a matter And very grievous to her because Womens Affections use to be vehement and it is irksome to them to have them restrained or denied shall be ‖ Or subject to thy Husband to thy Husband and he shall rule * 1 Cor. 14. 34. over thee n Seeing for want of thy Husbands rule and conduct thou wast seduced by the Serpent and didst abuse that power I gave thee together with thy Husband to draw him to sin thou shalt now be brought down to a lower degree for he shall rule thee not with that sweet and gentle hand which he formerly used as a guide and Counsellour onely but by an higher and harder hand as a Lord and Governour to whom I have now given a greater Power and Authority over thee than he had before which through thy pride and corruption will be far more uneasie to thee than his former Empire was and who will usurp a further power than I have given him and will by my permission for thy punishment rule thee many times with Rigour Tyranny and Cruelty which thou wilt groan under but shalt not be able to deliver thy self from it See 1 Cor. 14. 34. 1 Tim. 2. 11 12. 1 Pet. 3. 6. 17. And unto Adam he said because thou hast hearkned unto the voice of thy Wife o i. e. Obeyed the word and counsel contrary to my expresse command and hast eaten of the Tree of which I commanded thee saying Thou shalt not eat of it * Isa. 24. 5 6. Rom. 8. 20. cursed is the ground p Which shall now yield both fewer and worse fruits and those too with more trouble of mens minds and labour of their bodies for thy sake q i. e. Because of thy sin or to thy use or as far as concerns thee in sorrow r Or with toil or grief shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life 18. Thorns also and Thistles a And other unuseful and hurtful Plants Synecdochically contained under these shall it †Heb cause to bud bring forth b Of its own accord to thee c Not to thy benefit but to thy grief and punishment And thou shalt * Psal. 104. 14. eat the Herb of the Field d In stead of those generous and delicious Fruits of Paradise which because thou didst dispise thou shalt no more tast of See Gen. 1. 29. 19. In the sweat of thy face f i. e. Of thy Body He mentions the Face because there the sweat appears first and most Or with labour of Body or Brain Eccles. 1. 13. and vexation of mind shalt thou eat Bread g i. e. Get thy food and livelihood Bread being put for all nourishment as Gen. 18. 5. and 28. 20. till thou return unto the ground for out of it wast thou taken for dust thou art i As to the constitution and original of thy Body See Gen. 18. 27. Iob 1. 21. Psal. 103. 14. and unto dust shalt thou return k Though upon thy obedience I would have preserved thy Body no less than thy Soul from all mortality yet now having sinned thou shalt return unto dust in thy Body whilst the immortal Spirit shall return unto God who gave it Eccles. 12. 7. Thus thy end shall be as base as thy beginning 20. And Adam called his Wives name †Heb. Chavâ—… Eve m Which signifies either Living or the giver or preserver of Life because she was the Mother of all living n Though for her sin justly sentenced to a present death yet by Gods infinite Mercy and by vertue of the promised Seed was both continued in Life her self and was made the Mother of all living Men and Women that should be after her upon the Earth who though in and with their Mother they were condemned to speedy Death yet shall be brought forth into the state and Land of the Living and into the hopes of a blessed and eternal Life by the Redeemer whose Mother or progenitor she was 21. Unto Adam also and to his Wife did the LORD God p Either by his own word or by the Ministry of Angels make coats of skins q Of Beasts slain either for Sacrifice to God or for the use of man their Lord and owner and clothed them r Which he did partly to defend them from excessive heats and colds or other injuries of the Air to which they were now exposed Partly to mind them of their sin which made their nakedness which before was Innocent and Honourable now to be an occasion of sin and shame and therefore to need covering And partly to shew his care even of fallen man and to encourage his hopes of Gods mercy through the blessed Seed and thereby to invite him to Repentance 22. And the LORD God said s Either within himself or to the other persons of the Godhead Behold the Man is become t i. e. Adam and Eve both are become such according to the Devils promise and their own expectation This is an Holy Irony or Sarcasm like those 1 King 18. 27. Eccles. 11. 9. q. d. Behold O all ye Angels and all the future Generations of men how the first man hath over-reached and conquered us and got the Divinity which he affected and how happy he hath made himself by his Rebellion But this bitter scorn God uttereth not to insult over mans misery but to convince him of his sin folly danger and calamity and to oblige him both to a diligent seeking after and a greedy embracing the remedy of the promised Seed which God offered him and to a greater watchfulness over himself and respect to all Gods commands for the time to come as one of us u i. e. As one of the Divine Persons of infinite Wisdom and Capacity Here is an evident proof of a plurality of persons in the Godhead compare Gen. 1. 26. and 11. 7. If it be said God speaks this of himself and the Angels besides that as yet not one word hath been spoken concerning the Angels it is an absurd and unreasonable conceit that the great God should level himself with the Angels and give them a kind of equality with himself as this expression intimates to know Good and Evil x To know all things both good and evil and now lest he put forth his hand y The speech is defective and to be supplyed thus or some such way But now care must be taken or man must be banished hence lest he c. and take also a i. e. As he did take of the Tree of knowledge of the Tree of Life and eat and live for ever b i. e. And thereby prophane that Sacrament of Eternal Life and fondly perswade himself that he shall live for ever This is another scoffe or irony whereby God upbraideth mans presumption and those vain hopes wherewith he did still feed himself 23. Therefore d For
This may be understood either 1. By way of opposition The Waters go or flow out of the Sea and return thither again Eccles. 1. 7. and a Lake or River sometimes decayeth and drieth up but afterwards is recruited and replenished But man lieth c. as it follows Or 2. By way of resemblance As Waters i. e. some portion of Waters fail from the â—…a being either exhaled or drawn up by the Sun or received and sunk into the dry and thirsty Earth or overflowing its Banks and as the Flood or a River or a Pond for the word signifies any considerable confluence of Waters in a great drought decayeth and is dried up in both which cases the self same Waters never return to their former places So it is with man Or thus as when the Waters fail from the Sea i. e. when the Sea forsakes the place into which it used to flow the River which was fed by it Eccles. 1. 7. decayeth and drieth up without all hopes of Recovery So man when once the Fountain of his radical moisture is dried up dies and never revives again 12. So man lieth down c To wit in his Bed the Grave or to sleep the sleep of Death as this Phrase is used Gen. 46. 30. Deut. 31. 16. 2 Sam. 7. 12. 1 Kin. 1. 21. and riseth not d To wit to this Life For he speaks not here of the Life to come nor of the Resurrection of the Body after death by the divine Power of his belief whereof he giveth sufficient evidences in divers places till the Heavens be no more e i. e. Either 1. Never because the Heavens though they shall be changed in their Qualities yet shall never cease to be as to the Substance of them And therefore everlasting and unchangeable things are expressