slay the murderer when he meeteth him 22 But if he thrust him suddenly s * Exod. 21 1â—… without enmity or have cast upon him any thing without laying of wait 23 Or with any stone wherewith a man may die seeing him not and cast it upon him that he die and was not his enemy neither sought his harm 24 Then u If the man slayer flee to the city of refuge the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the revenger of blood according to these judgments 25 And the congregation shall deliver the slayer out of the hand of the revenger of blood and the congregation shall restore him to the city of his refuge whither he was fled and he shall abide in it x Be confined to it partly to shew the hatefulness of wilful murder in Gods account by so severe a punishment as this in many cases might prove inflicted upon the very appearance of it and partly for the security of the manslayer least the presence of such a person and his conversation among the kindred of the deceased might occasion reproach and blood-shed unto the death of the high priest y Partly because the publick grief for the loss of so publick a person was likely to asswage the private griefs and passions of men the rather because by this example they were minded of their own mortality and thereby withheld from taking vengeance and principally to shew that the death of Christ the true High-Priest whom the others did evidently and eminently represent and typifie is the onely mean whereby sins are pardoned and sinners are set at liberty * Exod. 29. â—… Lev. 4. 3. and 21. 10. which was anointed with holy oyl 26 But if the slayer shall at any time come without the border of his city of refuge whither he was fled 27 And the revenger of blood find him without the borders of the city of his refuge and the revenger of blood kill the slayer he †Heb. 〈◊〉 blâ—…d shall be to 〈◊〉 shall not be guilty of blood z i. e. Not liable to punishment from men though noâ—… free from guilt before God because he kiâ—…s an innocent person as appears from Deut. 19. 10. This God ordained to oblige the man-slayer to abide in his city of refuge See ver 22. 28 Because he should have remained in the city of his refuge until the death of the high priest but after the death of the high priest the slayer shall return into the land of his possession 29 So these things shall be for a statute of judgment unto you throughout your generations in all your dwellings 30 Whoso killeth any person the murderer shall be put to death by the * Deut. 17. 6. and 19. 15. Mat. 18. 16. 2 Cor. 13. 1. Heb. 10. 28. mouth of witnesses but one witness shall not testifie against any person to cause him to die a No Judge shall condemn any man to death upon a single testimony 31 Moreover ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer b No intercession nor ransome shall be accepted to save his life or procure him a pardon which is †Heb. faulty to die guilty of death but he shall be surely put to death 32 And ye shall take no satisfaction for him that is fled to the city of his refuge that he should come again to dwell in the land untill the death of the priest c Whereby God would signifie the absolute and indispensable necessity of Christs death to expiate sin and to redeem the sinner 33 So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are for blood it * Mic. 4. 11. defileth the land and †Heb. there can be no expiation for the land the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein but by the blood of him that sheddeth it d These words are added as a reason not of the last Law ver 32. for in that case the land was cleansed without the blood of the man-slayer but of the Law next foregoing that verse 31. in which case it holds and the sense is if you shall spare the murderer or take any satisfaction for him you do together with your selves involve your Land and People in guilt and will certainly bring down Gods vengeance upon your selves and them 34 Defile not therefore the land which ye shall inherit e Be not cruel to your own Land by making it a den of murderers wherein I dwell for I the LORD dwell among the children of Israel CHAP. XXXVI 1 AND the chief fathers of the families a Who had the care and management of the publick affairs of that Tribe committed to them of the children of Gilead the son of Machir the son of Manasseh of the families of the sons of Joseph came near and spake before Moses and before the princes the chief fathers of the children of Israel 2 And they said * chap. 26. 55. the LORD commanded
Or rather 2. As an evidence of Gods gracious answer to Moses his prayers and of his reconciliation to the people notwithstanding their late and great provocation For saith he after this they proceeded by Gods guidance in their journeys some eminent stages whereof he names for all and though Aaron dyed in one of them yet God made up that breach and Eleazar came in his place and ministred as Priest one branch of which office was to intercede for the people Then saith he God brought them from the barren parts of the wilderness to a land of rivers of waters v. 7. a pleasant and fruitful soil Then he adds God separated the Levites c. v. 8. from Beeroth of the children of Jaakan to * Num. 33. 3â—… Mosera d Obj. This place seems directly contrary to that Numb 33. 31. where their journey is quite contrary to this even from Moseroth to Bene-jaakan This indeed is a great difficulty and prophane wits take occasion to cavil And if a satisfactory answer be not yet given to it by interpreters it ought not therefore to be concluded unanswerable because many things formerly thought unanswerable have been since fully cleared and therefore the like may be presumed concerning other doubts yet remaining And it were much more reasonable to acknowledge here a transposition of the words through the Scribes mistake than upon such a pretence to reject the divine Authority of those sacred books which hath been confirmed by such irresistable Arguments But there is no need of these general pleas seeing particular answers are and may be given to this difficulty sufficient to satisfie modest and impartial enquirers Ans. 1. The places here mentioned are differing from those Numb 33. it being very frequent in Scripture for divers persons and places to be called by the same names and yet the names are not wholly the same for there it is Bene-jaakan and here Beeroth bene-jaakan or Beeroth of the children of Iaakan there Moseroth here Moserah there Hor-hagidgad here Gudgodah there Iotbathah here Iotbath If the places were the same it may justly seem strange why Moses should so industriously make a change in every one of the names And therefore these may be other stations which being omitted in Numb 33. are supplyed here it being usual in sacred Scripture to supply the defects of one place out of another Answ. 2. Admitting these two places to be the same with those Numb 33. 31. yet the journeys are divers They went from Beeroth of the children of Iaacan to Mosera which is omitted in Numbers and therefore here supplyed and then back again from Moserah or Moseroth to Bene-jaakan as is there said for which return there might then be some sufficient reason though now unknown to us as the reasons of many such like things are or God might order it so for his own pleasure and it is not impossible he might do it for this reason that by this seeming contradiction as well as some others he might in just judgment do what he threatned to the Iews Ier. 6. 21. even lay stumbling blocks before prophane and proud wits and give them that occasion of deceiving and ruining themselves which they so greedily seek and gladly embrace which is the reason given by some of the antients why God hath left so many difficulties in Scripture Ans. 3. The words may be otherwise rendred from Beeroth of the children of Iaakan and from Moserah where the order of the places is not observed as was noted before of the order of time v. 1. because it was nothing to the purpose here and because that might be easily fetched from Numb 33. where those journeys are more particularly and exactly described For the conjunction and that may be here wanting and to be supplyed as it is Exod. 6. 23. 1 Sam. 4. 7. Psal. 133. 3. Isa. 63. 11. Hab. 3. 11. And the preposition from is easily supplyed from the foregoing words as is most usual Nor seems there to be any more reason to render it to Moserah than from Moserah seeing the Hebrew letter He in the end is made a part of the proper name and therefore is not local * Num. 20. â—… there Aaron died e Qu. How it is true when Aaron dyed not in Moserah but in Mount Hor Numb 33. 37. Ans. 1. Moserah may be a differing place from Moseroth and that may be the name of a Town or Region in which Mount Hor was or to which it belonged Or the same mountain in respect of divers parts and opposite sides of it might be called by divers names here Moserah and there Hor. And it is possible they might go several journeys and pass to divers stations and by fetching a compass which they oft did in their Wilderness travels come to the other side of the same Mountain Ans. 2. The Hebrew particle soham may here note the time and not the place of Aarons death and may be rendred then as it is taken Gen. 49. 24. Psal. 14. 5. Eccles. 3. 17. Zephan 1. 14. And then is not to be taken precisely but with some latitude as it is oft used in Scripture that is about that time after a few removes more as the words at that time v. 8. must necessarily be understood and there he was buryed and Eleazar his son ministred in the priests office in his stead 7 * Num. 33. 32 â—… From thence e Either 1. From that place and that either from Moseraâ—… last mentioned or from Bene-jaakan for relatives many times in Scripture belong to the remoter antecedent Or 2. From that time for this particle sometimes notes not place but time as 2 King 2. 21. Isa. 65. 20. So the meaning is At or about that time as it is v. 8. which being considered may serve to clear the great difficulty discoursed upon the last verse concerning the seeming contradiction of this place and Numb 33. 31 32. they journeyed unto Gudgodah and from Gudgodah to Jotbath a land of rivers of waters 8 At that time f About that time i. e. when I was come down from the mount as was said v. 5. For these words manifestly look to that verse the 6 and 7. verses being put in by way of parenthesis as was said before Or if it relate to the words immediately foregoing this may be meant of a second separation of them upon Aarons Death and having mentioned the separation of Eleazar to the Office of the high Priest in his Fathers stead v. 6. he now repeats it that the Levites who were his as they had been his Fathers Servants were separated as before or were confirmed in their office * 〈◊〉 3. 6. 〈◊〉 8. 14. the LORD separated the tribe of Levi to bear the ark of the covenant of the LORD to stand before the LORD g A phrase used concerning the Prophets 1 King 17. 1. and 18. 15. this being the posture of Ministers Hence the Angels are said to
may know it to wit judicially or in a publick manner so as both you and others may know and see it that so the justice of his judgments upon you may be more evident and glorious whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. 4 Ye shall walk after the LORD your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice and ye shall serve him h To wit onely as appears from the opposition Compare Deut. 6. 13. with Mat. 4. 10. and * chap. 10. 20. cleave unto him 5 And * chap. 18. 20. Zech. 13. 3. that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put death because he hath †Heb. spoken revolt against the LORD spoken i i. e. Taught or perswaded you to turn you away from the LORD k To forsake God and his worship He shews that the chiefest and most certain character of a true Prophet is to be taken from his doctrine rather than from his miracles your God which brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you out of the house of bondage to thrust thee out of the way l This phrase notes the great force and power of seducers to corrupt mens minds Compare Deut. 4. 19. 2 King 17. 21. Mat. 24. 24. which the LORD thy God commanded to walk in * chap. 22. 21 24. 1 Cor. 5. 13. so shalt thou put the evil m Either 1. that evil thing that wicked doctrine and practise Or 2. that wicked and scandalous man that Idolater and seducer away from the midst of thee 6 * chap. 17. 2. If thy brother the son of thy mother n This is added to restrain the signification of the word brother which is oft used generally for one near akin and to express the nearness of the relation the mothers side being the surest and usually the ground of the truest and most fervent affection See Gen. 20. 12. or thy son or thy daughter o Thy piety must overcome both thy affection to thy nearest relation and thy compassion to the weaker Sex or the wife of thy bosom p Either 1. that is near to thy heart that hath thy dearest love Or rather 2. that lieth in thy bosom as it is expressed Mic. 7. 5. Compare Gen. 16. 5. Prov. 5. 20. Deut. 28. 54. So we read of the husband of her bosom Deut. 28. 56. or thy friend which is as thine own soul q As dear to thee as thy self The father and mother are here omitted not as some fancy because children might not in this nor in any case accuse their parents for certainly they owe more reverence and duty to God who is injured in this case than to their parents and Levi is commended for neglecting his father and mother in this case but because they are sufficiently contained in the former examples for since mens love doth usually descend more strongly than it ascends and the relation of a wife is and ought to be nearer and dearer than of a parent that favour which is denied to wives and children cannot be thought fit to be allowed to parents intice thee r Though it be without success because the very attempt of such an abominable crime deserved death as it is judged in case of treason secretly saying Let us go and serve other gods which thou hast not known thou nor thy fathers s Unknown and obscure and new Gods which greatly aggravates the crime to forsake a God whom thou and thy fathers have long known and had great and good experience of for such upstarts 7 Namely of the gods of the people which are round about you nigh unto thee or far off from thee from the one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth t He armes against the pretence of the universality of this Idol-worship wherewith they were like to be oft assaulted 8 Thou shalt not consent unto him nor hearken unto him neither shall thine eye pity him neither shalt thou spare neither shalt thou conceal him u i. e. Smother his fault hide or protect his person but shalt accuse him to the Magistrate and demand justice upon him which was not to be done in most other criminal causes and no wonder this crime being of a far higher â—…ature than others 9 But * chap. 17. 7. thou shalt surely kill him x Not privately which pretence would have opened the door to innumerable murders but by procuring his death by the sentence of the Magistrate thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death y Thou shalt cast the first stone at him as the witness was to do See Deut. 17. 7. Act. 7. 58. and afterwards the hand of all the people 10 And thou shalt stone him with stones that he die because he hath sought to thrust thee away from the LORD thy God which brought thee from the land of Egypt from the house of †Heb. 〈◊〉 bondage 11 And * chap. 17. 13. all Israel shall hear and fear and shall do no more any such wickedness as this is among you 12 If thou shalt hear say in one of thy cities which the LORD thy God hath given thee to dwell there saying 13 Certain men ‖ Or 〈◊〉 men 1 Sam. â—… 12. and 25. 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 6. 1â—… the children of Belial z A title oft used in Scripture as Iudg. 19. 22. 1 Sam. 1. 16. and 25. 25. 2 Sam. 16. 7. It signifies properly persons without yoke vile and wretched miscreants lawless and rebellious that will suffer no restraint that neither fear God nor reverence man are gone out from among you a i. e. From your Church and Religion It notes a separation or departure from them not in place as appears by their partnership with their fellow Citizens both in the sin and punishment as it here follows but in heart doctrine and worship as the same phrase is used 1 Iob. 2. 19. and have withdrawn the inhabitants of their city saying Let us go and serve other gods which ye have not known 14 Then shalt thou b This is meant of the Magistrate to whose office this properly belongs and of whom he continues to speak in the same manner thou ver 15. and ver 16. inquire and make search and ask diligently and behold if it be truth and the thing certain that such abomination is wrought among you 15 Thou shalt surely smite the inhabitants of that city c To wit all that are guilty not the innocent part such as disowned this Apostacy who doubtless by choice and interest at least upon warning would come out of so wicked and cursed a place with the edg of the sword * Iosh. 6. 1â—… destroying it utterly d The very same punishments which was inflicted upon the cities of the cursed Canaanites to whom having made themselves equal in sin
Either greater or smaller sacrifices all being comprehended under the two most eminent kinds See on Levit. 22. 20 21. wherein is blemish or any evil-favouredness for that is an abomination b i. e. Abhominable as Deut. 18. 12. unto the LORD thy God 2 * chap. 13. â—… If there be found among you within any of thy gates which the LORD thy God giveth thee man or woman c The weakness and tenderness of that Sex shall not excuse her sin nor prevent her punishment that hath wrought wickedness in the sight of the LORD thy God in transgressing his covenant d i. e. In Idolatry as it is explained v. 3. which is called a transgressing of Gods Covenant made with Israel partly because it is a breach of their faith given to God and of that Law which they covenanted to keep and principally because it is a dissolution of their matrimonial Covenant with God a renouncing of God and his worship and service and a chusing other Gods 3 And hath gone and served other gods and worshipped them either the * chap. 4. 1â—… sun or the moon or any of the host of heaven e Those glorious creatures which are to be admired as the wonderful works of God but not to be set up in Gods stead nor worshipped as Gods see Iob 31. 26. By condemning the most specious and reasonable of all Idolatries he intimates how absurd a thing it is to worship stocks and stones the works of mens hands which I have not commanded f i. e. I have forbidden to wit Exod. 20. Such negative expressions are oft emphatical and imply the contrary as Prov. 10. 2. and 17. 21. and 24. 23. 4 And it be told thee g By any person thou shalt not sleight so much as a rumour or flying report of so gross a crime and thou hast heard of it and enquired diligently ‖ By sending messengers examining witnesses c. and behold it be true and the thing certain that such abomination is wrought in Israel 5 Then shalt thou bring forth that man or that woman which have committed that wicked thing unto thy gates even that man or that woman and * Lev. 2â—… â—… shalt stone them with stones till they die 6 * Num. 35. 30. Chap. 19. 15. Matth. 18. 16. Joh. 8. 17. â—… Cor. 13. 1. 1 Tim. 5. 19. Heb. 10. 28. At the mouth h i. e. Upon the Testimony delivered upon oath before the Magistrates of two witnesses or three witnesses i To wit credible and competent witnesses The Jews rejected the Testimonies of Mad-men Children Women Servants familiar Friends or Enemies persons of dissolute lives and evil fame shall he that is worthy of death be put to death but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death 7 * Chap. 13. 9. The hand of the witnesses shall be first upon him k Either laid upon his head to design the person or stretched out to throw the first stone at him God thus ordered it partly for the caution of witnesses that if they had through malice or wrath accused him falsely they might now be afraid to imbrue their hands in innocent blood partly for the security and satisfaction of the people in the execution of this punishment to put him to death and afterward the hand of all the people l Who being all highly and particularly obliged to God are bound to express their zeal for his honour and service and their detestation of all persons and things so highly dishonourable and abominable to him so thou * Chap. 13. 5. shalt put the evil away from among you 8 * Jer. 32. 27. 2 Chro. 19. 10. †Heb. If a matter be bidden from thee chap. 30. 11. 2 Sam. 13. 2. If there arise a matter too hard for thee m He speaks to the inferiour Magistrates who were erected in several Cities as appears by the opposition of these to them at Ierusalem If faith he that thou hast not skill or confidence to determine so weighty and difficult a cause in judgment between blood and blood n i. e. In capital causes in matter of bloodshed whether it be wilful or casual murder whether punishable or pardonable by those laws Exod. 21. 13 20 22 28. and 22. 2. Numb 35. 11 16 19. Deut. 19. 4 10. between plea and plea o In civil causes or suits between plaintifs and defendants about words or Estates and between stroke and stroke p i. e. Either 1. In Ceremonial causes between plague and plague between the true leprosie which is oft times called the plague and the seeming and counterfeit leprosie which was oft times hard to determine And under this as the most eminent of the kind may seem to be contained all ceremonial uncleannesses But this seems not probable 1. Because the final determination of the matter of leprosie is manifestly left to any particular Priest Levit. 13. and 14. 2. because the person suspected of leprosie was not to be brought to Ierusalem to be tryed there but was to be shut up in his own city and house Levit. 13. 4 5. and the Judges at Ierusalem neither could nor would determine his case without once seeing the person 3. Because the case of leprosy was not hard or difficult as those causes are said to be but plain and evident and so particularly and punctually described that the Priest needed onely eyes to decide it Or rather 2. In Criminal Causes concerning blows or wounds inflicted by one man upon another and to be requited to him by the sentence of the Magistrate according to that law Exod. 21. 23 24 25. wherein there might be many cases of great difficulty and doubt about which see the Annotations there being matters of controversie q i. e. Such things or matters of blood and pleas and strokes being doubtful and the Magistrates divided in their opinions about it for if it was a clear cause this was not to be done Some make this an additional clause to comprehend these and all other things thus as if he had said and in general any words or matters of strifes or contentions within thy gates then shalt thou arise and get thee up into the place which the LORD thy God shall chuse r To wit to set up his Worship and Tabernacle or Temple there because there was the abode both of their Sanhedrim or chief Councel which was constituted of Priests and civil Magistrates who were most able to determine all controversies and of the High-Priests who were to consult God by Urim Numb 27. 21. in great matters which could not be decided otherwise 9 And thou shalt come unto the priests the Levites s i. e. Unto the great councel which it is here denominated from because it consisted chiefly of the Priests and Levites as being the best Expositors of the Laws of God by which all those Controversies
mayest eat grapes thy fill at thine own pleasure q Which was allowed in those parts because of the great plenty and fruitfulness of Vines there but thou shalt not put any in thy vessel 25 When thou comest into the standing corn of thy neighbours * Mat. 12. 1. Mar. 2. 23. Luk. 6. 1. then thou mayest pluck the ears with thine hand but thou shalt not move a sickle unto thy neighbours standing corn CHAP. XXIV 1 WHen * Mat. 5. 31. and 19. 7. Mar. 10. 4. a man hath taken a wife and married her and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes a i. e. He dislike and loath her It is a figure called Melosis whereby more is understood than is expressed as Prov. 10. 2. and 17. 21. and 24. 23. because he hath found some †Heb. 〈◊〉 of nakedness chap. 23. 14 uncleanness b Heb. nakedness or shamefulness or filthiness of a thing i. e. some filthy or hateful thing some loathsome distemper of body or quality of mind not observed before Marriage Or some light and unchast carriage as this or the like phrase commonly signifies but not amounting to Adultery which was not punished with divorce but with death in her then let him write her a bill of †Heb. cuttiâ—…g off divorcement and give it in her hand and send her out of his house c Which is not a command to divorce them as some of the Jews understood it nor an allowance and approbation as plainly appears not onely from the New Testment Matth. 5. 31 32. and 19. 8 9. But also from the old Testament Gen. 2. 24. Mal. 2. 16. but meerly a permission or toleration of that practise for prevention of greater mischiefs and cruelties of that hard hearted people towards their Wives and this onely for a season even until the time of reformation as it is called Heb. 9. 10. i. e. till the coming of the Messias when things were to return to their first institution and purest condition The Husband is not here commanded to put her away but if he do put her away he is commanded to write and give her a bill of divorcement before he send her out of his house And though it be true as our Saviour observes that Moses did suffer these divorces to wit without punishing them which also is here implyed yet it must be acknowledged that if we consult the Hebrew words those three first verses may seem to be onely a supposition and the words rendred then let him write her in the Hebrew run thus and hath written her and so it follows ver 2. And she be departed out of his house and be gone and become another mans wife Then follows ver 3. which even according to our translation carries on the supposition And if the later husband hate her c. Then follows the position or prohibition ver 4. 2 And when she is departed out of his house she may go and be another mans wife d For although he could not causelessly put her away without sin yet she being put away and forsaken by her husband might marry another without sin as is determined in the same or a like case 1 Cor. 7. 15. 3 And if the later husband hate her and write her a bill of divorcement and giveth it her in her hand and sendeth her out of his house or if the later husband die which took her to be his wife 4 * Jer. 3. 1. Her former husband which sent her away may not take her again e This is the punishment of his levity and injustice in putting her away without sufficient cause which by this offer he now acknowledgeth to be his wife after that she is defiled f Not simply and absolutely as if her second Marriage were a sin but respectively or as to her first husband to whom she is as a defiled or unclean woman that is forbidden for things forbidden are accounted and called unclean Iudg. 13. 7. because they may no more be touched or used than an unclean thing for that is abomination before the LORD and ‖ Or 〈◊〉 so Gr. thou shalt not cause the land to sin g i. e. Thou shalt not suffer such abhominable lightness and lewdness to be practised least the people be polluted and the land defiled and accursed by that means which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance 5 * chap. â—… â—… When a man hath taken a new wife he shall not go out to war †Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon hiâ—… neither shall he be charged with any business h i. e. Any publick office or employment which may cause an absence from or neglect of his Wife but he shall be free at home one year i That their affections newly engaged may be firmly settled so as there may be no occasions for the divorces last mentioned and shall chear up his wife which he hath taken 6 No man shall take the nether or the upper milstone i Used in their handmills of which see Exod. 11. 5. Numb 11. 28. Ier. 25. 10. Under this one kind he understands all other things necessary to get a livelihood the taking away whereof is against the Laws both of charity and prudence seeing by those things alone he can be enabled both to subsist and to pay his debts to pledge for he taketh a mans †Heb. 〈◊〉 life k i. e. His livelihood or the necessary supports of his life to pledge 7 If a man be found stealing any of his brethren l See on Exod. 21. 16. of the children of Israel and maketh merchandise of him or selleth him then that thief shall die and thou shalt put evil away from among you 8 Take heed in * Lev. 13. 14. the plague of leprosie that thou observe diligently and do according to all that the priests the Levites shall teach you as I commanded them m By which words he plainly intimates that they were not onely to have an eye to the Levites instructions but also and especially unto the word and command of God and that if the Levites sentence were manifestly contrary to the command of God it were not to be obeyed As now if a Levite or Priest should for fear or favour or gain pronounce a person to be clean who were really and manifestly unclean and had the unquestionable marks of leprosie upon him I suppose no man in his wits will question but every man that saw and knew this were bound to avoid the touching of him and that if he did touch him he should be defiled by it so ye shall observe to do 9 Remember what the LORD thy God did * Num. 12. 10. unto Miriam n Whom God smote with leprosie for her contempt of Moses and therefore thou maist expect the same or like punishment if thou dost despise the counsel and direction of the
for I know their imagination which they †Heb. do go about even now c Either their inward inclinations to Idolatry which they do not check as they ought but rather entertain with delight and some of them do not onely cherish it in their hearts but as far as they can and dare secretly practise it as may be gathered from Amos 5. 25. Act. 7. 43. or their secret purposes to allow themselves therein when they are settled in their land which were clearly known to God though it may be not fully evident to themselves before I have brought them into the land which I sware 22 Moses therefore wrote this song the same day and taught it the children of Israel 23 And he gave Joshua the son of Nun a charge and said * Josh. 1. 6. Be strong and of a good courage for thou shalt bring the children of Israel into the land which I sware unto them d This wickedness of theirs which I now foresee and foretell shall not hinder me from bringing them into Canaan and I will be with thee 24 And it came to pass when Moses had made an end of writing the words of this law in a book until they were finished 25 That Moses commanded the Levites e i. e. The Priests ver 9. who also were Levites which bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD saying 26 Take this book of the law and put it in the side f i. e. In the outside in a little chest fixed to it for nothing but the Tables of stone were contained in the Ark 1 King 8. 9. Here it was kept for greater security and reverence of the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God that it may be there for a witness against thee g i. e. Against thy people to whom he here turns his speech that they might be more affected with it 27 For I know thy rebellion and thy stiff-neck behold while I am yet alive with you this day ye have been rebellious against the LORD and how much more after my death 28 Gather unto me all the elders of your tribes and your officers that I may speak these words in their ears and call heaven and earth to record against them 29 For I know that after my death ye will utterly corrupt your selves and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you and evil will befall you in the later dayes because ye will do evil in the sight of the LORD to provoke him to anger through the work of your hands 30 And Mosesspake in the ears of all the congregation of Israel the words of this song until they were ended CHAP. XXXII 1 GIve * chap. 4. 36. 30. 19. Psal. 50. 4. Isa. 1. 2. Jer 2. 12. 6. 19. ear O ye heavens a Either 1. Angels and men Or 2. You lifeless and senceless creatures heaven and earth which he calls upon partly to accuse the stupidity of Israel that were more dull of hearing than these and partly as witnesses of the truth of his sayings and the justice of Gods proceedings against them and I will speak and hear O earth a Either 1. Angels and men Or 2. You lifeless and senceless creatures heaven and earth which he calls upon partly to accuse the stupidity of Israel that were more dull of hearing than these and partly as witnesses of the truth of his sayings and the justice of Gods proceedings against them the words of my mouth 2 * Isa. 55. 10 11. 1 Cor. 3. 6 7 8. My doctrine shall drop as the rain b Look what effect rain and dew have upon herbs and grass which they make fresh and fragrant and growing the same effect I may justly expect and hope that my discourse wil have upon your hearts i. e. to make them soft and pliable and fruitful Or this may be a prayer Let my doctrine drop c. O that it might do so that my discourse might not be lost upon you but be profitable to you the future tense of the indicative mood being put for the imperative mood as is usual my speech shall distill as the dew as the small rain upon the tender herb and as the showers upon the grass 3 Because I will publish the Name of the LORD c i. e. His glorious excellencies and righteous and worthy actions by which he hath made himself known as a man is known by his name and by which it will appear both that there is no blame to be laid upon him whatsoever befals you and that it is gross madness to forsake such a God for dumb Idols and meer vanities ascribe ye greatness unto our God d As I am about to publish the great power and Majesty and glory of God so do you also own and acknowledge it as you have reason to do or do you attend to the words which God hath commanded me to speak to you in his Name with that diligence reverence and godly fear which the presence of so great and glorious a Majesty calls for 4 He is the rock e Or a rock as for the stability and everlastingness of his nature and invincibleness of his power so also for his fixedness and immutability in his counsels and promises and wayes so that if there shall be a sad change in your affairs from an high and prosperous to a calamitous and deplorable condition as there will be remember this proceeds from your selves and from the change of your ways and carriages towards God and not from God in whom there is no variableness nor shadow of change Iam. 1. 17. his work is perfect f All his works and actions are unblameable as being perfectly wise and righteous as it follows for all his wayes are judgment g All his administrations in the world and particularly all his dealings with you are managed with judgment and justice a God of truth h Constant to his promises you cannot accuse him of any levity or unfaithfulness towards you to this day and without iniquity just and right is he 5 †Heb. he hath corrupted to himself They i i. e. The Israelites as the following words manifest have corrupted themselves k This phrase sometimes in Scripture notes sin and sometimes destruction And so the sense may be either 1. Their wickedness is not from God but from themselves and their own choice they have wilfully and industriously depraved themselves and sold themselves to sin Or rather 2. Their destruction is not from God who is just and true c. as was now said but wholly and solely from themselves and from their own wickedness as it here follows ‖ Or that they are not his children that is their blot their spot is not the spot of his children l i. e. Their blemishes or sins are not committed through ignorance or frailty or surprizal as good men sometimes sin but they
and dissimulation which therefore many Princes have used for this very reason But saith he God needs no such Artifices he can do whatsoever he pleaseth by his Absolute Power and hath no need to use lyes to accomplish his Will partly to shew that Israel should be no loser by Saul's loss as he might vainly imagine because he had saved them from their Enemies on every side chap. 14. 47. For not Saul but God was the Strength and Protector of Israel and he would continue to save them when Saul was lost and gone and partly to assure Saul that God would Execute this Threatning because he wanted not strength to do it and none could hinder him in it * Num. 23. 19. 2 Tim. 2. 1â—… Tit. 1. 2. will not lie k nor repent l i. e. Nor ehange his Counsel which also is an effect of weakness and imperfection either of Wisdom or Power for he is not a man that he should repent 30 Then he said I have sinned yet honour me now I pray thee before the elders of my people and before Israel m Here â—…e plainly discovers his Hypocrisie and the true motive of this and his former Confession he was not solicitous for the Favour of God but for his Honour and Power with Israel and turn again with me that I may worship the LORD thy God 31 So Samuel turned again after Saul n Not to Worship the Lord with him for that he did not and therefore it is here mentioned that Saul onely Worshipped the Lord but for two other reasons First That the People might not upon pretence of this Sentence of rejection immediately withdraw all Respect and Obedience to their Sovereign whereby they would both have sinned against God and have been as Sheep without a Shepherd Secondly That he might rectify Saul's Error and execute Gods Judgment upon Agag and Saul worshipped the LORD 32 ¶ Then said Samuel Bring ye hither to me Agag the king ‡ Heb. of Amalek of the Amalekites and Agag came unto him delicately o Or in Delights or in his Ornaments i. e. He came not like an Offendor expecting the Sentence of Death but in that Garb and Gesture which became his Quality And Agag said p Or for Agag said This being the reason why he came so Surely the bitterness of death is past q I who have escaped Death from the hands of a Warlike Prince in the fury of Battel shall certainly never suffer Death from an old Prophet in time of Peace 33 And Samuel said * Num. b 14. 45. As thy sword hath made women childless r Whereby it appears that he was a cruel Tyrant and Guilty of many Bloody Actions and that towards Gods People though it be not related elsewhere And this seems to be added for the fuller vindication of Gods justice and to shew that although God did at this time remember and revenge a Crime committed by this Mans Ancestors 400 Years ago yet he did not punish an Innocent Son for his Fathers Crimes but one that allowed and persisted in the same evil courses so shall thy mother be childless among women And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces s This he did by Diâ—…ine instinct and in pursuance of Gods express and particular Command above v. 3. which being sinfully neglected by Saul is now executed by Samuel See the like example 1 King 18. 40. But these are no presidents for private Persons to take the Sword of Justice into their hands For we must live by the Laws of God and not by extraordinary examples before the LORD t Either before the Ark which it seems Saul carried with him in this as he did in his former expedition chap. 14. 18. or before Gods Altar or in the publick Assembly in Gilgal 34 ¶ Then Samuel went to Ramah and Saul went up to his house to * Chap. 11. 4. Gibeah of Saul 35 And Samuel came no more to see Saul u i. e. To visit him either in token of Respect or Friendship or to seek Counsel from God for him or to give Counsel to him Seeing is put for Visiting here and 2 King 8. 29. Otherwise he did see him afterwards chap. 19. 24. Though indeed it was not Samuel that came thither with design to see Saul which is implied in the Phrase here but Saul went thither to see Samuel and that accidentally until the day of his death nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul u i. e. To visit him either in token of Respect or Friendship or to seek Counsel from God for him or to give Counsel to him Seeing is put for Visiting here and 2 King 8. 29. Otherwise he did see him afterwards chap. 19. 24. Though indeed it was not Samuel that came thither with design to see Saul which is implied in the Phrase here but Saul went thither to see Samuel and that accidentally and the LORD repented that he had made Saul king over Israel x Partly for Saul's sake whose sad condition he lamented and partly for Israel's sake whose estate he feared might by this means be doubtful and dangerous CHAP. XVI AND the LORD said unto Samuel How long wilt thou mourn for Saul a And pray for his Restitution which the following words imply that he did seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel b The manifestation of my peremptory Will should make thee submit to my pleasure Fill thine horn with oyl c Which was used in the Inauguration of Kings as chap. 10. 1. and 1 King 1. 39. But here it is used in the Designation of a King though David was not actually made King by it but still remained a Subject as is evident from chap. 24. 6. And the reason of this Anticipation was partly the comfort of Samuel and other good men against their great fears in case of Saul's Death of which they expected every day to hear and partly the assurance of David's Title which otherwise would have been very doubtful For the prevention of which doubts it was very meet that the same Person and Prophet who had Anointed Saul might now upon Gods rejection of Saul Anoint David to succeed him upon his Death and because Samuel was now not far from his Death and was to die before Saul it was fit that David's Anointing should be hastned and done before its proper time and go I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite for I have provided me ‡ Heb. for me a king d This Phrase is very Emphatical and implies the difference between this and the former King Saul was a King of the Peoples providing he was the Product of their inordinate and sinful desires they desired him for themselves and for their own glory and safety as they supposed but this is a King of my own providing one that I have spied out one of that Tribe to which I have allotted the Kingdom Gen. 49. 10. A
and difficulties to the Throne and Kingdom which promise they conceived put him under an Obligation of watching and taking all opportunities which God by his Providence should put into his hand for their accomplishment whereof this was an eminent instance Then David arose and cut off the skirt of ‡ Heb. the robe which was Sauls Sauls robe privily g Qu. How could David do thus and Saul not perceive it Ans. First This might be some loose and upper Garment which Saul might then lay at some distance from him as we oft do on the same occasion Secondly In those vast Caves there were divers particular Cells and Rooms which were distinct one from another yet so as there were secret passages from one to another as may be gathered from the relations of Historians and Travellers At the mouth of one of these Saul might lay his upper Garment which David perceiving and very well knowing all the Cells and Passages of that Cave might go some secret way to it and cut off a little part of it Thirdly The noise which David's motion might be supposed to make was but small and that he well knew would be perfectly drowned with the far greater noise of Saul's Army which lay at the mouth of the Cave Fourthly The Heroical Actions of great Men in Scripture are not to be measured by common rules And as divers of the Prophets and Saints of old were in some of their Actions so David might be in this moved to it by a secret and Divine impulse which also gave him confidence of Gods assistance therein and of the Success of his Enterprize Fifthly This difficulty doth perfectly vanish if Saul was now asleep And as no man can prove that he was not so that he was may seem probable from what is said on v. 3. 5 And it came to pass afterwards that * 2 Saâ—… 〈◊〉 Davids heart smote him because he had cut off Sauls skirt h Not onely because it was injurious and reproachful and dangerous to the King but possibly because he had some secret thought of doing more to him though he suppressed and overcame it for he attempted this in pursuance of his Soldiers suggestion v. 4. which if followed would have carried him to further Action 6 And he said unto his men i Either First Before he cut off Saul's lap Or rather Secondly Afterwards when he returned with Saul's lap in his hand and his Soldiers were enraged that he had not killed him The LORD forbid that I should do this thing k Which you persuade me to do even cut off Saul unto my master l Whom I must still own for my Sovereign Lord and King to whom I owe Allegiance whilst he lives although after his death the right of the Kingdom be mine the LORDS anointed to stretch forth mine hand against him m To wit to kill him A Synecdochical expression See Gen. 37. 22. seeing he is the anointed of the LORD n i. e. Anointed by God to the Kingdom by which Unction his Person was made Sacred and Inviolable and is so to be accounted by me and you and all his Subjects And as God onely Exalted him and God onely could pronounce a Sentence of Deprivation of his Kingdom against him so it belongs to God onely to execute his own Sentence and actually to Depose him 7 So David ‡ Heb. 〈◊〉 stayed o Heb. cut or clave or divided or cut them off The word notes both the eagerness and violence of David's men in prosecuting their desire and David's resoluteness in opposing them as it were by force Wherein he shews great Piety and Generosity and Loyalty to Saul his servants with these words and suffered them not to rise against Saul but Saul rose up out of the cave and went on his way 8 David also arose afterward and went out of the cave and cried after Saul saying My lord the king And when Saul looked behind him David stooped with his face to the earth and bowed himself 9 ¶ And David said unto Saul * Psal 〈◊〉 Wherefore hearest thou mens words p He prudently and modestly Translates the fault from Saul to his followers and evil counsellors saying Behold David seeketh thy hurt 10 Behold this day thine eyes have seen how that the LORD hath delivered thee to day into mine hand in the cave and some bade me kill thee but * 2 Sam. 13. 39. Psal. 16. 2. mine eye q Which words are easily understood both from the nature of the thing and from the use of this Phrase in other Scriptures as Deut. 7. 16. and 13. 8. The Eye is said to spare because it affects the heart with pity and moves a man to spare spared thee and I said I will not put forth mine hand against my lord for he is the LORDS anointed 11 Moreover my father r So he calls him partly because he was his Father-in-law partly in testimony of his respect aâ—…d subjection to him as to a Father and partly that by so amiable a compellation he might both insinuate himself into his favour and mind him of that Duty which as a Father he owed to David See yea see the skirt of thy robe in my hand for in that I cut off the skirt of thy robe and killed thee not know thou and see that there is neither evil nor transgression in mine hand s I neither design mischief against thee with my heart nor will I execute it with my hand which my false accusers told thee I would do iâ—… thou didst at any time fall into my hand and I have not sinned against thee yet thou huntest my soul to take it 12 The LORD judge ‡ Or will judge between me and thee and the LORD avenge me of thee t Or will avenge me of thee to wit if thou dost persist in thy injurious and cruel designs against me but mine hand shall not be upon thee u I will not execute vengeance on thee but will leave it wholly to God 13 As saith the proverb of the ancients Wickedness proceedeth from the wicked x i. e. Wicked men will do wicked actions among which this is one to kill their Sovereign Lord and King as David implied above v. 6. and more fully expresseth chap. 26. 9. And therefore if I were so wicked and vile a Person as thy Courtiers represent me to thee I should make no conscience of laying wicked and violent hands upon thee but should assassinate thee when I had opportunity Which because I have now neglected and refused to do though moved to it by some of my wicked Soldiers know therefore that I am not guilty of any wicked designs against thee but am just and innocent towards thee Or thus wicked actions such as they would have been if I had killed thee proceed onely from the wicked of which number I am none and therefore my hand shall not be upon thee
and to know all that thou dost 26 And when Joab was come out from David he sent messengers after Abner i In the Kings name and upon pretence of some further communication with him which brought him again from the well of Sirah but David knew it not 27 And when Abner was returned to Hebron Joab * 1 King 2. 5. took him aside in the gate k In the entrance into the City before he came to the King and in the place where conferences used to be to speak with him ‖ Or peaceably quietly l With appearance of great civility and kindness Or secretly as having some matter of great importance to utter which none but himself must hear and smote him there under the fifth rib m As he did Asahel chap. 2. 23. that he died for the blood of * Chap. 2. 23. Asahel his brother n To revenge the death of Asahel and withal though that be not here mentioned to secure his own standing and rid his hands of so great and powerful a Competitor And this was Ioab's design but God had other designs in it both to punish Abner's manifold wickedness and particularly his rebellion against David and against God and his own Conscience therein and that David might not owe his Kingdom to Abner and to his revenge and treachery but wholly to Gods Wise and Powerful Providence 28 ¶ And afterward when David heard it he said o Publickly before his Courtiers and People and seriously as in Gods presence I and my kingdom are guiltless before the LORD p I call the Lord to Witness that this was not done by my Instigation or Authority or by any publick Counsel but onely by Ioab's malice and therefore I trust that God will not punish me nor my Kingdom but Ioab onely for ever from the ‡ Heb. bloods blood of Abner the son of Ner 29 Let it q i. e. This Blood the guilt and punishment of it rest on the head of Joab and on all his fathers house r But Children were not to suffer for their Parents sin Deut. 24. 16. And therefore either this was onely a Prediction or if it were an Imprecation David may seem to have transgressed his bounds and mingled his Passion with his Zeal that so he might express his utter detestation of this horrid Murder and how far he was from having any hand in it and let there not ‡ Heb. be cut off fail from the house of Joab one that hath an issue s Which was not onely a troublesome and shameful Diseases but also infectious both to him that had it and to all that touched him so that whilst it was upon a man he was cut off in a great part from converse either with God or men or that is a leper or that leaneth on a staff t Through craziness or feebleness or lameness whereby he he is rendred unfit for action and publick service or that falleth on the sword or that lacketh bread 30 So Joab and Abishai u For though Ioab onely committed the Murder yet Abishai was guilty of it because it was done with his consent and counsel and help and approbation for by these and such like actions men are involved in the guilt of other mens sins at least in Gods judgment his brother slew Abner because he had slain their brother * Chap. 2. 23. Asahel at Gibeon in the battel x Which he did in the fury of Battel and for his own necessary defence and therefore it was no justification of this unnecessary and treacherous Murder in a time of peace 31 ¶ And David said to Joab y Him he especially obliged to it partly to bring him to Repentance for his sin partly to expose him to publick shame and to the contempt and hatred of all the people with whom he had too great an interest which hereby David designed to diminish and to all the people that were with him * Josh. 7. 6. Rent your clothes and gird you with sackcloth and mourn before Abner z i. e. Attending upon his Corps and paying him that respect and honour which was due to his quality And king David himself followed the ‡ Heb. bed bier a Which was against the usage of Kings and might seem below David's Dignity but it was now expedient to vindicate himself from all suspition of contrivance or concurrence in this action 32 And they buried Abner in Hebron and the king list up his voice and wept at the grave of Abner and all the pleople wept 33 And the king lamented over Abner and said Died Abner as †a fool dieth ‡ Heb. 〈◊〉 So Gâ—… b i. e. As a wicked man for such are oft called Fools in Scripture Was he cut off by the hands of Justice for his crimes Nothing less but by Ioab's malice and treachery Or did he die by his own folly because he had not Wisdom or courage to defend himself Ah no. The words may be thus rendred shall or should Abner die like a Fool or a vile contemptible Person i. e. unregarded unpitied unrevenged as Fools or vile Persons die for whose death none are concerned Or How is Abner dead like a Fool pitying his mischance It being honourable for a great Man and a Soldier to fight if met with an Enemy and not having his Arms at liberty stand still like a Fool to be killed without making any resistance or defence which by this treachery of Ioab happened to be his case 34 Thy hands were not bound nor thy feet put into setters c Thou didst not tamely yield up thy self to Ioab as his Prisoner to be bound hand and foot at his pleasure Ioab did not overcome thee generously and honourably in an equal Combat nor durst he attempt thee in that way as a General or Soldier of any worth would have done as a man falleth before ‡ Heb. children in iniquity wicked men d Or before i. e. in the presence or by the hands of froward or perverse or crooked men by Hypocrisie and Perfidiousness whereby the vilest Coward may kill the most Valiant person Thus he reproached Ioab to his very face before all the people which was a great Evidence of his own Innocency herein because otherwise Ioab being so powerful and proud and petulant to his Sovereign would never have taken the shame and blame of it wholly to himself as he did so fellest thou And all the people wept again over him 35 And when all the people came to cause David to eat meat e i. e. Till evening for then Fasting Days ended of course while it was yet day David sware saying So do God to me and more also if I taste bread or ought else till the sun be down e i. e. Till evening for then Fasting Days ended of course d To refresh and chear up his depressed Spirits as
for the Pay of their Soldiers who in those ancient times were not paid in Money but in Corn as is well known Upon this pretence they were admitted into the House and so went from room to room to the place where the King lay and they smote him under the fifth rib and Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped m Which was not difficult to do when the King was left alone either because he desired to compose himself to Rest oâ—… Sleep or because his Guards if he had any were very small and negligent now at least in his declining and forlorn Condition 7 For when they came into the house he lay on his bed in his bed-chamber and they smote him and slew him and beheaded him and took his head and gat them away through the plain n i. e. In the way from Mahanaim to Hebron which for the most part was a plain Country all night 8 And they brought the head of Ish-bosheth unto David to Hebron and said to the king Behold the head of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul thine enemy which sought thy life o i. e. To destroy it or take it away as this Phrase is used 1 Sam. 20. 1. and 23. 15. and elsewhere and the LORD hath avenged my lord the king this day of Saul and of his seed p Theâ—… thought their Action not onely blameless but Meritorious because they had but executed Justice upon Saul's House and David's Enemies and made way for Davids obtaining of his Rights It may seem strange they were not discouraged by David's punishing of the Amalekite for killing Saul 2 Sam. 1. and by his sharp Reproof of Ioab for Murd ring Abner but they thought the first Case much differing from theirs because Saul was Anointed King by God whereas Ishbosheth was not but was a meer Usurper and for the latter they thought that David's sharp words proceeded rather from Art and Policy than from any real dislike of the thing which they judged because David contented himself with words and Ioab did not onely go unpunished but continued in his former Place and Power 9 ¶ And David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite and said unto them As the LORD liveth who hath redeemed my soul out of all adversity q Who hath hitherto delivered and will deliver me from all mine Enemies So that I needed not your wicked help in this way 10 When * Chap. 1. 4 15. one told me saying Behold Saul is dead ‡ Heb. he was in his own eyes as a bringer c. thinking to have brought good tidings I took hold of him and slew him in Ziklag ‖ Or which was the wound I gave him for his tidings or to whom I was to give a reward for his tidings So Gr. who thought that I would have given him a reward for his tidings 11 How much more when wicked men have slain a righteous person r For so he was comparatively and in respect of these men having not deserved Death at their hands in his own house upon his bed Shall I not therefore now require his blood of your hand and take you away from the earth 12 And David commanded his young men s Those of his Guard who used to Execute Justice upon Malefactors at the Kings Command and they slew them and cut off their hands and their feet t Which had been most Instrumental in this Villany their Hands to Cut off his Head and their Feet to carry them away and his Head with them and hanged them up over the pool in Hebron u As Monuments of their Villany and of David's Abhorrency of it but they took the head of Ish-bosheth and buried it in the * Chap. 3. 32. sepulchre of Abner in Hebron CHAP. V. THen * 1 Chron. 11. 1. came all the Tribes of Israel a To wit by their Ambassadors Ishbosheth and Abner being now dead and that without David's concurrence to David unto Hebron and spake saying Behold we are thy â—…one and thy flesh b i. e. Thy Brethren or Kinsmen of the same Nation and Parentage though not of the same Tribe and therefore as Gods Law Deut. 17. 15. permits us so our own relation and affection inclines us to choose thee for our King and we doubt not thou wilt receive us for thy Subjects and People and Pardon our Offences against thee 2 Also in time past when Saul was king over us * 1 Sam. 18. 13. thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel c Thou wast our Chief Commander in our Expeditions against the Philistines and therefore art most fit to be King over us and the LORD said to thee d To wit by Samuel 1 Sam. 16. 11 12 13. for though the words vary yet the sence is the same * Psal. 78. 71. Thou shalt feed my people Israel e i. e. Rule them and take care of them as a Shepherd doth of his Sheep Psal. 78. 70 71. This Expression he useth to admonish David that he was not made a King to advance his own Glory and Interest but for the good and benefit of his People and that he ought to Rule them with all tenderness and to watch over them with all diligence and thou shalt be a captain over Israel 3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron and king David made a league with them f Whereby David obliged himself to rule them according to God's Laws and the People promised Fidelity and Obedience to him in Hebron before the LORD g Either 1. Before the Ark which might be here though that be not mentioned in this place Or 2. Before the Priest clothed with the Ephod whereby he was in a manner put into God's Presence Or rather 3. In the congregation of the mighty or Magistrates where God used to be present Psal. 82. 1. in the Publick Assembly now met together in God's name and fear and as in his Presence to call upon him to appeal to him as the Witness and Judge of their Transactions Compare Iudg. 11. 11. 1 Sam. 23. 18. and they anointed David h Either by a Prophet or the Priest to whom this Office belonged See 2 Sam. 2. 4. king over Israel 4 ¶ David was thirty years old when he began to reign and he reigned forty years i And some odd Months as it follows 5 In Hebron he reigned over Judah * Chap. 2. 11. seven years and six months and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years over all Israel and Judah 6 ¶ And the king and his men went k Having the advantage of so great a confluence of his People to make him King he thought fit to begin his Reign with some eminent Action and to lead them forth in this Expedition Wherein doubtless he asked Advice from God and the consent of the Elders now
for her husband 27 And when the mourning was past k Which was seven days Gen. 50. 10. 1 Sam. 31. 13. Nor could the nature of the thing admit of longer delay lest the too early birth of the Child might discover David's Sin David sent and â—…et her to his house and she became his wife and bare him a son l By which it appears That David continued in the state of Impenitency for divers Months together and this notwithstanding his frequent attendance upon God's Ordinances Which is an eminent instance of the Corruption of Man's Nature which is even in the best and without Divine Assistance is too strong for them of the deceitfulness of Sin and of the tremendous Judgment of God in punishing one Sin by delivering a man up to another but the thing that David had done m i. e. His Adultery and Murder as is evident from the next Chapter ‡ Heb. 〈◊〉 in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 displeased the LORD CHAP. XII AND the LORD sent Nathan a The Prophet chap. 7. 2. 1 King 1. 8. When the ordinary means did not awaken David to Repentance God useth an Extraordinary Course Thus the Merciful God pities and prevents him who had so horribly forsaken and forgotten God unto David and * Psa. 51. 〈◊〉 he came unto him and said unto him There were two men in one city b He prudently ushereth in his Reproof with a Parable after the manner of the Eastern Nations and ancient times that so he might surprize David and cause him unawares to give Sentence against himself He manageth his Relation as if it had been a real thing and demands the King's Justice in the case Though the Application of this Parable to David be easie and obvious yet it matters not if some circumstances be not so applicable because it was fit to put in some such Clauses either for the decency of the Parable or that David might not too early discover his Design the one rich and the other poor 2 The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds c Noting David's many Wives and Concubines 3 But the poor man had nothing save one little ew lamb d Designing Uriah with his own and onely Wife which he had bought e As men then used to buy their Wives or had procured and nourished up and it grew up together with him and with his children it did eat of his own ‡ Heb. Morsel meat and drank of his own cup and lay in his bosome f Which David might take for Hyperbolical Expressions of his tender care of and affection to it Although there want not Instances of some who have treated such Brute-Creatures in this manner and was unto him as a daughter 4 And there came a traveller g This some make to be the Devil whom David gratified by his Sin but it rather seems added for the decency of the Parable unto the rich man and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him but took the poor mans lamb and dressed it for the man that was come to him 5 And Davids anger was kindled greatly against the man and he said to Nathan As the LORD liveth the man that hath done this thing ‖ Or is worthy to die ‡ Heb. is the Son of death shall surely die h This seems to be more than the Fact deserved or than he had Commission to Inflict for it Exod. 22. 1. But it is observable That David now when he was most Indulgent to himself and to his own Sin was most severe to others as appears by this Passage and the following Relation v. 31. which was done in the time of David's impenitent continuance in his Sin 6 And he shall restore the lamb * Exod. 22. 4. fourfold because he did this thing and because he had no pity 7 And Nathan said to David Thou art the man i Thou hast committed this Crime with great Aggravations and out of thine own mouth thy Sentence hath proceeded and thou art worthy of Death Thus saith the LORD God of Israel * 1 Sam. 16. 13. I anointed thee king over Israel and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul 8 And I gave thee thy masters house and thy masters wives k Or women as that Word is elsewhere used as Numb 31. 18. And though we read not a word of God's giving or of David's taking any of Saul's Wives into his bosome or which is all one into his Bed Yet which I think to be aimed at here it might be according to the manner of that time that the Wives and Concubines of the Precedent King belonged to the Successor to be at least at his Dispose And to pretend to them was interpreted little less than pretending to the Crown Which made it fatal to Adonijah to ask Abishag 1 King 2. 23 And to Abner to be suspected for Rispah 2 Sam. 3. 8. And Absalon Usurping the Crown usurped the Concubines also which is looked on as a Crime unpardonable 2 Sam. 16. 21. nor would this have been reckoned amongst the Mercies and Blessings which God here is said to give him and which are opposed to that which he â—…infully took but we do read That Merab Saul's Daughter was given to him for his Wife by Saul's promise and consequently by God's grant though afterwards Saul perfidiously gave her to another Man and that Michal the other Daughter was actually given to him 1 Sam. 18. And it is very possible that some other of Davids Wives were nearly Related to the House of Saul whereby David might design to enlarge and strengthen his Interest in the Kingdom Although there is no absolute Necessity of restraining this to Saul seeing the Word is Plural Masters and may belong to others also who sometimes were owned by David as his Masters Lords or Superiors such as Mabal was and some others not elsewhere named might be whose Houses and Wives or at least Women God might give to David into thy bosome and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah and if that had been too little I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things l Such other things as thou hadst wanted or in reason desired 9 Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD m i. e. Those Laws of God which forbad thee to do this thing by not giving them that respect and observance which they deserved to do evil in his sight thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite n That Valiant and Generous and Noble Person with the sword and hast taken his wife to be thy wife o This he mentions amongst his other Sins partly because he had rewarded her who by God's Law should have been severely punished partly because he compassed this Marriage by wicked Practices even by Uriah's Murder and for sinful ends even
10. behold Hushai * Josh. 16. 2. the Archite came to meet him with his coat rent and ashes upon his head 33 Unto whom David said If thou passest on with me then thou shalt be a burden unto me m. Increasing my Charge and Care and Sorrow for what may befall thee and being but of little use to me for it may seem he was an Old Man and fitter for Counsel than for War 34 But if thou return to the City and say unto Absalom I will be thy servant O king as I have been thy fathers servant ‖ Or heretofore hitherto so will I now also be thy servant n i. e. As faithful to thee as I have been to thy Father which he neither was nor ought to be And therefore the profession of this was great dissimulation and David's suggesting this crafty Counsel may be reckon'd amongst his Errors which proceeding from a violent Temptation and his present and pressing Straits God was pleased mercifully to Pardon and to direct this Evil Advice to a Good End then mayest thou for me defeat the counsel of Ahithophel 35 And hast thou not there with thee Zadok and Abiathar the priests therefore it shall be that what thing soever thou shalt hear out of the kings house thou shalt tell it to Zadok and Abiathar the priests 36 Behold they have there * Ver. 27. with them o Not in Ierusalem but in a place near to it to which they could easily send upon occasion See Chap. 17. 17. their two sons Ahimaaz Zadoks son and Jonathan Abiathars son and by them ye shall send unto me every thing that ye can hear 37 So Hushai Davids friend came unto the city and Absalom came into Jerusalem CHAP. XVI AND when David was a little past the top of * Chap. 15. 35 the hill behold * Chap. 9. 2. Ziba a A Crafty Man who being perswaded that God would in due time appear for the Righteous Cause of so good a King and scatter the Cloud which was now upon him takes this occasion to make way for his future Advancement the servant of Mephibosheth met him with a couple of Asses sadled and upon them two hundred loaves of bread and an hundred bunches of raisins and an hundred of summer fruits and a bottle b A large Bottle or Vessel proportionable to the other Provisions of wine 2 And the king said unto Ziba What meanest thou by these And Ziba said The asses be for the kings houshold to ride on c For the King and his Wives and Children were all on Foot not that he had noâ—… or could not procure Asses for them at Ierusalem but because he chose it as best becomming that State of Penitence and Humiliation in which they were and the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat and the wine that such as be â—…aint in the wilderness may drink 3 And the king said And where is thy masters son And Ziba said unto the king Behold he abideth at Jerusalem for he said To day shall the house of Israel restore me the kingdom of my father d Which though it might seem a very unlikely thing yet such vain Expectations do often get into the Minds of Men nor was it impossible that when David's Family was thus divided and one part ingaged against another they might destroy themselves by mutual Wounds and the People being tired out with Civil Wars might Restore the Kingdome to the Family of Saul their old Master whereof this was the top-branch And this was a time of general Defection of many whom the King had greatly obliged witness Achitophel And Mephibosheth's absence made the Calumny more probable 4 Then said the king to Ziba Behold thine are all that pertained unto Mephibosheth e A rash Sentence and unrighteous to Condemn a Man unheard upon the single Testimony of his Accuser and Servant But David's Mind was both clouded by the deep sense of his Calamity and byassed by Ziba's great and seasonable kindness And he might think that Ziba would not dare to Accuse his Master of so great a Crime which if false might so easily be disproved And Ziba said ‡ Heb. I do 〈◊〉 I humbly beseech thee that I may find grace in thy sight my lord O King f Thy favour is more to me than this gift which as a token of thy favour I accept with all thankfulness 5 And when king David came to Bahurim g A City in Benjamin Chap. 3. 16. and 19. 16. i. e. To the Territory of it for to the City he came not till v. 14. behold thence came out a man of the family of the house of Saul whose name was Shimei the son of Gera ‖ Or he still came forth and cursed he came forth and cursed still as he came 6 And he cast stones k at David and at all the servants of king David and all the people and all the mighty men were on his righthand and on his left i Which is noted to shew the Prodigious Madness of the Man though Rage which is truly said to be a short Madness and the height of Malice hath oft transported men to the most hazardous and desperate Speeches and Actions h Not so much to hurt them as to shew his Contempt of them 7 Anâ—… thus said Shimei when he cursed Come out k Or rather go out as the Word properly signifies Be gone out of thy Kingdom as thou deservest come out thou †bloody man and thou ‡ Heb. man of bloâ—…d man of Belial 8 The LORD hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul l Either 1. The Blood of Abner and Ishbosheth which he Maliciously imputes to David as if they had been Killed by David's contrivance especially the former because David did onely give Ioab hard Words as in Policy he was obliged to do but instead of Punishing him did Reward and Prefer him Or 2. The Death of Saul's seven Sons Chap. 21. 8. which though related after this seems to have been done before Of which see the Notes on chap. 15. 7. in whose stead thou hast reigned and the LORD hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son and ‡ Heb. 〈◊〉 thee in thy evil behold thou art taken in thy mischief m The same Mischief thou didst bring upon others is now returned upon thy own head Or Thy Sin hath found thee out and thou art now receiving the just Punishment of it because thou art a bloody man 9 Then said Abishai the son of Zeruiah unto the king Why should this * 1 Sam. 24. 14. Chap. 3. 8. dead dog curse my lord the king let me go over I pray thee and take off his head 10 And the king said What have I to do with you n To wit in this Matter I ask not your Advice nor will I follow it nor
that there could be no safety to the King noâ—… peace to the Kingdom nor security to himself and all David's Friends and Loyal Subjects and good men if Absalom had lived as may seem probable from chap. 19. 10. and yet perceiving that the Kings heart was reconcilable to Absalom notwithstanding his abominable Crimes of lying with his Fathers Concubines and of horrid and unnatural Rebellion both which were capital Crimes by the Law of God he adventured to save David's life against his will But whether Ioab did well in this all things considered I shall not here determine 16 And Joab blew the trumpet and the people returned from pursuing after Israel for Joab held back the people c Who otherwise were highly incensed against the Rebels and hotly pursued them But the head of the Rebellion being cut off and the danger thereby past he puts a stop to the effusion of Israelitish blood 17 And they took Absalom and cast him into a great pit in the wood and laid a very great heap of stones upon him d As a lasting monument of Absalom's sin and shame and of the Righteous Judgment of God upon him Compare Ios. 7. 26. and 8. 29. and 10. 27. He was first hanged after a sort which was an accursed death Deut. 21. 23. and then thrust through with Darts and Swords and after all in a manner stoned which was the proper punishment of a Rebellioâ—…s Son Deut. 21. 21. and all Israel fled every one to his tent e To their houses and dwellings to avoid the shame and punishment of their Rebellion 18 ¶ Now Absalom in his life time had taken and reared up for himself a pillar f To preserve his name in memory whereas it had been 〈◊〉 for his honour if his name had been buried in perpetual oblivion But this was the effect of his pride and vain-glory which is in * Gen. 14 â—… the kings dale g A place near Ierâ—…salem so called Genesis 14. 17. for he said â—… have no son to keep my name in remembrance h Object He had three sons chap. 14. 27. Ans. Either they were all now dead or if one of them was left alive he thought him unfit and unworthy to keep up his name and honour or he erected this Pillar before his Sons were born But the first opinion seems most probable and it was a remarkable Judgment of God that he who struck at his Fathers life should be punished with the death of all his Sons and he called the pillar after his own name and it is called unto this day Absaloms place i Heb. Absalom's hand i. e. his work made though not by his hand yet for him and his glory and by his procurement 19 ¶ Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok Let me now run and bear the king tidings how that the LORD hath ‡ Heb. 〈◊〉 him from 〈◊〉 hand of c. avenged himself of his enemies 20 And Joab said unto him Thou shalt not ‡ Heb. be â—… man of â—…dings bear tidings this day but thou shalt bear tidings another day but this day thou shalt bear no tidings because the kings son is dead k And thou shalt not be a Messenger of Evil tidings which will be unwelcome to him and prejudicial to thee 21 Then said Joab to Cushi l Or to an Ethiopian so he might be by birth and yet by profession an Israelite Go tell the king what thou hast seen And Cushi bowed himself unto Joab and ran 22 Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok yet again to Joab But ‡ Heb. be what may howsoever let me I pray thee also run after Cushi And Joab said Wherefore wilt thou run my son m So he calls him with respect both to his younger years and to that true and tender affection which he had for him seeing that thou hast no tidings ‖ Or â—…ent or â—…ent Numb 11. 22. ready 23 But howsoever said he let me run And he said unto him Run Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain n Which was the smoother and easier though the longer way and over-ran Cushi 24 And David sate between the two gates o For the Gates of the Cities then were as now they are large and thick and for the greater security had two Gates one more outward the other inward Here he sate that he might hear tidings when any came into the City and the watchman went up to the roof over the gate unto the wall p Unto the top of the Wall or Tower upon the Gate where watchmen used to watch Compare 2 King 9. 17. Ezek. 33. 2. and lift up his eyes and looked and behold a man running alone 25 And the watchman cried and told the king And the king said If he be alone there is tidings in his mouth q He is sent with some special Message which was a very probable conjecture for if he had run or fled from the Enemy many others would have followed him And he came apace and drew near 26 And the watchman saw another man running and the watchman called unto the porter and said Behold another man running alone And the king said He also bringeth tidings 27 And the watchman said ‡ Heb. I see thee running Me thinketh the running of the foremost is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok And the king said He is a good man and cometh with good tidings r He loves me well and therefore would not afflict me with Evil tidings 28 And Ahimaaz called and said unto the king ‖ Or Peace be to thee ‡ Heb. Peace All is well And he fell down to the earth upon his face before the king and said Blessed be the LORD thy God which hath ‡ Heb. shut up delivered up s Into thy hand and power or to destruction Compare 1 Sam. 24. 19. and 26. 8. the men that lift up their hand against my lord the king 29 And the king said ‡ Heb. Is there peace Is the young man Absalom safe And Ahimaaz answered When Joab sent the kings servant s Cushi and me thy servant I saw a great tumult but I knew not what it was t He seems to tell an untruth as is evident from v. 20. because he now plainly perceived what Ioab foretold him that such tidings would be very unwelcome to David But he made a bad choice to offend God with a lye rather than to displease the King with a truth Yet thus far it might be true that though he had reason to think Absalom was dead yet was not able to give account of the particulars which concerned it wherewith Cushi was intrusted 30 And the king said unto him Turn aside and stand here And he turned aside and stood still 31 And behold Cushi came and Cushi said ‡ Heb. tidings â—…s brought Tidings my lord the king for the
houshold and to do ‡ Heb. the good in his eyes what he thought good and Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king as he was come over Jordan l Or rather as he was passing or about to pass over Iordan but this was beyond Iordan for as he went over Iordan to the King v. 17. so doubtless he fell down before him at his first coming into his presence theâ—…e 19 And said unto the king Let not my lord impute iniquity unto me neither do thou remember * Chap. 16. 5. that which thy servant did perversly the day that my lord the king went out of jerusalem that the king should take it to his heart m i. e. Be affected with it or excited to Revenge it 20 For thy servant doth know that I have sinned n I do not excuse my Sin but with grief and shame Confess it in which case the Lord thy God is ready to Pardon Offenders and so I trust wilt'st thou be therefore behold I am come the first o The sense of my former Sin now hath and whilest I live will make me the first and most forward in all Acts of Duty and Service to thy Majesty this day of all the house of Joseph p Object He was a Benjamite Chap. 16. 5. How then doth he make himself one of the house of Ioseph Answ. The house of Ioseph is here put either 1. For the Ten Tribes which are oft distinguished from Iudah and then they are called the house of Ioseph as Zech. 10. 6. But this distinction was not made before the division of the People into two Kingdoms and even after that Division Benjamin was constantly reckoned with Iudah and not with Ioseph or Ephraim Or 2. For all the Tribes of Israel who are all called the children of Ioseph Psal. 77. 15. Comp. Psal. 80. 1. and 81. 5. as well they might not onely because of Ioseph's Eminency the most Eminent Persons and Things being oft put for the rest of the kind and because the rights of Primogeniture were in a great part devolved upon him 1 Chron. 5. 1. but also because Ioseph had been as a Father to them and had nourished them all like Children as is expressed in the Hebrew Text Gen. 47. 12. But in this sence this was not true for the House of Iudah came before him ver 15. Or rather 3. For all the Tribes except Iudah which are conveniently called the house of Ioseph for the reasons now mentioned and are fitly distinguished from Iudah because the Rights of the First-born were divided between Iudah and Ioseph 1 Chron. 5. 2. And though Benjamin after the Division of the Kingdoms was fitly joyned with Iudah because then they adhered to that Tribe yet before that time it was more conveniently joyned with Ioseph because they Marched under the Standard of the House of Ioseph or of Ephraim Numb 10. 22 23 24. Whence it is that Ephraim Benjamin and Manasseh are put together Psal. 80. 2. to go down to meet my lord the king 21 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered and said Shall not Shimei be put to death for this because he cursed the LORD's anointed q i. e. The King By this Expression he minds David of his former Zeal against those who offered any injury to Saul because he was the Lord's Anointed 1 Sam. 24. 6. and 26. 9. and therefore demands the same Justice against Shimei for his Cursing of the King which was so expresly forbidden Exod. 22. 28. and by the Analogy of that Law Exod. 21. 17. might seem punishable with Death 22 And David said What have I to do with you r I do not ask neither will I take your Advice in this Matter ye sons of Zeruiah s Implying that Ioab's hand was in this Contrivance or that he suspected it that ye should this day be adversaries unto me t i. e. That you put me upon things unfit for me to do and contrary to my present Interest for it was David's Interest at this time to Appease the People and reconcile them to him and not now to give them any new distast by acts of Severity for this would make others jealous that David will not forgive them neither but would watch an opportunity to be Revenged on them You pretend Friendship herein and would have me take it for an effect of your Zeal for my Service but in truth you give me such counsel as my Enemies would wish me to follow that thereby I might awaken the fears and jealousies of my People which are now asleep and cast them into a second Rebellion which either Ioab and Abishai really designed by this Advice that so Ioab might recover his Place again and be made necessary for the King's Service or David suspected that they did so * 1 Sam. 11. 13. Shall there any man be put to death this day in Israel for do not know that â—… am this day king over Israel u Is not my Kingdom which for my Sins was in a manner wholly lost just now restored and assured to me And when God hath been so Merciful to me in forgiving my Sin shall I now shew my self Revengeful to Shimei Shall I fully the Publick Joy and Glory of this Day with an act of such severity Or shall I alienate the Hearts of my People from me now when they are returning to me 23 Therefore * 1 King 2. 37 36. the King said unto Shimei Thou shalt not die x To wit this day as Abishai desireth nor whilest I live nor by my Hands as it is repeated and explained 1 King 2. 8. nor for this Cause alone For though David gave order to Solomon for his Punishment after his Death nor was it fit for the Publick Good that such a Horrid Crime should go Unpunished yet he would not have him Punished for this Fault alone but for some other Capital Crime which 〈◊〉 presumed Shimei's Temper would easily betray him to and Solomon's deep Wisdom would easily find out 1 King 2. 9. and the king sware unto him y That he would not put him to death with the Sword as it is expressed 1 King 2. 8. 24 ¶ And Mephibosheth the son z i. e. The Grandson 2 Sam. 6. 3 6. of Saul came down to meet the king and had neither dressed his feet a By cutting his Nails and by washing his Feet which was usual in hot Climates and very refreshing and therefore now neglected as becoming a Mourner nor trimmed his beard b But suffered it to grow very long and disorderly as was usual with many persons in a forlorn or mournful State nor washed his cloathes c His Linnen Clothes This and the former were signs that he was a true and obstinate Mourner that lay'd aside his usual Refreshments and they are here mentioned as Evidences of the Falshood of Ziba's former Relation concerning him Chap. 16. 3. from
the land 15 ¶ Moreover the Philistines had yet war again with Israel m These Wars though here related were transacted long before this time of which see the notes on v. 1. For it is no way probable either that the Philistines being so fully and perfectly subdued by David chap. 8. 1. should in his days be in a capacity of waging War with the Israelites or that David in his old age would undertake to fight with a Giant or that his people would permit him to do so and David went down and his servants with him and fought against the Philistines and David waxed faint 16 And Ishbi benob which was of the sons of ‖ Or 〈◊〉 the giant n So called by way of eminenâ—…y Or of Rapha a Giant so called the weight of whose ‡ Heb. 〈◊〉 staff or 〈◊〉 head spear weighed three hundred shekels o See 1 Sam. 17. 5. of brass in weight he being girded with a new swâ—…rd p Or rather with a new Girdle or Belt For First This was the usual habit of Soldiers 1 Sam. 18. 4. 2 Sam. 18. 11. and 20. 8. 1 King 2. 5. Isa. 5. 27. and when it was of an extraordinary fashion and price an Ensign of dignity and command in the Army Ezek. 23. 15. So this may be mentioned to note that this was the first time either of his going out to fight or of his advancement to some eminent place in the Army which made him desirous to signalize himself with some great action Secondly This supplement is more natural and usual the word girdle being easie supplied from the word being girded such Ellipses of conjugate words being frequent in the Hebrew Tongue as Numb 11. 14. Psal. 76. 12. Matth. 20. 12. Thirdly The newness of the Sword seems to have no emphasis nor significancy for the present purpose seeing an old and tried Sword would seem more considerable for his encouragement than one new and unproved thought to have slain David 17 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succoured him and smote the Philistine and killed him Then * Chap. 18. 3. the men of David sware unto him saying Thou shalt go no more out with us to battel that thou quench not the †light of Israel q Lest thou be slain and thereby thy people be ruined Good Kings are in Scripture justly called the Light of their people as 1 King 11. 36. and 15. 4. Psal. 132. 17. because the beauty and glory the conduct and direction the comfort and safety and welfare of a People depends upon them and comes from them ‡ Heb. candle or lamp 18 * â—… Chro. 20. 4. And it came to pass after this r After the Battel last mentioned that there was again a battel with the Philistines at Gob s Or in Gezer as it is 1 Chron. 20. 4. whereby it seems Gob and Gezer were Neighbouring places and the Battel fought in the confines of both then Sibbechai the Hushathite t One of David's Worthies 1 Chron. 11. 29. slew Saph which was of the sons of ‖ Or Rapha the giant 19 And there was again a battel in Gob with the Philistines where Elhanan u Another of David's worthy and valiant Commanders the son of Jaare-oregim a Bethlehemite slew * â—…ee 1 Chro. 〈◊〉 5. the brother of Goliath the Gittite x The relative word Brother is not in the Hebrew Text but is fitly supplied out of the parallel place 1 Chron. 20. 5 where it is expressed And such defects of relatives are not unusual in Scripture Thus the word Wife is understood Matth. 1 6. Ioh. 19. 25. and Father or Mother Mar. 15. 40 47. Compare with Mar. 16. 1. and Luk. 24. 10. and Son Matth. 4. 21. Mar. 2. 14. Ioh. 21. 15. and Brother Luk. 6. 16. Compare with Iud. v. 1. And such Ellipses do also frequently occur in profane Authors Although the place may be and is otherwise rendred Elhanan the son of Iaare-oregim slew Beth-halachmi or Lachmi as he is called by way of abbreviation 1 Chron. 20. 5. which is very frequent in the Hebrew Tongue who was which words are frequently understood in the Hebrew Text with so eth is oft rendred as hath been noted before Goliath the Gittite i. e. in his Company bred up with him to the War and related to him as his Brother Or he slew Beth-halachmi a Goliath or another Goliath of Gath or the Gittite So the name of the Giant was Beth-halachmi who may be here called Goliath not onely for his near relation to him being his Brother but for his exact resemblance of him in Feature or in Stature and Strength or in Courage and Military Skill as Iohn the Baptist was called Elias for the like reason Peradventure also after the death of the first and famous Goliath the Gittite 1 Sam. 17. that name was either given to him by others or taken by himself the staff of whose spear was like a weavers beam y In thickness See 1 Sam. 17. 7. 20 And there was yet a battel in Gath z i. e. In the Territory of the City of Gath. Which circumstance intimates that this and consequently the other Battels here described were fought before David had taken Gath out of the hands of the Philistines which he did 2 Sam. 8. 1. compare with 1 Chron. 18. 1. and therefore not in the last days of David as some conceive from their mention in this place Or a man of Middin or Madon as the LXX render it so called from the place of his birth as Goliath is said to be of Gath for the same reason where was a man of great stature that had on every hand six fingers and on every foot six toes four and twenty in number and he also was born to ‖ Or Rapha the giant 21 And when he ‖ Or reproved defied Israel Jonathan the son of * 1 Sam. 16. 9. Shimea the brother of David slew him 22 These four were born to the giant in Gath and fell by the hand of David ‖ Either because they were slain by his conduct and counsel or conâ—…urrence for he contributed by his hand to the death of one of them whilst maintaining a fight with him he gave Abishai the easier opportunity of killing him ver 16 17. or because what is done by the inferior Commanders is commonly ascribed to the General both in Sacred and Prophane Writers and by the hand of his servants CHAP. XXII This Chapter is in a manner wholly the same with Psal. 18. and therefore I shall adjourn the exposition of it to that place AND David spake unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies and out of the hand of Sâ—…ul 2 And he said * Psal. 18. 2 c. The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer 3 The
others 21 And she said Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah thy brother u By the Father's side whom Brotherly Affection and Relation obligeth thee to gratifie at least in small things to wise 22 And king Solomon answered and said unto his mother And why doest thou ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah ask for him the kingdom also x His Design is not upon Abishag but upon the Kingdom which by this means he thinks to recover partly because she was the last Kings Wife or Concubine which might strengthen his Pretence to the Crown See 2 Sam. 3. 7. and 12. 8. and 16. 21. and partly because by her eminent Beauty and near Relation to David she had a powerful Interest in the Court Quest. Was not this too harsh a Censure and the following Punishment of it too severe Answ. 1. That Adonijah had such a Design is very probable both from his Temper for he was an aspiring and Designing Man and highly discontented with Solomon's Government and desirous of a Change and from the nature of the thing because he would not have made so daring and presumptâ—…ous a Request if he had not some great Design in it 2. It is very likely from the following words though not expressed that he and Ioab and Abiathar were engaged in some Design against Solomon and that Solomon had got Information of it and therefore he did and might reasonably take this for an Indication and the first overt-act of his Treason 3. Solomon did not Pardon Adonijah s Treason simply and absolutely but upon condition that he carried himself worthily Chap. 1. 52. and this being confessedly a bold and unworthy Action and arguing more considence and presumption than became him and carrying in it the appearance and intention of an Incestuous Marriage he might justly revive his Guilt and take this occasion to Execute the Sentence which he formerly deserved If it be said That it is very improbable that Adonijah should expect to get the Kingdom from Solomon who was so firmly Established in it with universal Applause it may be answered That Adonijah was not the onely man that hath fed himself with vain hopes and engaged himself in high and Treasonable Designs where to other wise Men there was but little likelihood of Success and that he might now be onely laying the Foundation of what he further intended when he saw a fit time and getting a pretence for his future Attempts upon the Crown either when Solomon should lose the Peoples Affections as David had done or when Solomon should die which also Adonijah might secretly procure and hasten and he had onely Solomon's young and tender Son to contest with All which and many other things Solomon in his great Wisdom might easily discern yea or have some secret Intelligence of though it be not Recorded for he is mine elder brother y He looks upon the Kingdom as his by Nature and Birth-right and the Law of Nations and therefore he may seek to recover his own and to cast me ouâ—… as an Usarper even for him and for Abiathar the priest and for Joab the son of Zeruiah z Who have all an hand in the Plot though he alone appear in it which appears the more likely because of Solomon's proceeding against them all at the same time as appears in the following Verses 23 Then king Solomon sware by the LORD a Once here and again ver 24. Which he did to oblige himself irrevocably to it and to prevent all Intercessions for his Life it being of so great importance to him saying * Ruth 1. 17. God do so to me and more also if Adonijah have not spoken this word against his own life 24 Now therefore as the LORD liveth which hath established me and set me on the throne of David my father b Though Adonijah be my elder Brother yet I have an undoubted Right and Title to the Crown and that from the promise and appointment of that God who disposeth of all Kingdoms and especially this of Israel to whom he pleaâ—…eth and therefore Adonijah in this and his former Attempt is guilty of Treason against me and of Rebellion against God and who hath made me an house c Either 1. who hath given me Posterity as that Phrase is used Exod. 1. 21. and elsewhere for Rehoboam most probably was born before this time by comparing 1 King 14. 21. Or rather 2. who hath Established me in the House and Throne of David which he thus expresseth to signifie that God had fulfilled in and to him that Promise which he made to David in 2 Sam. 7. 11. where the same Phrase is used and where it doth not so much signifie the giving of David Posterity which he had sufficiently before that time as the settlement of the Crown in him and his Seed as he * 2 Sam. 17. 12 13. promised Adonijah shall be put to death this day d For he knew delays were dangerous in matters of that Nature 25 And king Solomon sent by the hand of Benaiah the son of Jehoâ—…ada e For the Execution of Justice was not then 〈◊〉 to obscure persons as now it is but to persons of great Honour and Authority See Iudg. 8. 21. 1 Sam. 22. 18. 2 Sam. 1. 15. and 4. 12. and he gell upon him f With a Sword or other Instrument of Death as below ver 32 34 46. that he died 26 ¶ And unto Abiathar the priest said the king Get thee to Anathoth g A City of the Priests Iosh. 21. 18. to lead a private life there unto thine own fields h Either that part of the Suburbs which fell to his share or other Land which he had purchased there See Ier. 32. 7. for thou art ‡ Heb. a man of death worthy of death but I will not at this time i He doth not fully Pardon him but onely forbears him and reserves to himself a liberty of Punishing him afterwards if he saw occasion which he doth to keep him in awe that he might not dare to raise or foment Discontents or Tumults among the People which otherwise he might be prone to do put thee to death because thou barest the ark of the LORD God before David my father k When he thought fit to carry it out with him as 2 Sam. 15. 24 29. 1 Chron. 15. 11 12. when he as High-priest was to attend upon it Thus Solomon sheweth his respect to his Sacred Function and because * 1 Sam. 22. 20. thou hast been afflicted in all wherein my father was afflicted l Here he mixeth Mercy with Justice and requires Abiathar's former kindness to David hereby reaching Princes that they should not Write Injuries in Marble and Benefits in Sand or Water as they have been too oft observed to do 27 So Solomon thrust out Abiathar from being priest unto the LORD m Either from his Office or
Comfort which their people have or should have from them Compare 2 Sam. 21. 17. 1 King 15. 4. Psal. 132. 17. In my presence which is in Ierusalem and under my favour and protection alway before me g in Jerusalem the city which I have chosen me to put my Name there 37 And I will take thee g And place thee in the Throne as it follows and thou shalt reign according to all that thy soul desireth h He secretly taxeth him for his ambitious and aspiring mind and shalt be king over Israel 38 And it shall be if thou wilt hearken unto all that I command thee and wilt walk in my ways and do that is right in my sight to keep my statutes and my commandments as David my servant did that I will be with thee and build thee a sure house i i. e. Firmly settle thee and thy Posterity in the Throne as this or the like Phrase is used 2 Sam. 7. 16 27. but he doth not say he would do this for ever as is there said of David's House v. 16. as I built for David and will give Israel unto thee 39 And I will for this k For this cause which I mentioned ver 33. afflict the seed of David but not for ever l There shall a time come when the seed of David shall not be thus molested by the Kingdom of Israel but that Kingdom shall be destroyed and the Kings of the House of David shall be uppermost as it was in the days of Asa Hezekiah and fosiah And at last the Messiah shall come who shall unite together the broken sticks of Iudah and Ioseph and rule over all the Iews and Gentiles too 40 Solomon m To whose ears this might come either 1. by Ieroboam himself who might speak of this either out of vain-glory and ostentation or with design to prepare the People for his purpose Or 2. By the Servants See above on ver 29. sought therefore to kill Jeroboam and Jeroboam arose and fled into Egypt unto Shishak king of Egypt n Who was either first Solomon's Brother-in-law who yet might be jealous of him or alienated from him because he had taken so many other Wives to his Sister as is here noted ver 1. or might cast a greedy eye upon the great riches and glorious things which Solomon had amassed together and upon which presently after Solomon's Death he laid Violent hands 2 Chron. 12. 9. All this was known to Ieroboam who therefore durst put himself into Shishak's Protection especially considering how little such Relations commonly signifie in the Affairs of Princes and withal being made confident by God's Promise of the Kingdom Or 2. One of another Line or House to whom that Crown might Descend for want of Issue and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon 41 ¶ And the rest of the ‖ Or words or things acts of Solomon and all that he did and his wisdom are they not written in the book of the acts of Solomon o In the Publick Records where the Lives and Actions of Kings were Registred from time to time So this was onely a Political but not a Sacred Book 42 And the Heb. days time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was * â—… Chron. 9. â—… forty years 43 And Solomon slept with his fathers p This Expression is promiscuously used concerning good and bad and signifies onely That they died as their Fathers did But hence Interpreters question Whether Solomon was Saved or Damned That he was Damned some believe upon this onely Argument That he died without Repentance which they gather 1. Because his Repentance is not mentioned in his History 2. Because if he had Repented he would have Abolished the Monuments of Idolatry which he had Erected which that he did not they gather from 2 King 23. 13. Of which God Assisting I shall speak upon that place But to the former many things may be said 1. We read nothing of the Repentance of Adam Noah after his Drunkenness Lot Sampson Asa c. shall we therefore conclude they were all Damned The silence of the Scripture is a very weak Argument in matters of History 2. If he did Repent yet the silence of the Scripture about it in this History was not without wise Reasons as among others That his Eternal Condition being thus far left doubtful his Example might have the greater influence for the Terror and Caution of future Offenders 3. His Repentance is sufficiently implied in this to omit divers other Passages That after Solomon's death the way of Solomon is mentioned with Honour and joyned with the way of David 2 Chron. 11. 17. But it seems to be put out of dispute by the Book of Ecclesiastes which by the general consent both of Jewish and Christian Interpreters was written by Solomon and that after his Fall as is evident not onely from the unanimous Testimony of the Hebrew Writers who thence conclude That he did Repent and was Saved but also from the whole strain of that Book which was written long after he had finished all his Works and after he had liberally drunk of all sorts of Sensual Pleasures and sadly Experienced the bitter Effects of his love of Women Eccles. 7. 17 c. Which makes it more than probable that as David writ Psal. 51. so Solomon wrote this Book as a publick Testimony and Profession of his Repentance And this Argument is so cogent that those Interpreters who are of the other Opinion confess it if Solomon did write this Book after his Fall which they pretend he wrote before it but they offer not any Argument to prove it And therefore we have reason to conclude That Solomon did Repent and was Saved and was buried in the city of David his father and * 〈◊〉 1. 7. called Roboam Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead CHAP. XII AND â—… Câ—… 10. â—… Rehoboam went to Shechem for all Israel were come to Shechem a Rehoboam did not call them thither but went thither because the Israelites prevented him and had generally pitched upon that place rather than upon Ierusalem partly because it was most convenient for all as being in the Center of the whole Kingdom partly because that being in the potent Tribe of Ephraim they supposed there they might use that freedom of speech which they resolved to use to get their Grievances Redressed and partly by the secret direction of Ieroboam or his friends who would not trust themselves in Ierusalem and thought Shechem a fitter place to execute their Design to make him king b To Confirm him in the Kingdom which they generally intended to do he being the undoubted Heir of the Crown and the onely Son which Solomon had from so vast a number of Wives 2 And it came to pass when Jeroboam the son of Nebat who was yet in * Chap. 11. 4â—… Egypt heard of it c In
5. 17. which probably is said with respect to his fear and discontent manifested here and ver 4. And lest he should be exalted above measure which was also Paul's case 2 Cor. 12. 7. for his eminent Gifts and Graces and miraculous Works God saw fit to withdraw his Grace and to leave him to himself that he might be sensible of his own impotency and sinfulness and might not dare to take any part of Gods honour to himself and came to Beersheba which belonged to Judah f Either First To the Tribe of Iudah according to the first division for Simeon's part in which Beersheba was was afterwards taken out of it Or Secondly to the Kingdom of Iudah and left his servant there g Partly that he might abide there in safety and partly that he should wait there till his return partly because he would not expose him to those perils and hardships which he expected and partly because he desired solitude that he might more freely converse with God 4 ¶ But he himself went a days journey into the wilderness h The vast Wilderness of Arabia He durst not stay in Iudah though good Iehoshaphat Reigned there because he was Allied to Ahab and was a Man of an easie temper whom Ahab might circumvent and either by force or art seize upon Elijah and came and sat down under a juniper-tree and he * Jona 43 â—… requested ‡ Heb. for his life for himself i Heb. for his life or his soul that it might be taken away from his Body Or with his soul as it is Isa. 26. 9. i. e. He desired it heartily or fervently Which he did not onely for his own sake that he might be freed from his great fears and troubles but especially from his zeal for Gods Glory which he saw was and would be dreadfully eclipsed by the relapse of the Israelites into Idolatry and by Elijah's Death if it should be procured by the hands of Iezabel or of the worshippers of Baal and therefore he wished to die in peace and by the hand of God that he might die and said It is enough k I have lived long enough for thy Service and am not like to do thee any more Service neither my words nor works are like to do any good upon these unstable and incorrigible people now O LORD take away my life for I am not better than my fathers l That I should continue in Life when other Prophets who have gone before me have lost their Lives by Iezabel or other persecutors 5 And as he lay and slept under a juniper-tree behold then an angel touched him and said unto him Arise and eat 6 And he looked and behold there was a cake baken on the coals and a cruse of water at his ‡ Heb. 〈◊〉 head and he did eat and drink and laid him down again 7 And the angel of the LORD came again the second time and touched him and said Arise and eat because the journey is too great for thee m i. e. Above thy strength now especially when thou art faint and weary and fasting 8 And he arose and did eat and drink and went in the strength of that meat n God giving that Food a far greater and more durable vertue than ordinary * See Deut. 9. 9 18. Matth. 4. 2. forty days and forty nights unto * Exod. 3. 1. Horeb o He wandred hither and thither for 40 days till at last he came to Horeb which in the direct Road was not above 3 or 4 days Journey the mount of God 9 ¶ And he came thither unto a cave and lodged there and behold the word of the LORD came to him and he said unto him What dost thou here p A tacit reproof This is not thy proper place nor the station in which I set thee which was in Israel to turn that backsliding people to which end I gave thee my help and would have proceeded to assist thee further if thou hadst continued there Nor did I give thee those excellent Gifts to lie idle in this Wilderness but to employ them for thy peoâ—…s good whom now thou hast deserted and art come hither not by my Command but through thy own fear and cowardise Elijah 10 And he said I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts q I have not been wholly wanting to my vocation but have executed my office with zeal for Gods Honour and Service and with the hazard of my own Life and am fled hither not being able to endure to see the dishonour done to thy Name by their obstinate Idolatry and Wickedness for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant thrown down thine altars r Those which were erected for thy Worship in high-places which they did not destroy because they were to be abolished by thy Command Deut. 12. but out of meeâ—… contempt and opposition against thee and therefore they suffered the Altars of Baal to stand and slain thy prophets with the sword and * Rom. 11. 3. Chap 18. 22. I even I onely am left s To wit of all thy Prophets I mean which do boldly and publickly Plead thy Cause for the rest of thy Prophets who are not slain hide themselves and dare not appear to do thee any Service and they seek my life to take it away t I despair of doing them any good for instead of receiving my Testimony they hunt for my Life 11 And he said Go forth and stand upon the mount before the LORD And behold the LORD passed by u Either First By his Harbengers for as it follows the Lord was not yet there Or Secondly Himself And so this is a brief and general description of the thing after which the manner of it is particularly explained and a * â—…uk 1. 4. and 37. 9. great and strong wind rent the mountains and brake in pieces the rocks x Whereby he both prepares Elijah to receive this discovery of God with greatest humility reverence and Godly fear and signifies his Almighty and Irresistible Power to break the hardest hearts of the Israelites and to bear down all opposition that was or should be made against him in the discharge of his office before the LORD but the LORD was not in the wind y The Lord did not vouchsafe his Special and Gracious Presence to Elijah in that Wind where he confidently expected him which possibly was Either First To qualify the excessive fervour and passion of Elijah which mixed it self with his zeal for God and to make him more mild in his Censures and more meek and patient in waiting for the Conversion of Israel wherein he might sooner expect Gods Presence and Blessed Success than in the Storm of Anger or Impatience Or Secondly To teach him not to wonder if God did not accompany his terrible Administration at Mount Carmel with the Presence of his Grace
this Relation ver 9. That when he heard of Tirhakah he sent messengers to Hezekiah pretending as if he would forthwith come against him but it is not said that he did so nor is it set down what he did with Tirhakah because the Design of the Sacred Writer was onely to write the History of the Iewish Nation not of others but onely with respect to them Ye shall eat this year such things as grow of themselves and in the second year that which springeth of the same and in the third year z This was an excellent Sign for it was miraculous especially considering the waste and havock which the Assyrians had made in the Land and that the Iews had been forced to retire into their strong Hold and consequently to neglect their Tilling and Sowing and Reaping and yet this Year they should have sufficient Provision from those Fruits of the Earth which the Assyrian left and the Second Year which probably was the Year of Release in which they might neither Sow nor Reap from such Fruits as the Earth brought forth of its own accord and so in the Third Year sow ye and reap and plant vineyards and eat the fruits thereof a You shall not Sow and another Reap as lately you did but you shall Enjoy the Fruit of your own Labours 30 And ‡ Heb. the escaping of the House of judah that remaineth the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall yet again take root downward and bear fruit upward b i. e. Shall increase and multiply greatly A Metaphor from Planâ—… Comp. Iob 29. 19. 31 For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant c That handful of Iews who now were gathered together and shut up in Ierusalem shall go out to their several Habitations and by my singular Blessing increase exceedingly and ‡ Heb. the escaping they that escape out of mount Sion d The same thing expressed in other words which is usual in the Hebrew Language * 〈◊〉 9. 7. the zeal of the LORD of hosts shall do this Although when you reflect upon your selves and consider either your present fewness and weakness or your great unworthiness this may seem too great a Blessing for you to expect or believe yet God will do it from the zeal which he hath both for his own Name to Vindicate it from the Blasphemous Reproaches of the Assyrians and for the good of his undeserving People 32 Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the king of Assyria He shall not come into this city nor shoot an arrow there nor come before it with shield nor cast a bank against it e Which was true though he sent Rabshakeh and others with a great Host against Ierusalem Chap. 18. 17. Either because that Host went away with Rabshakeh to Libnah above ver 8. Or rather because that Army did not form a close Siege against it but onely Marched towards it and disposed themselves so as to block it up at some distance possibly waiting till the King of Assyria had taken Libnah and Lachish which they presumed he would speedily do and should come up with the rest of his Forces when they intended to fall more vigorously to their work 33 By the way that he came by the same shall he return f Whereas he expected to devour the Kingdom of Iudah at one Morsel and then to proceed further and to Conquer Egypt or other Neighbouring Countries and as it is said of him and concerning this very time and design Isa. 10. 7. To cut off nations not a few he shall meet with so sad a disappointment and rebuke here that he shall make haste to return with shame to his own Country and shall not come into the city saith the LORD 34 For * Chap. 20. 6. I will defend this city to save it for mine own sake and * 1 King 11. 1â—… 13. for my servant David's sake g For my Promise and Covenants-sake made with David concerning the Stability and Eternity of his Kingdom See 1 King 11. 12 13. 35 ¶ And * 〈◊〉 37. 36. it came to pass that night h Either 1. In the Night following this Message of the Prophet to Hezekiah Or 2. In that famous Night when God Destroyed the Assyrians it was done in this manner For such Expressions are oft used of an indefinite and uncertain time as that day is frequently taken as Isa. 4. 1. and 26. 1. and 27. 1 c. that the angel of the LORD went out and smote i With Pestilence or some other sudden and Mortal stroke in the camp of the Assyrians k Either before Libnah or in some other place near Ierusalem where they were Encamped an hundred fourscore and five thousand and when they arose early in the morning behold they were all dead corpses 36 So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed l Whom God spared not in Mercy but in Wrath reserving him to a more dreadful and shameful Death by the hands of his own Children and went and returned and dwelt at Nineveh 37 And it came to pass as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with the sword and they escaped into the land of ‡ Heb. Ararat Armenia m Which was a place most fit for their purpose because it was near to that part of Assyria and was very Mountainous and inaccessible by Armies and the people more stout and warlike and constant Enemies to the Assyrians and * Ezra 4. 2. Esarhaddon n Who sent great supplies to his new Colony in Samaria Ezra 4. 2. fearing it seems lest Hezekiah should improve the last great advantage to disturb his new Conquests there his son reigned in his stead CHAP. XX. IN * 2 Ch 32. 24. Isa. 3â—… 1. those days a i. e. In that Year of the Assyrian Invasion as is manifest from hence that that was in Hezekiah's 14th Year chap. 18. 13. and God now added 15 Years more to him chap. 20. 6. and yet Hezekiah Reigned onely 29 Years in all chap. 18. 2. And this happened Either First After the destruction of Sennacherib's Army Or Secondly Before it as may be thought from v. 6. where he speaks of his deliverance from the King of Assyria as a future thing It is true that when Hezekiah received that insolent Message from the Assyrian he was in health and went into the Temple to pray ch 19. 14. but there might be time more than enough for this sickness and recovery between that threatning and this destruction of the Assyrian was Hezekiah sick unto death and the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him and said unto him Thus saith the LORD ‡ Heb. Give charge concerning thine house Set thine house in order b Take care to make thy Will and to settle the Affairs of thy Family and Kingdom which
this is a Canonical Book of Scripture which is manifest both from the Stile and Matter of it and from the tacite Approbation given to it by Ezekiel and James in the places now cited and from that quotation taken from it as such 1 Cor. 3. 19. and from the unanimous consent of the Church both of Iews and Christians in all Ages 3. The time in which Job lived and these things were said and done most probably was before Moses and in the days of the ancient Patriarchs This may be gathered 1. From his long Life which by comparing Ch. 1. with 42. 16. could not want much of 200 Years whereas after Moses Mens Lives were far shorter as is manifest 2. From that considerable Knowledge of God and of the true Religion which then remained among divers Gentiles which after Moses his time was in a manner quite extinguished 3. From the Sacrifices here commonly used whereas after the giving of the Law all Sacrifices were confined to the place of the Tabernacle or Temple to which even the Gentiles were to repair when they would Sacrifice to God 4. From the way of Gods imparting of his Mind to the Gentiles at this time by Dreams and Visions agreeably to Gods Method in those ancient times whereas afterward those discoveries were withdrawn from the Gentiles and appropriated to the People of Israel 5. Because there is not the least mention in this Book of the Children of Israel neither of their grievous Afflictions in Egypt nor of their glorious Deliverance out of it though nothing could have been more seasonable or suitable to the matter which is here discoursed between Job and his Friends 4. The Pen-man of this Book is not certainly known nor is it material for us to know For it being agreed who is the principal Author it is of no moment by what Hand or Pen he wrote it But most probably it was either 1. Job himself who was most capable of giving this exact account who as in his Agony he wished that his Words and Carriage were written in a Book Ch. 19. 23 24. so possibly when he was delivered from it he satisfied his own and others desires therein Only what concerns his general Character Ch. 1. 1. and the time of his Death Ch. 42. 16 17. was added by another Hand the like small Additions being made in other Books of Scripture Or 2. Elihu which may seem to be favoured by Ch. 32. 15 16. Or 3. Moses who when he was in the Land of Midian where he had opportunity of coming to the knowledge of this History and Discourse and considering that it might be very useful for the Comfort and Direction of Gods Israel who was now oppressed in Egypt did by his own Inclination and the Direction of Gods Spirit commit it to Writing And whereas the Stile seems to be unlike to that of Moses in his other Writings that is not strange considering the differing nature of the Books this being almost all Poetical and the other meerly Historical for the most part or plain Precepts or Exhortations And for the Arabick words here used it must be remembred that Moses lived 40 Years in Midian which was a part of Arabia in which he must needs learn that Language CHAP. I. THere was a Man in the Land of Uz a Which was either in Edom called The Land of Uz Lam. 4. 21. or in some part of Arabia not far from the Chaldeans and Sabeans as this Chapter witnesseth so called probably from Uz one of Esau's Posterity Gen. 36. 28. Ier. 25. 20. whose Name was * 〈◊〉 14. 14. 〈◊〉 5. 11. Job and that man was †â—…p 2. 3. perfect b Not legally or exactly as he confesseth Ch. 9. 20. but comparatively to such as were partial in their Obedience to Gods Commands and as to his sincere Intentions hearty Affections and constant and diligent Endeavours to perform all his duties to God and Men. and upright c Heb. right exact and regular in all his dealings with Men one of an unblameable Conversation doing to others as he would have others to deal with him and one that feared God d Only truly pious and devoted to Gods Worship and Service and eschewed Evil e i. e. Carefully avoiding all sin against God or Men. 2. And there were born unto him Seven Sons and Three Daughters 3. His †Oâ—… 〈◊〉 Substance also was Seven Thousand Sheep and Three Thousand Camels f Camels in these parts were very numerous as is manifest from Iudg. 7. 12. 1 Chron. 5. 21. and from the plain testimonies of Aristotle and Pliny and very useful and Proper both for carrying of Burdens in these hot and dry Countries as being able to endure thirst much better than other Creatures and for service in War and Five Hundred Yoke of Oxen and Five Hundred She-Asses g Which were preferred before He-Asses as serving for the same uses as they did and for Breeding and Milk also But He-Asses also may be included in this Expression which is of the Feminine Gender because the greatest part of them from which the denomination is usually taken were She-Asses and a very great ‡ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Houshold so that this man was the greatest h i. e. One of the richest of all the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 men in the East i To wit that lived in those parts such general Expressions being commonly understood with such limitations 4. And his Sons went and feasted k To testifie and maintain their Brotherly Love in their houses every one his day l Not every day of the Week and of the Year which would have been burdensome and tedious to them all and gross Luxury and Epicurism which holy Iob would not have permitted but each his appointed day whether his Birth-day or the first day of the Month or any other set time it matters not and sent and called for their Three Sisters to eat and to drink with them 5. And it was so when the days of their feasting were gone about m When each of them had had his turn which peradventure came one speedily though not immediately after another And there was some considerable interval before their next feasting time that Job sent and * Neh. 12. 30. sanctified them n i. e. He exhorted and commanded them to sanctifie themselves for the following work to wit by purifying themselves from all Ceremonial and Moral Pollution as the manner then was Exod. 19. 10. and by preparing themselves by true Repentance for all their sins and particularly such as they had committed in their time of Feasting and Jollity and by fervent Prayers to make their Peace with God by Sacrifice and rose up early in the morning o Thereby shewing his ardent Zeal in Gods service and his Impatience till God was reconciled to him and to his Children and offered Burnt-Offerings according to the number of them all for
z Because it did not keep me from entring into this miserable Life and seeing i. e. feeling or experiencing as that word is oft used those bitter sorrows under which I now groan 11. Why died I not from the Womb a i. e. As soon as ever I was born or come out of the Womb. Why did I not give up the Ghost when I came out of the Belly b The same thing expressed in other words which is an Elegancy usual both in the Hebrew and in other Languages 12. Why did the Knees prevent me c Why did the Midwife or Nurse receive me and lay me upon her Knees and did not suffer me to fall upon the bare ground and there to lie in a neglected and forlorn condition till merciful Death had taken me out of this miserable World into which the cruel kindness of my Mother and Midwife hath betrayed me or why the Breasts that I should suck d Why did the Breasts prevent me which may be fitly understood out of the former Member to wit from perishing through hunger or supply me that I should have what to suck Seeing my Mother had not a miscarrying Womb but did unhappily bring me forth why had she not dry Breasts Or why were there any Breasts for me which I might suck Thus Iob most unthankfully and unworthily despiseth and traduceth these wonderful and singular Mercies of God towards poor helpless Infants because of the present Inconveniences which he had by means of them 13. For now should I have lien still and been quiet e Free from all those torments of my Body and Mind which now oppress me I should have slept then had I been at rest 14. With Kings f I had then been as happy as the proudest Monarchs who after all their great Archievments and Enjoyments go down into their Graves where I also should have been sweetly reposed and Counsellors of the Earth which * Ch. 15. 28. built desolate places for themselves g Which to shew their great Wealth and Power or to leave behind him a glorious name rebuilt ruined Cities or built new Cities and Palaces and other Monuments in places where before there was meer solitude and Wasteness 15. Or with Princes that had Gold who filled their Houses with Silver 16. Or * Psal. 58. 8. as an hidden h Undiscerned and unregarded untimely Birth i Born before the due time and therefore extinct I had not been k To wit in the Land of the Living of which he here speaketh as Infants which never saw light l Being stifled and dead before they were born 17. There m i. e. In the Grave which though not expressed yet is clearly implied in the foregoing Verses the wicked cease from troubling n The great oppressours and troublers of the World cease from all those Vexations Rapines and Murders which here they procured and there the †Heb. wearied in strength weary be at rest o Those who were here molested and tired out with their Tyrannies now quietly sleep with them or by them 18. There the Prisoners rest together p i. e. One as well as another they who were kept in the strongest Chains and closest Prisons and condemned to the most hard and miserable slavery rest as well as those who were captives in much better circumstances Or in like manner as this word oft signifies as those Oppressours and oppressed do they hear not the voice of the Oppressor q Or Exactour or Taâ—…kmaster who urgeth and forceth them by cruel threatnings and stripes to greater diligence in the works to which they are condemned See Exod. 3. 7. and 5. 6 10 13. Iob meddles not here with their eternal State after death or the Sentence and Judgment of God against wicked men of which he speaks hereafter but only speaks of their freedom from worldly troubles which is the only matter of his Complaint and present Discourse 19. The small and great r i. e. Persons of all qualities and conditions whether higher or lower * Or is there the samâ—… are there s In the same place and State all those kinds of distinctions and differences being for ever abolished and the Servant is free from his Master 20. Wherefore is Light given t Heb. Wherefore for what cause or use or good doth he i. e. God though he forbear to name him out of that holy Fear and Reverence which still he retained towards him give Light either the Light of the Sun which the Living only behold Eccles. 6. 5. and 7. 11. Or the Light of Life as may seem both by the next words and by comparing Psal. â—…6 13. and because death is oft set forth by the name of Darkness as Life by the name of Light These are strong Expostulations with God and quarrelling with his Providence and with his Blessings but we must consider that Iob was but a man and a man of like Passions and Infirmities with other men and now in grievous Agonies being not only under most violent and yet continual torments of Body but also under great disquietments of Mind and the deep sense of Gods Displeasure and was also left to himself that he might see what was in his Heart and that all succeeding Ages might have in him an illustrious Example of Mans Infirmity and the necessity of Gods Grace to help them in time of need And therefore it is no Wonder if his passions boil up and break forth in some indecent and sinful Expressions to him that is in Misery and Life unto the bitter in Soul u Unto such to whom Life itself is very bitter and burdensom Why doth he obtrude his favours upon those who abhor them 21. Which †Heb. wait Rev. 9. 6. long for death but it cometh not and dig for it x i. e. Desire and pray for it with as much earnestness as men dig for Treasure But it is observable that Iob durst not lay violent Hands upon himself nor do any thing to hasten or procure his Death but notwithstanding all his Miseries and Complaints he was contented to wait all the days of his appointed time till his change came Ch. 14. 14. more than for hid Treasures 22. Which rejoice exceedingly and are glad when they can find the Grave 23. Why is Light given y These words are conveniently supplied out of v. 20. where they are all the following words hitherto being joined in Construction and sense with them to a man whose way is hid z To wit from him who knows not his way i. e. which way to turn himself what course to take to comfort himself in his Miseries or to get out of them what method to use to please and reconcile that God who is so angry with him seeing his sincere and exact Piety to which God is witness doth not satisfie him or what the end of these Calamities will
wit his Consumâ—…tion and utter Destruction which was making haste towards him Or 2 God of whom he hitherto spoke in the second Person and now in the third Person such changes of persons being very frequent in poetical Writings such as this is So he continueth the former Discourse and as before he mentioned Gods severe Enquiry into his ways and Sentence against him so here he describes the Consequence and dreadful Execution of it upon him He i. e. God consumeth for the Verb is Active me as rottenness consumeth that in which it is or as a rotten thing is consumed and as a Moth which eateth a Garment as a rotten thing consumeth as a Garment that is Moth-eaten CHAP. XIV 1. MAn that is born of a Woman a This expression is here used either 1. To intimate the cause of Mans Misery that he was born of Woman a weak Creature 1 Pet. 3. 7. and withal corrupt and sinful and of that Sex by which sin and all calamity was brought into the world See Ch. 15. 14. Gen. 3. 17. 1 Tim. 2. 13 4. Or 2. To note the Universality of the thing Every man every Mothers Son as we use to speak Mens Fathers are oft times unknown and uncertain but their Mothers are always definite and certain One man was then to be born and afterwards was born without an earthly Father to wit our Lord and Saviour Christ but no man was ever born without a Mother is †Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 days of few days b A short liv'd Creature in himself and therefore needs no violent hand to cut him off because he withereth so soon of his own accord and * Eccles. 2. 23. full of trouble c And therefore a fitter Object for divine Compassion than for his â—…ury or severity He chiefly intendeth himself but he expresseth it thus generally partly to relieve himself with the thoughts of the common Calamities of Mankind and partly to move God with the consideration of the frailty and misery of humane Nature and consequently of his condition 2. * Chap. â—… 9. Pâ—… 90. 5 6. 102. 11. 103. 15. 144. 4. Isa. 4â—… 6. Jam. 1. 10 11. 1 Pet. 1. â—…4 He cometh forth d Out of his Mothers Womb Ch. 1. 21. like a Flower e Which quickly groweth up and maketh a fair shew but soon withereth or is cut down and is cut down he fleeth also as a shadow f Which being made by the Sun follows its motions and is in perpetual variation until at last it quite vanish and disappear and continueth not 3. And dost thou open thine Eyes upon such an one g Either 1. To take thought or care about him Or rather 2. To observe all his ways that thou maist find cause of Punishment He is not a fit match for thee It is below thee to contend with him and to use thy infinite Wisdom and Power to crush him This seems best to suit with the scope and context and bringest me into judgment with thee h i. e. Pleadest with me by thy Judgments and thereby in a manner forcest me to plead with thee without granting me those Two necessary and favourable conditions expressed Ch. 13. 20 21. 4. †Heb. 〈◊〉 will give Who * Gen. 5. 3. Psal. 51. 5. Joh. 3. 6. Rom. 5. 12. Ephes. 2. 3. can bring a clean thing out of an unclean i I do not say I am clean as Zophar pretendeth Ch. 11. 4. but confess that I am a very unclean Creature and therefore liable to thy Justice if thou wiltst deal rigorously with me but remember that this is not my peculiar case but the common lot of every Man who coming from sinful Parents and being infected with original Corruption must unavoidably be unclean Why then doest thou inflict such peculiar and extraordinary Judgments upon me for that which is common to all men And although my original Corruption do not excuse my actual Sins yet I hope it may procure some mitigation to my punishments and move thy divine Pitty which oft sheweth itself upon such occasions See Gen. 8. 21. Not one k i. e. No man can cleanse himself or any other from all sin See 1 Kin. 8. 46. Psal. 14. 3. Eccles. 7. 21. This is the Prorogative of thy Grace which therefore I humbly implore of thee 5. Seeing his days l The days or as it follows months of his Life are determined m Are by thy Sentence and Decree limited to a certain period the number of his Months are †Ch. 7. 1. with thee n i. e. Exactly known to thee Or in thy power and disposal thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass o Thou hast appointed a certain end of his days beyond which he cannot prolong his Life And therefore let this short Life and unavoidable Death suffice for mans punishment and do not add further and sorer Calamities 6. * Ch. 7. 16 19. Turn from him p Withdraw thine afflicting Hand from him that he may †Heb. 〈◊〉 rest q That he may have some present comfort and ease Or and let it cease to wit the affliction which is sufficiently implied Others and let him cease to wit to live i. e. Take away my life But that seems not to agree with the following clause of this Verse nor with the succeeding Verses till he shall accomplish as * Chap. â—… 1. an hireling his day r Give him some respite till he finish his course and come to the period of his Life which thou hast allotted to him as a man appoints a set time to a mercenary servant 7. For there is hope of a Tree if it be cut down that it will sprout again s But man though a far nobler Creature is in a much worse condition and when once he loseth this present and Worldly Life he never recovers it Therefore shew some pity to him and give him some Comfort whilest he lives and that the tender branch thereof will not cease 8. Though the root thereof wax old t Begin to wither and decay in the Earth and the stock thereof die u To wit in outward appearance in the †〈◊〉 ground 9. Yet through the sent of Water x i. e. By means of Water Sent or Smell is figuratively ascribed to a Tree it will bud and bring forth boughs like a Plant y Like a Tree newly planted 10. But man dieth and †〈…〉 wasteth away z His body by degrees rotting away Or and is cut off as this word is used Exod. 17. 13. Isa. 14. 12. yea man giveth up the Ghost and where is he a i. e. He is no where or he is not to wit in this World as that Phrase is commonly used See Iob 3. 16. 7. 8 21. 11. As the Waters fail from the Sea and the flood decayeth and drieth up b
sowed together not upon my other garments but next to my skin as was done in great Calamities as 2 Kings 6. 30. So far am I from stretching out my hands against God whereof I am accused Chap. 15. 25. that I have humbled my self deeply unâ—…er his hand and defiled my horn in the dust q I have willingly parted with all my Wealth and Power and Glory as the horn oft signifies in Scripture as Psâ—…lm 75 5. 132. 17 Luke 1. 69. and been contented to lie in the dust and to endure the contempt which God hath brought upon me 16 My face is foul with weeping and on my eye-lids is the shadow of death r i. e. A gross and terrible darkness My sight is very dim and dark as is usual in case of fore Diseases or excessive grief and weeping Lamâ—…nt 2 11. and especially in the approach of death Compare Psalm 6. 7. 38. 10. Lament 5. 17. 17. Not for any injustice in mine hands s And all this is not come upon me for any injurious dealing with others by oppression or deceit or bribery wherewith I am implicitely charged Chap. 15 16 20 34. but for other reasons known to God onely for I cannot discover them also my prayer is pure t I do not cast off God's fear and service as I am accused to do Châ—…p 15. 4. I do still pray and worship God and my Prayer is accompanied with a sincere Heart and â—…defiled Conscience See Psalm 109 7. Prov. 28. 9. 1 Tim. 2. 8. So that I have lived inâ—…ffensively towards God and towards men And therefore your Assertion is both uncharitable and false that eminent Afflictions are peculiar to ungodly men 18. O earth cover not thou my bloud u So called not actively to wit his own blood but passively or obâ—…ctively i. e the blood of others shed by him and lying upon his Conscience The Earth is said to cover that blood which lies undiscovered and unrevenged Of which see on Gen. 4. 10 11. Isa. 26 21. But saith Iob. if I be guilty of destroying any one man by Murder or Oppression as I am traduced O Lord let the Earth disclose it let it be brought to light that I may suffer condign punishment for it and let my cry x Either 1. passively to wit the cries and groans which I have forced from others by my Oppressions Let those Cries have no place to hide them Or rather 2. actively the Cry of my Complaints to men or Prayers to God let them find no place in the Ears or Hearts of God or men if this be true Or no place i. e. no regard or no power or success in which sense God's Word is said not to have place in evil men Iohn 8. 37. And Esaâ—… not to find place of repentance Heb. 12. 17. i. e. All his Intreaties and Tears could not prevail with his Father to repent of and retract the Blessing given from him to Iacob have no place 19. Also now behold my Witness is in Heaven y Besides the Witness of Men and of my own Conscience God is Witness of my Integrity and my Record †Heb. in the high places is on high 20. My Friends z Who should defend me from the Scorns and Injuries of others †scorn me a So this word is used Psal. 119. 51. Prov. 3. 34. 19. 28. but mine Eye Heb. are my â—…orners poureth out tears unto God b I pour forth my Prayers and Tears to God that he would judge me according to my Innocency and plead my righteous cause against you 21. * Ch. 31. 35. Eccl. 6. 10. Isa. 45. 9. Rom. 9. 20. O that one might plead for a man * with God c O that either I or some faithful Advocate might be admitted to plead my Cause either with God or rather with you before God's Tribunal God being Witness and Judge between us But this Verse is and that very agreeably to the Hebrew Text otherwise translated and Interpreted either 1. With respect to Christ And he i. e. God last mentioned to wit God the Son Christ Jesus will plead for a man i. e. for me against whom you plead He modestly speaketh of himself in the third Person as is usual with God to wit with God the Father and the Son of man as Christ is oft called will plead for his Friend or Companion or Neighbour i. e. For a man whom he hath taken into that Relation to himself It is plain that the mystery of Mans Redemption by Christ was known to the ancient Patriarchs as hath been oft noted before and to Iob among others Ch. 19. 25. Or 2. as the matter for which he prayed and cried to God That so the Hebrew Vau is frequently used he i. e. God would plead or judge or give sentence for a man i. e. for me or in my cause with God i. e. with himself the Noun being put for the Pronoun as Gen. 2. 20. 4. 15. Lev. 14. 15 16. and elsewhere or at his own Tribunal to which I have appealed as a man pleadeth for his Friend or Neighbour with or before an earthly Judge and Tribunal This seems most agreeable to the scope of the place which was to maintain his own Integrity against his Friends before God as a man pleadeth for his ‖ Or friend Neighbour 22. When †Heb. years of number a few years are come then I shall go the way whence I shall not return d i. e. To the state and place of the dead whence men do not and cannot return to this Life The meaning is my death hastens and therefore I earnestly desire that the cause depending before God between me and my Friends may be searched out and determined that if I be guilty of these things whereof they accuse me I may bear the shame and blame of it before all men and if I be innocent that I may live to see my own Integrity and the credit of Religion which suffers upon this occasion vindicated that so I may die in peace with God and may leave the favour of a good name behind me CHAP. XVII 1. MY ‖ Breath is corrupt a i. e. It stinks as it doth in dying persons Or my Spirit is corrupted or spent or lost i. e. My vital Spirits and natural Powers are wasted my Soul is ready to leave the Body my days are extinct b The lamp of my Life is wasted and upon the point of going out and that in a Snuff Or my Spirit is spent the Graves c i. e. The Grave the plural number being put for the singular as Sepulchres 2 Chron. 21. 20. Cities Judg. 12. 7. Asses Zech. 9. 9. are put for one of each of these are ready for me d Open their mouths as ready to receive me The sense and scope of this Verse is the same with the former 2. Are there not Mockers with
which they intended to rob and the part of the house where they resolved to enter into it in the day-time * John 3. 20. they know not the light i i. e. Do not love nor like it as Verse 13. but abhor it as it follows 17. For the morning is to them even as the shadow of death k i. e. Terrible and hateful because it both discovers them and hinders their practises if one know them they are in the terrours of the shadow of death l If they are brought to light or discovered they are overwhelmed with deadly horrours and terrours Or as the words are and may very agreeably to the Hebrew be rendred thus But as the Hebrew Particle commonly signifies they know Heb. he knoweth every one of them knoweth i e. approveth and loveth the â—…errours of the shadow of death i. e. the grossest darkness of the Night which to other men is as terrible as the shadow of death but to these men is most acceptable So this Clause is fitly opposed to the former he hates the light and he likes darkness 18. He is swift †Heb. upon the face of the waters as the waters m In these words he describes either 1. the wicked man's disposition and deportment that such persons are light and frothy in their spirits or swift or hasty to do evil or unstable in their ways as the waters or upon the face of the waters i. e. like the foam or froath or any other light thing which swims upon the top of the waters Or rather 2. his miserable condition of which he manifestly speaks in the next words and in the two next Verses For though Iob constantly affirms and maintains it against his Friends that many ungodly men do prosper and escape punishment in this life yet withal he observes and asserts that God will certainly sooner or later punish them and that he sometimes doth it here cutting them off by cruel and untimely Deaths or otherwise inflicting some notable judgment upon them of which he also speaks Chap. 21. 17 c. So the sense is He is swift i. e. he quickly passeth away with all his glory as the waters which never stay in one place but are always hasting and running away or like a Ship or any other thing which swimmeth upon the face of the waters Though he seems to stand as firm and unmovable as a Rock and to have taken deep rooting in the earth yet he is suddenly and unexpectedly removed and pulled up by the roots their n Or his for he still speaks of the same person though with a change of the number which is most familiar in this Book and elsewhere in Scripture portion o Or part i. e. his Habitation and Estate which he left behind him is cursed in the earth p Is really accursed by God and is by all men who live near it or observe it pronounced accursed because of the remarkable judgments of God upon it and upon his Posterity or Family to which he left it and from whom it is strangely and suddenly alienated he beholdeth not the way of the vineyard q i. e. He shall never more see or enjoy his Vineyards or other pleasant places and things which seem to be comprehended under this particular 19. Drought and heat †Heb. violâ—…t ly take consume the snow-water so doth the grave those which have sinned r As the Snow though it doth for a time lie upon the ground yet at last is dissolved into water by the heat of the season and that water quickly swallowed up by the earth when it is dry and thirsty So ungodly sinners though they live and prosper for a season yet at last they shall go into the grave which will consume them together with all their hopes and comforts Their jolly life is attended with a sad and oâ—…t-times sudden and violent death not with such a death as the godly die which perfects them and brings them to happiness but with a consuming and never dying death 20. The womb shall forget him s His Mother that bare him in her Womb and much more the rest of his Friends shall seldom or never remember or mention him to wit with honour and comfort but shall rather be afraid and ashamed to own their Relation to one that lived such a vile and wretched life and died such an accursed death This he shall have instead of all that Honour and Renown which he thirsted and laboured for and expected should persume his Name and Memory the worm †Heb. is sweet to him Ch. 21. 33. shall feed sweetly on him t This proud and insolent Tyrant that preyed upon all his Neighbours v. 2. 3 c. shall himself become a prey and a sweet Morsel to the contemptible Worms he shall be no more remembred u To wit with Honour or so as he desired and hoped but his Name shall rot and scarce ever be mentioned but with Infamy and Execration and wickedness x i. e. The wicked man of whom he is here treating the Abstract being put for the Concrete of which many Instances have been formerly given shall be broken y Broken to pieces or violently broken down as the word signifies He shall be utterly and irrecoverably destroyed And this expression plainly sheweth that the former Clauses are not to be understood of the Sinner's happiness in an easie and comfortable death but of his cursed and miserable end as a tree z Which being once broken either by its own weight or by some violent wind or by the hand of man never groweth again 21. He a Either 1. God who is oft understood who having cut off his person and brought him to his grave continues his judgments upon his Wife or Widow and Family Or rather the Oppressor who is the principal subject of almost all that is said in this Chapter whose great and manifold wickedness Iob described from v. 2 to 18. where he proceeds to relate the judgments of God upon him for his sins which having done v. 13 19 20. he here returns to the declaration of his further wickednesses the cause of these judgments evil entreateth b Or feedeth upon or devoureth or breaketh in pieces for all these the word signifieth and all come to one and the same thing the barren that beareth not c Barrenness was esteemed a Curse and Reproach and so he added affliction to the afflicted whom he should have pitied and helped But because such had no Children and the Widows no Husbands to defend or avenge their Cause he exercised cruelty upon them and doth not good d Either 1. he did her much wrong and harm it being usual in Scripture under such Negative expressions to contain the Affirmation of the contrary as Exod. 20. 7. Prov. 17. 21. 28. 21. And so this Branch answers to the former of evil-entreating Or
2. he afforded her no help or advice or comfort in her Distresses And so he intimateth the greatness of Omission sins and that the common neglect or contempt of plain and positive Duties whether of Piety to God or of Charity to men is to be reckoned among high and hainous Crimes to the widow 22. He draweth e Either into his Neâ—… as Psalm 10. 9. or to his Party to assist and serve him in his Enterprizes also the mighty f Who are mighty in place or wealth or power He practiseth upon these as well as upon the poor with his power g Which being greater than theirs the soon forceth them to comply with his desires and demands he riseth up h To wit against any man as this phrase is used Psalm 18. 38. 44. 5. When he sets himself against a man and resolves to destroy him and ‖ Or he trusteth not his own life no man is sure of life i i. e. None of them whom he so opposeth can be secure or confident of holding his life but all such give up themselves for lost men as knowing they cannot resist his greater might Compare Deut. 28. 26. 23. Though it be given him to be in safety whereon he resteth yet ‖ That is God's Eyes his eyes are upon their ways k Heb. He giveth to him to be in safety or all things necessary for his safety c. This Verse is understood either 1. of the Oppressor If the Oppressor give a man his hand or promise that he shall live in safety by him or If the Oppressed give Gifts to the Oppressor to purchase his quiet and safety and as it follows he resteth upon that assurance given him yet his i. e. the Oppressors eyes are upon their ways he watcheth for their halting and seeks for all occasions to quarrel with them and to destroy them Or rather 2. of God and so the words are fitly rendred thus He i. e. God giveth or granteth to him i. e. to the Oppressor to be in safety i. e. to live a quiet and comfortable life and he resteth secure or he resteth or leaneth upon him i. e. upon God his former experience of God's Favour makes him confident of the continuance of it So he is not only happy in his present enjoyments but also in his freedom from distracting fears of future miseries and his i. e. God's Eyes are upon their ways i. e. God blesseth and prospereth him in all his undertakings as this phrase most commonly signifies as Deut. 11. 12. Ezra 5. 5. Psalm 33. 18. Or yet his eyes are upon their ways i. e. although God giveth them such strange successes this doth not proceed from his ignorance or regardlesness of their wicked actions for he sees and observes them all and will in due time punish them though not always in this life nor as soon as their sins are committed but in such time and way as he in deep wisdom seeth most â—…it 24. They are exalted for a little while l They live in honour and happiness but not for ever but only at best during this short and mortal life which lasteth but for a very little time and therefore their present happiness is not to be envied nor is it any reproach to God's Providence which hath time enough to reckon with them hereafter but †Heb. are not are gone m Heb. are not to wit in this World they die and brought low n As low as their graves Or after as the Particle Vau is elsewhere used as hath been observed before they have been brought low to wit by pining sickness or other grievous judgments they are †Heb. closed up taken out of the way o i. e Out of this World and way of living by death Or are restrained or shut up to wit in the grave the place of silence and impotency as all other p They can no more prevent or delay their death than the meanest men in the world and cut off q By Death's Sickle or by a violent Hand as the tops of the ears of corn r To wit in his greatest height and maturity when he is arrived at his perfect stature of worldly power and glory then God cuts him off and that suddenly and violently 25. And if it be not so now s To wit as I have discoursed if God doth not suffer wicked men to live long and prosperously in the World before he punisheth them and if good men be not sometimes sorely afflicted here if all things do not fall alike to all men in these matters who will make me a liar and make my speech nothing worth CHAP. XXV 1. THen answered Bildad a Not to that which Iob spake last but to that which stuck most in Bildad's mind and which seemed most reprovable in all his discourses to wit his bold censure of God's proceedings with him and his avowed and oft repeated desire of disputing the matter with him the Shuhite and said 2. Dominion b i. e. Absolute and sovereign power over all persons and things with whom to contend is both rebellion and madness and fear c Actively understood or terrour i. e. that which justly makes him dreadfull to all men and especially to all that shall undertake to dispute with him awful Majesty infinite knowledge whereby he knows men's hearts and ways far better than they know themselves and sees much sâ—…n in them which themselves do not discover and exact purity and justice which renders him formidable to sinners are with him d Emphatically spoken with him whom thou challengest with him who is not lightly and irreverently to be named much less to be contended with And therefore it is thy duty to humble thy self for thy presumptuous words and carriages towards him and quietly and modestly to submit thy self and thy cause to his pleasure This Clause as well as the following Verse seems to be added to prove what he last said of God's dominion and dreadfulness He keepeth and ruleth all persons and things in Heaven in peace and harmony and the order which he hath established among them The Angels though they be very numerous and differing in orders and ministeries do all own his Soveraignty and acquiesce in his Pleasure without any disputing and murmuring The Stars and heavenly Bodies though vaâ—…t in their bulk and various in their motions yet exactly keep their courses and the order which God hath appointed them And therefore it is great folly and impudence to exempt thy self from God's jurisdiction or to quarrel with the methods of God's dealings with thee he maketh peace in his high places 3. Is there any number of his armies e Of the Angels and Stars and other Creatures all which are his Hosts wholly submitting themselves to his Will to be and do what God would have them And therefore how insolent and unreasonable a thing is it for thee
these winds my Body is almost consumed and wasted and my heart is melted within me 23. For I know that thou wilt bring me to death s I see nothing will satisfie thee but my death which thou aâ—…t bringing upon me in a lingering and dismal manner and to the house appointed for all living t To the grave to which all living men are coming and hastening 24. Howbeit he will not stretch out his hand to the †Heb. heap grave though they cry in his destruction u There is great variety and difficulty in the sense and connexion of these words They may be joyned either 1. with the following Verse as describing Iob's compassion to others in affliction which by the Principles of Reason and Religion should have procured him some pity from God and men in his affliction And to that purpose the words are or may be translated thus But was not my prayers for them which words may be understood out of the following Clause when he stretched out his hand to wit against them to destroy them in his destruction or oppression understand it actively i. e. when God was about to destroy any other man or men was not the Negation being understood out of the former Branch of the Verse as is usual my cry for them the Feminine Gender being put for the Masculine as it is elsewhere or for these things the Feminine being put for the Neuter that is for those destructive Calamities which were upon them Or 2. with the foregoing Verse And so these words contain either 1. a Consolation against the evil last mentioned So the sense is Though God will undoubtedly bring me to the Grave by these Torments yet this comforts me that surely he will not stretch out his hand to wit to afflict or punish me further as this phrase is used Exod. 3. 20. Isa. 9. 12 13. in the grave though they i. e. the perishing persons cry or roar i. e. be sorely pained and tormented in his destruction i. e. whilest God is destroying them Or this last Clause may be read interrogatively Is there any cry in his destruction When a man is cut off or destroyed by death doth he then cry and complain No there is an end of all these Miseries Or rather 2 a Confirmation of what he last said For the whole Context shews that Iob is not taking any comfort to himself but rather aggravating his Sufferings I know saith he that I am a dead man and my Condition is desperate for surely he i. e. God will not stretch out his hand to wit to save or rescue me as this phrase is used Psalm 18 17. 144. 7. compared with Acts 4. 30. to or in the grave i. e. to a dead man such as I am in effect having not only one foot but in a manner both feet in the grave as being upon the very brink of the Pit though they cry to wit unto God i. e. though there be a great and a general Cry and Lamentation for him among his Friends or others and an earnest desire of him if possibly he might be restored to life again in his destruction i. e. when he is destroyed or dead yet all these Cries would be in vain 25. * Psal. 35. 13 14. Rom. 12. 15. Did not I weep †Heb. for him that was hard of day for him that was in trouble x Whence is it that neither God nor man shew any compassion to me but both conspire to afflict me and encrease my torments Doth God now mete out to me the same measure which I meted out to others Have I now Judgment without Mercy because I afforded no mercy nor pity to others in misery No my Conscience acquits me from this inhumanity I did not sleightly resent but bitterly mourn and weep over others in their miseries and therefore I had reason to expect more Compassion than I find was not my soul grieved for the poor y Even for him who was not capable of requiting my kindness in case of his recovery which shews that my sympathy was real and not seigned as it is in some who pretend great sorrow for the rich in their troubles hoping thereby to insinuate themselves into their favour and friendship and thereby to procure some advantage to themselves 26. When I looked for good then evil came unto me z Instead of the return of the like pity to me which I might justly challenge and expect whensoever I should stand in need of it I meet with a sad disappointment and my pity is recompensed with others cruelty to me and when I waited for light there came darkness 27. My bowels boiled and rested not a i. e. My inward parts boyled without ceasing The Bowels are the seat of Passion and of Compassion and therefore this may be understood either 1. of his Compassionate and deep sense of others miseries which is oft expressed by bowels as Isa. 16. 11. Col. 3. 12. and elsewhere of which he spake v. 25. to which he subjoyns the contrary usage which he met with v. 26. And then in this first part of v. 27. he renews the mention of his compassion to others and in the latter part he adds by way of Antithesis or Opposition that his mercy was requited with cruel afflictions Or 2. of the grievousness of his troubles which is sometimes expressed by the troubling or boyling of the Bowels or inward parts as Lam. 1. 20. the days of affliction prevented me b i. e. Came upon me suddenly and unexpectedly when I promised to my self peace and prosperity as the usual recompence which God promiseth and giveth to such as fear and please him as I have done 28. * Psal. 38. 6. 42. 9. 43. 2. I went c Or I walked hither and thither as I could Or I converse or appear among others mourning without the Sun d Spending my days in mourning without any Sun-light or comfort or so oppressed with sadness that I did not care nor desire to see the light of the Sun Heb. black not by the Sun My very Countenance is changed and become black but not by the Sun which makes many other persons black Cant. 1. 5. 6. but by the force of my Disease and deep Melancholy which oft-times makes a man's Visage black and dismal See Psalm 119. 83. Lam. 5. 10. And this he repeats in plainer terms v. 30. as an eminent token of his excessive grief and misery I stood up e Either because my Disease and pain made me weary of other postures Or that others might take notice of me and be moved with pity towards me and I cried f With a loud and dâ—…eful clamour through great and sudden anguish in the congregation g Where prudence and modesty taught me to forbear it if extream necessity and misery had not forced me to it 29. * Ps. 102. 6. I am a brother h To wit
declare God's absolute and uncontrollable Soveraignty over all men to dispose of them either to life or to death as it pleaseth him and consequently to shew that Iob had cause to be thankful to God who had continued his life so long to him which he might have taken away as soon as ever he had given it and had no cause to complain of him or to tax him with injustice for afflicting him as he did and man shall turn again unto dust 16. If now thou hast understanding hear this b As thou art a Man of understanding hear and consider what I say heâ—…rken to the voice of my words 17. Shall even he that hateth right c i. e. That is unrighteous But this he expresseth in a most emphatical manner the reason and weight whereof seems to me to be this If God be unjust he is not so from fear of any Superiour as inferiour Magistrates do many unrighteous things against their Consciences to please their Prince or Chief Ruler or to avoid his displeasure but meerly from an intrinsecal hatred of Justice or love of unrighteousness which being most absurd to imagine concerning God therefore he cannot possibly â—…e unjust or do any unjust action †Heb. Bind govern d So this word which properly signifies to bind is fitly rendred by most Interpreters and â—…o it is used Isa. 3. 7. because Governours have a power to bind their Subjects by Laws and Penalties and they are as it were the ligaments by which Societies are bound and keep together which without them would be dissolved and broken to pieces Elihu's argument here is the same with that of Abraham's Gen. 18. 25. and that of Saint Pauls Rom. 3 5. 6. If God be unrighteous how shall â—…e judge or govern the World And the argument is undeniable If God were unjust there would be nothing but injustice and confusion and mischief in the World whereas we see there is a great deal of Justice administred by Rulers in the World and all this must proceed from him who is the Fountain and Author of all Justice and Rule and Authority And as the Psalmist saith Psal. 94. 9. He that formed the eye shall not he see So say I He that makes men just shall he be unjust and wilt thou condemn him that is most just e i. e. God who hath given so many clear and unquestionable evidences of his Justice in giving Just and Holy Laws in encouraging and rewarding very many righteous Persons in this life and in inflicting dreadful and remarkable Judgments upon Tyrants and Oppressours Or him that is just and mighty for the next Verse speaks of such who were generally in â—…hose times more considerable for their Power and Authority than for their Justice So here is a double argument against Iob's censures of God's Justice He is just and therefore giveth thee no cause to condemn him and withal potent and therefore can punish thee yet far worse for so doing 18. Is it fit to say to a King Thou art †Heb. 〈◊〉 wicked f Or Thou art Belial or a Son of Belial Though a King may really be unjust and wicked yet there Subjects neither may nor dare presume to call them so Exod. 22. 28. And therefore if some evil Thought did arise in thee yet how wast thou not afraid to utter such unworthy and almost blasphemous expressions against God and to princes ye are ungodly 19. How much less to him that * Deut. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Chron. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 1â—… 3â—… Rom. 2. 11. Gal. 2. 6. Ephes. 6. â—… Col. 3. 25. 1 Pet. 1. 1â—… accepteth not the persons of princes g nor regardeth the rich more than the poor for * Ch. 31. 1â—… they all are the work of his hands h And therefore of equal worth and price with him and equally subject to his power and pleasures q i. e. To God who respecteth not the greatest Princes so as to do any unjust thing to gain their favour or to avoid their anger to whom Princes and Peasants are equally subject and infinitely inferiour who therefore is free from all temptation to injustice which commonly proceeds from respect of Persons Levit. 19. 15. and to whom therefore thou didst owe more reverence than thy words have expressed 20. In a moment i Whensoever God doth but give the word and send his Summons for them shall they k i. e. The Rich and the Prince no less than the poor must submit to the Law of death which God hath imposed upon all men without exception and they cannot charge God with injury therein die and the people l Whole Nations or People are no less subject to God's power than any particular Persons their numbers cannot secure them from God's hand shall be troubled m i. e. disturbed and terrified with those calamities which God shall bring upon them at midnight n Suddenly and when they are most secure and pass away o Either 1. go into Captivity or run or fly away they know not whither for their lives Or 2. perish or die as he said before and as this word is oft used as Iob 14. 20 Psal. 37. 36. Eccles. 1. 4 So the same thing is said of the People which in the first branch of the Verse was said of the Princes and †Heb. they that take away the mighty the mighty shall be taken away p Either from their place or power or out of this life without hand q Without any hand or help of Man by some secret and stupendious work and judgment of God which he oft inflicts upon those who are out of the reach of men 21. * â—… Chr. 1â—… â—… Ch. 31. â—… Psal. 3â—… 1â—… 119. 1â—… Prov. 5. â—…1 15. 3. Jer. 1â—… 1 For his eyes are upon the ways of man r This is added as the reason of the Judgments mentioned in the foregoing Verse God doth not afflict nor destroy either Princes or People unjustly no nor out of his meer pleasure and absolute Soveraignity to which Iob seemed to impute his calamities but for their sins which God sees exactly although they use all possible arts and tricks to hide them from him Therefore no man hath cause to complain of God but of himself for all that he may suffer in the World and he seeth all his goings 22 * Psal. 139. â—… Amos 9. 2 Heb. 4. 13. There is no darkness nor shadow of death where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves s They may flatter themselves or cheat others by covering their wicked actions with plausible pretences and professions but they cannot deceive God nor keep their hearts and ways from his sight 23. For he will not lay upon man more than right t More or heavier punishments than they deserve or than are proportionable to their sins which he accurately observes as was now said and therefore can suit
the Heart as Exod. 15. 8. Deut. 4. 11. And so it may be here for the Army as such hath no Heart Properly so called And so this is fitly alledged as a Proof of the sharpness and force of his Arrows that they not onely wound those who march in the Front but even those who are in the midst of the Army where they may seem secure and out of their Reach of the Kings Enemies But the middle Words may be and are by many included within a Parenthesis and so they may agree with our Translation thus Thine Arrows are sharp for the People fall under thee which is an Evidence of their sharpness in the Heart or against the Heart Or piercing into the Heart Which is an easie and usual Ellipsis of the Kings Enemies 6. * Psal. 93. 2. Heb. 1. 8. Thy throne O God z It is most Evident that the Speech is still continued to the same Person whom he calls King v. 1. 11. and here God Which change of the Title was very expedient and in some sort necessary to give us a true understanding of this Psalm and to assure us that he doth not speak of Solomon to whom neither these nor the foregoing nor the following Words agree because his Reign was peaceable and short and stained with many and great iniquities but a far greater King even of the Messias who is not onely a Man but also the mighty God as he is called Isa. 9. 6. and as the Apostle solâ—…dly proves from this place Heb. 1. 8. For though the Name of Elohim or God be sometimes given in Scripture to some Creatures yet in those Cases it is always Clogged with some diminishing Expression signifying that they are onely made or called Gods and that onely for a certain Time and Purpose as is manifest from Exod. 4. 16. and 7. 1. Psal. 82 6. and it is no where put simply and absolutely for any Person but him who is God blessed for ever Rom. 9. 5. is for ever and ever a To wit Properly and in thine own Person in which as he Lives for ever so he must necessarily Reign for ever whereas David whose Throne is said to be Established for ever 2 Sam. 7. 16. was a Mortal man and therefore that Promise was not intended of nor could be fulfilled in his Person without including his Posterity And as he here gives to the Messias the Name of God which was never given to David nor Solomon so he ascribes an everlasting Kingdom to him in such a Sence as it was never given to them So Dan. 2. 44. and 7. 14. the scepter of thy kingdom is a right scepter b It is not strange that thy Throne is not liable to the same uncertainties and Causualties with the Thrones of earthly Princes because their Scepters are commonly managed with great injustice and manifold iniquities which lay the Foundation of their overthrow whereas thou rulest with exact Righteousness and Equity whereby thy Throne is Established Prov. 16. 12. 7. Thou lovest righteousness and hatest wickedness c Thou dost not onely do that which is good and avoid that which is Evil Which even bad Princes and Men may do and sometimes Actually do for Politick or Prudential Reasons but thou dost this sincerely and from an inward Principle even from a true Love to God and Goodness and from an implacable Hatred against all Wickedness therefore d So this Particle is commonly used And so it denoteth Either 1. The reward of Christ's righteous Administration of his Kingdom So the Sence is Because thou hast given so many and great Proofs of thy Love to Righteousness and of thy Hatred of sin and that not onely by the constant Course of thy Life but also by thy Death and Passion therefore God hath raised and exalted thee far above all Men and Angels to a state of Joy and endless Glory at his right Hand which is fitly expressed by the Oyl of gladness For anointing doth not always signifie the Conferring of inward Gifts or Endowments but sometimes onely notes the Designation or inauguration of a Person to some high Dignity or Employment as Ezek. 28. 14. and elsewhere Or 2. The final Cause or end of Christ's Unction So the Sence is To that end i. e. That thou mightest love Righteousness and hate Wickedness and govern thy self and thy Kingdom accordingly God hath anointed thee c. i. e. Hath endowed thee with all the Gifts and Graces of thy Holy Spirit Act 10. 38. in an Eminent and peculiar manner to the Comfort and Refreshment of thine own and all thy Peoples Hearts and hath Solemnly called thee to be the Priest and Prophet and King of all his People But the former Sence seems to be the truest and is for Substance the same thing which is said in other Words Phil. 2. 8 9 10. God thy God e According to thy humane Nature Ioâ—… 20. 17. though in respect of thy divine Nature thou art his Fellow Zech. 13. 7. and his Equal Phil. 2. 6. and one with him Iob. 10. 30. hath anointed thee with the oyl of gladness f So called here as also Isa. 61. 3. Partly because it not onely makes the Countenance fresh and pleasant Psal. 104. 15. but also rejoyceth the Heart Prov. 27. 9. and Partly because it was a Token of gladness and used in Feasts and other Solemn occasions of Rejoycing Of which see Psal. 23. 5. Dan. 10. 3. Amos 6. 6. above thy fellows g i. e. Above all them who partake with thee in this Unction Either 1. Above all that ever were anointed for Priests or Prophets or Kings Or 2. Above all Believers who also have received this same Unction 1 Iob. 2. 20. 27. and are made Priests and Kings unto God Revel 1. 6. 8. All thy garments smell of myrrhe and aloes and cassia h Wherewith they used to Persume their Garments See Gen. 27. 27. This may denote those glorious and sweet smelling Vertues which as they were Treasured up inwardly in Christs Heart so did they manifest themselves outwardly and visibly and give forth a greatful Smell in the whole Course of his Life and Actions his Doctrine also was a sweet Savour unto God and Men 2 Coâ—… 2. 14 15. out of the ivory palaces i Which may be referred Either 1 To the Garments which were usually kept in and now upon this extraordinary Solemnity were brought out of Palaces or Houses or Wardrobes of Ivory so called here as also Amos 3. 15. not because they were wholly made of Ivory but because they were adorned or covered here and there with it Or rather 2. To the King himself who is here supposed to reside in his ivory Palaces and his Garments are so fragrant that they do not onely Perfume the whole Palaces in which he is but the sweet Savour thereof is perceived by those that pass by them or are at some distance from them All which is
and full of Corn shall when they are shaken with the Wind make a noise not unlike that which the tops of the Trees of 〈◊〉 sometimes make upon the like occasion Which Expressions as well as many others of the like Nature in the Prophets being applied to Christ are to be understood in a spiritual Sence of the great and happy Success of the Preaching of the Gospel and they of the city n The Citizens of Ierusalem which are here Synedochically put for the Subjects of this Kingdom shall flourish like grass of the earth o Shall both encrease in number that there may be mouths to receive the Meat provided and enjoy great Prosperity and Happiness 17 His Name p The Honour and Renown of his eminent Wisdom and Justice and Goodness Which agrees but very obscurely and imperfectly to Solomon who sâ—…ained the Glory of his Reign by his prodigious Luxury and Oppression and Apostacy from God into which he â—…ell in the latter part of his days †Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall endure for ever †〈…〉 his Name shall be continued q Or shall be Propagated or Transmitted to his Chilâ—… Which suits much better to Christ from whom we are called Christians than to Solomon as long as the Sun r Heb. 〈◊〉 the Sâ—… Either 1. Publickly and in the Face of the Sun Or. 2. Perpetually as a constant and inseparable Companion of the Sun as long as the Sun it self shall continue See before on v. 5. and * Gen. 12 3. 22. 1â—… men shall be blessed in him s Either 1. As a Pattern of Blessedness When any man shall with well to a King he shall say The Lord make thee like Solomon See on Gen. 22. 18. Or rather 2. As the Cause of it by and through his Merits and Mediation all nations shall call him blessed 18 Blessed be the LORD God the God of Israel who onely doth wondrous things t Who hath given to his People such a Glorious and excellent King and Governour and such wonderful Blessings as they do and shall enjoy under his Government 19 And blessed be his glorious name for ever and let the whole earth be filled with his glory u Heb. The whole Earth shall be filled with his Glory For this may be either a Prayer for or a Prophecy of the spreading of the true Religion in the Gentile-World Which evidently relates to Christ and his Kingdom Amen and amen 20 The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended x This Psalm is called the last of David's Psalms which are called Prayers because they consist very much of Prayers Either 1. The last of that part or Book of the Psalms which reacheth from the beginning of the Psalms hitherto whereof the far greatest number were Composed by David and all of them digested into this Order the rest of which follow being Collected by some other holy Man or Men of God after David's Death and Composed part by David and part by other Prophets Or rather 2. The last Psalm which David Composed For this was done but a little before his Death of which see the first Note on this Psalm PSAL. LXXIII The ARGUMENT The Subject of this Psalm is the same with Psal. 37. concerning the promiscuous Carriage of God's Providence towards good and bad Men. ‖ Or a Psalm for Asaph A Psalm of Asaph a Or for Asaph the famous Musician to whom divers of David's Psalms were Committed as Psal. 50. 1. c. But because Asaph was not onely a skilful Musician but also was Divinely inspired and the Author of some Psalms as is manifest from 2 Chron. 29. 30. and the style of this Psalm may seem to be something differing from that of David it may be thought not improbable that Asaph was the Author or Pen-man of it 1. â—… TRuly b Or 〈◊〉 The beginning is abrupt and sufficiently â—…tes that he had a great conflict within himself about this Matter and that many doubts and Objections were raised in his mind concerning it But at last he breaks forth like the Sun out of a Cloud and having by God's Grace silenced and Conquered his scruples he lays down this following Conclusion God is good to Israel c Though he may sometimes seem negligent of and harsh and severe to his People yet if all things be considered it is most certain and another day will be made manifest that God is Really and Superlatively good i. e. Most kind and bountiful and a true Friend to them and that they are most happy in him and have no Reason to Envy sinners their present and seeming Felicity even to ‖ Or 〈◊〉 such as are †Heb. clean of 〈◊〉 of a clean heart d To all true Israelites who love God with their whole Heart and serve him in Spirit and Truth and uprightness See Iob. 4. 43. Rom. 2. 28 29. So this Clause limits the former and takes off a great part of the force of the Objection even all that concerns the Calamities which befel the profane or False-hearted Israelites which were vastly the greatest number of that People 2 But as for me e Yet I must acknowledge this with grief and shame concerning my self notwithstanding all my Knowledge of this Truth and my own Experience and Observation of God's gracious dealings with me and other good Men. my feet were almost gone f My Faith in God's Promises and Providence was almost overthrown by the force of this Temptation and I was almost ready to repent of my Piety v. 13. and to follow the example of ungodly Men. my steps had well nigh slipt g Heb. Were almost poured forth like Water upon the ground which is unstable and Runs hither and thither with great disorder and uncertainty till it be irrecoverably lost So was I almost Transported by my own unruly Passionâ—… into unworthy Thoughts of God and a sinful Course of Life 3 * 〈◊〉 21. 7. Psal. 37. 1. Jer. 12. 1. For I was envious at the foolish when I saw the prosperity of the wicked h I grudged and murmured at it and had a secret Desire to partake of their Delicates 4 For there are no bands in their death i They are not dragged to Death neither by the Hand and Sentence of the Magistrate which yet they deserve nor by any lingring and grievous Torments of Mind or Body which is the Case of many good Men but they enjoy a sweet and quiet Death dropping into the Grave like ripe Fruit from the Tree without any Violence used to them Compare Iob 5. 26. and 21. 13. but their strength is †Heb. Fat firm k Heb. and their strength is fat i. e. Sound and good the best of any thing being called Fat in Scripture as Gen. 41. 2. Dâ—…n 1. 15. And in their Life-time they have great Ease and Health and Content till they expire like a
who are onely the receivers of them and partly because this is more agreeable to the Phrase and Usage of Scripture which every where abscribes and appropriates them to God PSAL. LXXXVIII THE ARGUMENT This Psalm was composed upon a particular Occasion to wit Heman's deep distress and dejection of mind almost to despair But though this was the occaon of it it is of more general use for the instruction and consolation of all good men when they come into such Despondencies and therefore was by the direction of God's Spirit made publick and committed to the Sons of Korah A Song or Psalm ‖ Or â—…f for the sons of Korah to the chief musician upon Mahulach a Which seems to be the name of the tune or instrument as Psal. 53. Leannoth b This may be either the latter part of the proper name of the tune or instrument or an appellative name and so divers take it and render it to sing or to be sung to wit alternately or by turns ‖ Or a Psalâ—… of Heman the Ezrahite giving instruction Maschil of * 1 Chron. â—… 6. Heman c Probably the same person who was famous in David's time both for his skill in Musick and for general wisdom of whom see 1 Kings 4. 31. 1 Chron. 6. 33. the Ezrahite d As Ethan also is called 1 Kings 4. 31. 1 O LORD God of my salvation e Who hast so often saved me from former distresses and I hope wilst do so at this time I have cried day and night before thee 2 Let my prayer come before thee incline thine ear unto my cry 3 For my soul f Properly so called for that he was under great troubles of mind from a sence of God's wrath and departure from him is evident from Verse 14. 13 16. is †Heb. 〈◊〉 with full of troubles and my life draweth nigh unto the grave 4 I am counted with them that go down into the pit g I am given up by my Friends and Acquaintance for a lost man I am as a man that hath no strength 5 Free among the dead h Well-nigh discharged from the warfare of the present life and entred as a member into the society of the dead as Israelitish servants when they were made free were thereby made Denisons of the Commonwealth of Israel I expect no other freedom from my miseries but that which death gives as Iob observes Iob 3. 17 18. like the slain that lie in the grave whom thou remembrest no more i Whom thou seemest wholly to neglect and to bury in oblivion for he speaks of these matters not as they are in truth for he knew very well that forgetfulness was not incident to God and that God did remember all the dead and would call them to an account but only as to sence and appearance and the opinion of the World and the state and things of this life and they are cut off ‖ 〈◊〉 â—…y thy 〈◊〉 from thy hand k From the care and conduct of thy providence Which is to be understood as the former clause Or by thy hand But our translation seems better to agree both with the foregoing branch which it explains and improves and with the order of the words for it seems improper after he had represented the persons as dead and in their graves to add that they are cut off to wit by death 6 Thou hast laid me in †the lowest pit * in 〈◊〉 the pit 〈◊〉 places beâ—… â—…2 143. 3. darkness in the deeps l Either first in the grave the same thing being expressed in divers words or secondly in hopeless and remediless calamities 7 Thy wrath m Either first the sence of thy wrath or rather secondly the effects of it as the next clause explains this lieth hard upon me and * 〈◊〉 â—…2 7. thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves n With thy judgments breaking in furiously upon me like the waves of the Sea Selah 8 * 〈◊〉 â—…9 13. 〈◊〉 1â—…2 4. Thou hast put away mine acquaintance far from me thou hast made me an abomination unto them o I am so sad a spectacle of thy vengeance that my friends avoid and detest me lest by conversing with me they should either be filled with terrors which men naturally abhor or be made partakers of my guilt or plagues I am shut up p Either in the pit or deep mentioned v. 6. or in my own House or Chamber being afraid or ashamed to go abroad and I cannot come forth 9 Mine eye mourneth by reason of affliction LORD I have called daily upon thee I have stretched out my hands unto thee q Understand without effect for thou dost not hear nor answer me 10 * 〈◊〉 6. 5. Wilt thou shew wonders to the dead r To wit in raising them to live again in this World as it is in the next clause I know that thou wilt not And therefore now hear and help me or it will be too late shall the dead arise and praise thee s To wit amongst mortal men in this World Selah 11 Shall thy loving kindness be declared in the grave or thy faithfulness in destruction t I am not without hopes that thou hast a true kindness for me and wilt faithfully perform thy gracious promises made to me and to all that love thee and call upon thee in truth But then this must be done speedily or I shall be utterly uncapable of such a mercy 12 Shall thy wonders be known in the dark u In the grave which is called the land of darkness Job 10. 21 22. and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness x In the grave so called either first actively because there men forget and neglect all the concerns of this life being indeed but dead carkasses without any sence or remembrance Or rather secondly passively because there men are forgotten not only by men as is noted Iob 24. 20. Psal. 31. 12. but by God himself as he complained v. 5. 13. But unto thee have I cryed O LORD and in the morning shall my prayer * 〈◊〉 89. 14. 〈◊〉 and Psal. 〈◊〉 2. prevent thee y i. e. Early come to thee before the ordinary time of Morning Prayer or before the dawning of the Day or the rising of the Sun The sence is Though I have hitherto got no answer to my Prayers yet I will not give over praying nor hoping for an answer 14 LORD why castest thou off my Soul why hidest thou thy face from me z This proceeding seems not to agree with the benignity of thy nature nor with the manner of thy dealing with thy people 15 I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up a My whole life hath been filled with a succession of deadly calamities O Lord take some pity upon me and let me have a little breathing space before I
that time when multitudes were made Christs willing people by the preaching of the Apostles as we read Acts 2. 3. 4. 5 c. And for the second clause it is to be understood thus thou hast or as it is in the Hebrew to thee is the dew of thy youth or of thy childhood for the word jeled from which this is derived signifies sometimes a young man and sometimes a child or infant By youth or childhood he here seems to understand those young men or children which shall be born to the Messias who are called his children Heb. 2. 13. and his seed Isa. 53. 10. wherein possibly there might be an allusion to this dew Thus the abstract is here put for the concrete which is very frequent in the Hebrew Tongue as Circumcision and Uncircumcision are put for the circumcised and the uncircumcised c. And even in the Latine Tongue this very word youth is oft used for a young man or for a company of young men By the dew of youth he means youth or young men like dew the note of similitude being oft understood And this progeny of Christ is compared to the dew partly because of their great multitude being like drops of dew innumerable and covering the whole face of the earth see 2 Sam. 17. 12. and partly because of the strange manner of their generation which like that of the dew is done suddenly and secretly and not perceived till it be accomplished and to the admiration of those that behold it of which see Isa. 49. 21. Or 2. joyntly as one entire sentence The dew of thy youth i. e. Thy posterity which is like the dew as was noted and explained before is as the dew which may very well be understood out of the foregoing clause as the word feet is understood in like manner Psal. 18. 33. He maketh my feet like hinds feet of or from the womb of the morning it is like the morning dew as it is called both in Scripture as Hos. 6. 4. and in other Authors Not is it strange that a womb is ascribed to the morning seeing we read of the womb of the Sea and of the womb of the â—…oe and frost Job 38. 8 28 29. 4 The LORD hath sworn t Which he did not in the Aaronical Priesthood Heb. 7. 21. but did it here partly because the thing was new and strange and might seem incredible because God had already erected another and that an everlasting Priesthood Numb 25. 13. and given it to Aaron and his posterity for ever and therefore this needed all possible assurance and partly that this Priesthood might be established upon better promises as is said Heb. 8. 6. and made sure and irrevocable and such that God neither could nor would repent of it as it follows and therefore will not repent * Heb. 5. 6. 7. 17 21. Thou art u To wit by my order and constitution thou shalt be so and I do hereby make thee so a priest x As well as a King Those Offices which were divided before between two families are both united and invested in thee both being absolutely necessary for the discharge of thine Office and for the establishment of thy Kingdom which is of another kind than the Kingdoms of the World spiritual and heavenly and therefore needs such a King as is also a Minister of holy things This word plainly discovers that this Psalm cannot be understood of David as some of the Jews would have it but onely of the Messias And although this word Cohen be sometimes used of a Prince or great Person in the State as the Jews object yet it cannot be so understood here partly because it signifies a Priest in Gen. 14. 18. from whence this expression is borrowed partly because that word is never used of a Soveraign Prince or King such as the Jews confess the Messias to be but onely of inferiour Princes or Ministers of State as Gen. 41. 45. 2 Sam. 8. ult partly because such an inconsiderable assertion would never have been ushered in by so solemn an oath especially after far greater things had been said of him in the same kind v. 1 2 3. and partly because the Messias is called a Priest Zach. 6. 13. compare Ier. 20. 21. 35. 15 18. for ever y Not to be interrupted or translated to another person as the Priesthood of Aaron was upon the death of the Priest but to be continued to thee for ever after the order of Melchizedek z Or after the manner c. so as he was a Priest and also a King and both without any successor and without end in the sence intended Heb. 7. 3. 5 The Lord a Either 1. God the Father whose words and oath he last mentioned v. 4. So this is an Apostrophe of the Psalmist to Christ Thy God and Father is at thy right hand to wit to defend and assist thee as that phrase is used Psal. 16. 8. 109. 31. and elsewhere See the Notes on v. 1. And he to wit God the Father shall strike c. as it follows Although this latter clause may belong to the Messias and as in the former he spake to him so in this he speaketh of him such changes of persons being very frequent in this Book Or 2. God the Son or the Lord who is at thy right hand as was said before v. 1. shall strike c. So this is an Apostrophe to God the Father concerning his Son This seems best to agree with the following verses for it is evident that it is the same person who strikes thorow Kings and judgeth among the heathen and filleth c. And so this whole verse and those which follow speak of one person which seems most probable at thy right hand shall strike thorow kings b Shall mortally wound and destroy all those Kings and Potentates who are obstinate enemies to him and to his Church in the day of his wrath c In the day of battel when he shall contend with them and pour forth the flouds of his wrath upon them 6 He shall judge d Either 1. conquer and govern them or rather 2. condemn and punish them as it is explained in the following clauses and as this word is used Gen. 15. 14. Rom. 2. 1 2. 1 Pet. 4. 6. and elsewhere among the heathen he shall fill the places d Or the place of battel which is necessarily supposed in the fight and therefore may very well be understood with the dead bodies e Of his enemies slain by his hand and lying in the field in great numbers and heaps and that unburied to their greater infamy he shall wound the heads f Heb. the head Which may be understood either 1. of some one person and eminent adversary of Christ and of his Kingdom either the Devil by comparing this with Gen. 3. 15. Heb. 2. 14. who was indeed the Head or
Achan was a ransom for Israel Ios. 7. 26. and Haman for Mordecai and the transgressor for the upright 19 * Ver. 9. It is better to dwell †Heb. in the land of the desert in the wilderness than b Understand in a wide house as it is expressed above v. 9. and as the opposition here requires with a contentious and angry woman 20 * Psal. 112. 3. There is a treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise c Wise-men lay up all necessary and desirable treasures for their own use and for their Children and Families Oil is particularly mentioned partly because that was a considerable part of their Wealth and Treasures in those Countries of which see Deut. 7. 13. 28. 40 51. Iudg. 9. 9. Mic. 6. 15. c. and partly to shew that his Providence reached not only to necessaries but even to matters of just and lawful delight but a foolish man spendeth it up 21 He that followeth after d That fervently desires and diligently and constantly endeavours to attain to them for such shall and will certainly obtain them righteousness and mercy e Living in the constant exercise of these virtues findeth f Shall obtain from God what is right and due to him either from God by vertue of his gracious promise or from men whose hearts God will dispose to deal justly and kindly with him life righteousness and honour 22 * Eccl. â—… 14. c. A wise man scaleth the city of the mighty g Wisdom and policy is oft times more considerable and powerful than strength and casteth down the strength of the confidence thereof h The strongest forts to which the Citizens trust most for their defence 23 * Ch. 12. 13. 18. 21. Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue i From offensive and provoking speeches keepeth his soul k His person from troubles l Which a licentious and abusive Tongue frequently brings upon a man 24. Proud and haughty scorner is his name m Instead of that respect and glory which he seeks by such courses he shall be branded with the Title and Imputation of an arrogant and scornful person which is most contemptible and hateful to Mankind who dealeth †Heb. in the wrath of pride in proud wrath n Who in the conduct of his affairs and dealings in the world is not governed by Reason and Justice but by his own Pride and Passions 25 * Ch. 13. 4. The desire of the slothful killeth him o Either 1. Tormenteth him almost to death whilst he passionately desires that which he sees he shall not enjoy and will not take pains to procure Or 2. Exposeth him to extream want and so to death or so such wicked courses for the supply of his wants as bring him to an untimely death for his hands refuse to labour 26 He p The slothful man mentioned in the last verse But because the Verses in this Book are for the most part independent one upon another this clause is and may be otherwise rendred There is that coveteth c. Or the wicked which may be understood from the opposition of the righteous in the next clause coveteth c. coveteth greedily all the day long q Spends his whole time in vain and lazy desires but will not labour to get any thing either to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or to give to others but the * Psal. 1129. righteous giveth and spareth not r By Gods Blessing upon his 〈◊〉 he procures enough not onely for his own support but also for the liberal relief of others 27 * Psal. 50. 9. Ch. 15. 8. Isa. 66. 3. Jer. 6. 20. Amos 5. 22. The sacrifice s All the most glorious and costly services which they offer to God of the wicked is abomination t God rejects and abhors them because they are offered by such men and in such manner as God justly abhors how much more when u Or because as all the antient Translators render it the Hebrew particle aph being expletive Or even because so the following clause gives the reason of the former Proposition he bringeth it †Heb. in wickedness with a wicked mind x With an hypocritical and impenitent Heart or with a bad design not in obedience to Gods Command and with respect to his honour and service but either to cover or countenance or promote some wicked intention or course which notwithstanding all his professions of Religion he is resolved to prosecute 28 * Ch. 19. 5 â—… †Heb. 〈◊〉 of lies A false witness y Heb. A witness of lies one who is forward to swear or speak false things or such things as he hath not heard nor learned from others nor seen but devised in his own heart shall perish z Shall be severely punished either by God or Men and shall be confounded and silenced because none will for the future regard or credit his testimony but the man that heareth a He who hears before he speaks and witnesseth nothing but what he hath heard or seen and knows to be true speaketh constantly b Doth not contradict himself but always affirmeth the same thing Or as most other Interpreters render the words speaketh or may speak dare speak freely and boldly for ever when lyars are cut off he lives and is in a capacity of speaking and bearing witness again and again as occasion requires as long as he lives and his Testimony will be received 29 A wicked man hardeneth his face c Continueth in evil courses with obstinacy and impudence in spight of all the Commands of God or Counsels of Men. but as for the upright he ‖ Or considereth directeth his way d He ordereth his steps aright and if at any time he goeth away he doth not add Rebellion to his sin nor persist in his errour but considereth his ways and turneth his feet to Gods testimonies as David did Psal. 119. 59. Or considereth his way remembring with grief and shame what he hath done and taking better heed to himself for the future 30 * 〈◊〉 9. 23. There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the LORD e Which can prevail against the Counsel and Will of God 31 * 〈◊〉 20. 7. 〈◊〉 17. The horse f Under which particular all warlike provisions are comprehended is prepared against the day of battle but * 〈◊〉 3. 8. ‖ 〈◊〉 â—…ictory safety is of the LORD g The success of the battle depends not upon any humane strength or art but meerly upon Gods Providence who gives the victory when and to whom he pleaseth and oft times to those that have least reason to expect it Compare Eccl. 9. 11. CHAP. XXII 1 A * 〈◊〉 7. 1. good name a Heb. name put for good name as Eccl. 7. 2. the word good being
with perplexing cares and fears This is also vanity 24 * 〈◊〉 3. 12 13 12. 5. 18. 28. 15. There is nothing better for a man q Or Is there any thing better for a man Which implies that there is nothing better to wit for mans present comfort and satisfaction this is the chief and indeed the only considerable benefit of his labours than that he should eat and drink and that he ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should make his soul enjoy good r That he should thankfully take and freely and chearfully enjoy the comforts which God gives him in all his labour This also I saw that it was from the hand of God s That this also is a singular gift of God and not to be procured by a mans own Wisdom or Diligence 25 For who can eat t Who can more freely and fully enjoy the Comforts of this Life than I did This verse is added to confirm what he said in the foregoing verse from his own Experience which was the more considerable because no man ever was a more capable Judg of these matters none could either have more Creature-comforts or more addict himself to the enjoyment of them or improve them to better advantage than he did and therefore he could best tell what was the greatest good to be found in them and whether they were able of themselves without Gods special gift to yield a man satisfaction or who else can hasten hereunto u To wit to the procuring and enjoying of them Who can pursue them with more diligence or obtain them with more speed and readiness or embrace them with more greediness and alacrity more than I 26 For God giveth to a man that is good †Heb. before 〈◊〉 in his sight x Who not only seems to be good to Men as many bad Men do but is really and sincerely good Or who pleaseth him as this Phrase is rendred Ecclâ—…s 7. 26. and oft elsewhere Whereby he seems to intimate the Reason why he found no more comfort in his Labours because his ways had been very displeasing to God and therefore God justly denied him that gift wisdom and knowledge y To direct him how to use his Comforts aright that so they may be blessings and not snares and curses to him and joy z A thankful and contented Mind with his portion but to the sinner he giveth travel to gather and to heap up ‖ He giveth him up to insatiable desires and wearisom labours to little or no purpose that * â—…ob 27. 16 17. Pro. 28. 8. he may give to him that is good before God †That he may have no comfort in them but leave them to others yea to such as he least expected or desired to good and virtuous men into whose hands his Estate falls by the wise and all disposing Providence of God This also is vanity and vexation of spirit CHAP. III. 1 TO every thing there is a season a A certain time appointed by God for its being and continuance which no humane Wit or Providence can prevent or alter And by vertue of this Appointment or Decree of God all the vicissitudes and changes which happen in the world whether comforts or calamities do come to pass Which is here added partly to prove what he last said Ch. 2. 24 26. that both the free and comfortable enjoyment of the Creatures which some have and the crosses and vexations which others have with them are from the hand and counsel of God partly to prove the principal Proposition of the Book that all things below are vain and Happiness is not to be found in them because of their great uncertainty and mutability and transitoriness and because they are so much out of the reach and power of Men and wholly in the disposal of another to wit God who doth either give or take them away either sweeten or imbitter them as it pleaseth him and partly to bring the minds of men into a quiet and chearful dependance upon Gods Providence and submission to his Will and a state of preparation for all events and a time to every purpose b Or will or desire to wit of man To all mens designs attempts and businesses Not only natural but even the free and voluntary actions of men are ordered and disposed by God to accomplish his own purpose But it must be considered that he doth not here speak of a time allowed by God wherein all the following things may lawfully be done which is wholly besides his scope and business but only of a time fixed by God in which they would or should be done under heaven 2 A time †Heb. to bear to be born and a time to die c A certain period unknown to Man but fixed by God in which a man must unavoidably die of which see Iob. 14. 5. Iob. 13. 1. a time to plant d Wherein God enclines a mans heart to planting and a time to pluck up that which is planted 3 A time to kill e When a man shall die a violent death either by chance as Exod. 21. 13. or by the sentence of the Magistrate or by the hands of Murderers and a time to heal f When he who seemed to be mortally wounded shall be healed and restored a time to break down g When houses shall be demolished either by the fancy of the owner or by the rage of other men or otherwise and a time to build up 4 A time to weep h When Men shall have just occasion for weeping and mourning and a time to laugh a time to mourn and a time to dance 5 A time to cast away stones i Which were brought together in order to the building of a Wall or House but are now â—…ast away either because the man who gathered them hath changed his mind and deâ—…ists from his project or by other causes or accidents and a time to gather stones together a time to embrace k When persons shall enter into friendship and perform all friendly offices one to another and a time †Heb. to be far from to refrain from embracing l Either through alienation of affections or grievous calamities See Ioel 2. 16. 1 Cor. 7. 5. 6 A time ‖ Or seek to get and a time to lose m When Men shall lose their Estates either by Gods Providence or by their own choice a time to keep and a time to cast away n When a man shall cast away his Goods voluntarily as in a storm to save his Life as Ionah 1. 5. Act. 27. 18 19. or out of Love and Obedience to God as Mat. 10. 37 39 Heb. 10. 34. 7 A time to rent o When men shall rend their Garments as they did in great and sudden griefs as Gen. 37. 29 Ioel. 2. 13. and a time to sew a time to keep silence p
is there to the owners thereof q What benefit hath he above others who feed upon his Provisions and enjoy the same comforts which he doth without his fears and cares and troubles about them saving the beholding of them with their eyes r Either 1. with a reflection upon his Propriety in them Or 2. with unlimited freedom He can go and look upon his Bags or Chests of Silver as long and as oft as he pleaseth whereas other men are seldom admitted to that prospect and see onely some few of the fruits or purchases of it 12 The sleep of a labouring man is sweet s Because he is free from those cares and fears wherewith the minds of rich men are oft distracted and their sleep disturbed whether he eat little t Then his weariness disposeth him to sleep or much u In which case his healthful Constitution and laborious course of life prevents those crudities and indigestions which oft-times break the sleep of rich men but the †Heb. saturity or fulness abundance x Heb. the fulness either 1. of his Diet which commonly discomposeth their stomachs and hinders their rest Or 2. of Wealth which is commonly attended with many perplexing cares which disquiet men both by Day and by Night The Hebrew word is used in Scripture both ways and possibly it is thus generally expressed to include both significations of the rich will not suffer him to sleep 13 There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun namely riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt y Because they frequently are the instruments and occasions both of their present and eternal destruction as they feed their Pride or Luxury or other hurtful Lusts which wast the Body and shorten the Life and damn the Soul and as they are great â—…mptations to Tyrants or Thieves yea sometimes to Relations or Servants or others to take away their lives that they may get their Riches 14 But z Or For or Or or Moreover For this Particle is so rendred by divers others both here and in other places of Scripture those riches perish a If they be kept it is to the owners hurt and if not they are lost to his grief by evil travel b By some wicked practices either his own or of other men or by some secret Hand of God cursing all his Enterprizes and he begetteth a son and there is nothing in his hand c Either 1. In the Fathers power to leave to his Son for whose sake he underwent all those hard labours which is a great aggravation of his grief and misery Or 2. in the Sons possession after his Fathers death 15 * Job 1. 21. Ps. 49. 17. 1 Tim. 6. 7. As he came forth of his mothers womb naked shall he return to go d Into the womb or belly of the Earth the common Mother of all Mankind See the Notes on Iob 1. 21. Eccles. 12. 7. And return to go is put for return and go and going is here put for dying as Iob 16. 22. Psal. 39. 13. as he came and shall take nothing of his labour which he may carry away in his hand c. e This is another vanity If his Estate be neither lost nor kept to his hurt but enjoyed by him with safety and comfort all his days yet when he dies he must leave it behind him and cannot carry one handful of it with him into another World 16 And this also f Which I have last mentioned and shall now repeat is a sore evil that in all points as he came so shall he go and * Ch. 1. 3. what profit hath he that hath laboured for the wind g For Riches which are empty and unsatisfying uncertain and transitory fleeing away swiftly and strongly Prov. 23. 5. which no Man can hold or stay in its course all which are the properties of the Wind. Compare Prov. 11. 29. Hos. 12. 1. 17 All his days h To wit of his life also he eateth in darkness i He hath no comfort in his Estate but even when he Eats when other men relax their Minds and use freedom and chearfulness he doth it with anxiety and discontent as grudging even aâ—… his own necessary expences and tormenting himself with cares about getting and disposing and keeping his Estate and he hath much sorrow and wrath with his sickness k When he falls sick and presageth or feareth his Death he is filled with rage because he is cut off before he hath accomplished his designs and because he must leave that Wealth and World in which all his hopes and happiness lies and must go to give up a doleful account to his Judge of all his actions and acquisitions 18 Behold that which I have seen l i. e. Learned by study and experience * Ch. 2. 24. 3. 12 13 22. 9. 7. 11. 9. 1 Tim. 6. 17. †Heb. there is a good which is comely c. it is good and comely m Good or comfortable to Man's self and Comely or Amiable in the Eyes of other men as penuriousness is base and dishonourable for one to eat and to drink and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun †Heb. the number of the days all the days of his life which God giveth him * Ch. 2. 10. 3. 22. for it is his portion n To wit of worldly goods for he hath another and a better portion in Heaven This liberty is given to him by God and this is the best advantage as to this life which he can make of them 19 * Ch. 6. 2. Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth and hath given him power o Heb. hath given him the dominion who is the Lord and Master of his Estate not a Slave to it Of this and the former Verse see the Notes on Eccles 2. 24. 3. 12 13. to eat thereof and to take his portion p To his own use to use what God hath given him and to rejoice in his labour this is the gift of God 20 ‖ Or though he give not much yet he remembreth c. For he shall not much remember q So as to disquiet or vex himself therewith the days r Either 1. the troubles days being here put for evil or sad days by an usual Synecdoche as Iob 18. 20. Psal. 137. 7. Obad. v. 12. Mic. 7. 4. Or â—… the time in general which is irksom and tedious to men oppressed with discontent or misery who usually reckon every Hour or Minute that passeth and have their Minds and Thoughts constantly fixed upon the vanity and uncertainty of this life upon the afflictions which they have already endured and may further expect whereas to men of contented and chearful minds the time is short and sweet and passeth
s Which will vex and grieve thee and may provoke thee to vengeance and cruelty against him 22 For oftentimes also thine own heart t Mind or Conscience as that word is frequently used knoweth that thou thy self likewise hast cursed others u Either upon some great provocation and sudden passion or possibly upon a meer mistake or false report In which case thou hast both needed and desired the forbearance and forgivenness of others and therefore by the Rules of Justice as well as of Piety and Charity thou art obliged to deal likewise with others 23 All this x Or All these things of which I have here discoursed have I proved y I have diligently examined and found all this to be true by wisdom z By the help of that singular Wisdom which God had given me I said I will be wise a I determined within my self that I would by all possible means seek to attain perfection of wisdom and I persuaded my self that I should attain to it but it was far from me b I found my self greatly disappointed and the more I knew the more I saw mine own folly and misery 24 * Job 28 12 20. That which is far off and exceeding deep who can find it out c No human Wit can attain to perfect Wisdom or to the exact knowledg of Gods Counsels and Works and the reasons of them because they are unsearchably deep and far above our â—…ight some of them being long since past and therefore utterly unknown to us and others yet to come which we cannot foreknow 25 †Heb. I and 〈◊〉 â—…art 〈◊〉 * Ch. 1. 17. 2. â—…2 I applied mine heart d I was not discouraged but provoked by the difficulty of the work to undertake it which is an argument of a great and generous Soul to know and to search and to seek out e He useth three words signifying the same thing to intimate his vehement desire and vigorous and unwearied endeavor after it wisdom and ‖ Or the account so Gr. the reason of things f Both of Gods various Providences and of the differing and contrary counsels and courses of men and to know the wickedness of folly g That I might clearly and fully understand the great evil of sin and all that wickedness and folly or madness which is bound up in the hearts of all men by Nature and which discovers it self in the course of their Lives even of foolishness and madness 26 * Pro. 22. 14. And I find h By my own sad Experience Which Solomon here records partly as an instance of that folly and madness which he expressed in general v. 25. and partly as a testimony of his true Repentance for his foul miscarriages for which he was willing to take shame to himself not only from the present but from all succeeding generations more bitter i More vexatious and pernicious as producing those horrours of Conscience those reproaches and diseases and other plagues both temporal and spiritual from God which are far worse than simple death and after all these everlasting destruction than death the woman k The strange woman of whom he speaks so much in the Proverbs whose heart is snares and nets l Who being subtil of heart Prov. 7. 10. is full of crafty devices to insnare men and her hands m Either by Gifts or rather by lascivious Actions as bands n Wherewith she holds them fast in cruel bondage so that they have neither Power noâ—… Will to forsake her notwithstanding all the dangers and mischiefs which they know do attend upon such practices †Heb. he that is good before God Whoso pleaseth God o Heb. he that is good before God either 1. Whom God loves and favours Or rather 2. Who is good sincerely or in the judgment of God who cannot be deceived whereas Hypocrites are frequently good in the eyes or opinions of men Which sense seems to be confirmed from the opposition of the sinner to him both here and Eccles. 2. 26. Hereby he intimates that neither a good temper of mind nor great discretion nor good Education and Instruction nor any other thing except Gods Grace is a sufficient preservative from the dominion of this Lust. shall escape from her p Shall be prevented from falling into that sin or if by surprisal or strong temptation he be drawn to it he shall be recovered out of it by true Repentance but the sinner q The wilful and obstinate sinner who gives himself up to the common practice of this or other sins he who is a sinner before the Lord as the Sodomites are called Gen. 13. 13. who is fitly opposed to him that is good before God he in whom there is not a dram of true goodness for otherwise all men are sinners as was said v. 20. shall be taken r Shall be intangled and kept fast in her chains as is implied because this is opposed to escaping from her by her s It is a strange thing and worthy of your serious observation 27 Behold s It is a strange thing and worthy of your serious observation this have I found saith the preacher t Or the penitent who speaks what he hath learned both by deep Study and costly experience ‖ Or weighing one thing after 〈◊〉 to find 〈◊〉 the reason counting one by one u Considering things or persons very exactly and distinctly one after another and not only in general and confusedly in which case a man may very easily be mistaken and comparing them together whereby I was enabled to make the truer judgment of them to find out the account x That I might make a true and just estimate in this matter Or as it is in the margent and was rendred v. 25. the reason to wit of that which I am about to say I considered the persons severally and critically that from thence I might understand the reason of the thing 28 Which yet my soul seeketh y but I find not z That it was so he found out as he now said v. 27. but the whole truth and the reason of the thing he could not find out one man a One worthy of the Name of a Man a wise and vertuous Man Man is put for a worthy or good Man as Name is put for a good Name above v. 1. and Wise for a good Wife as was noted before among a thousand b With whom I have conversed He is supposed to mention this Number in allusion to his Thousand Wives and Concubines as they are numbred by parcels 1 Kings 11. 3. have I found but a woman c One worthy of that Name one who is not a dishonour to her Kind and Sex who is not brutish in her disposition and conversation among all those d In that Thousand whom I have taken into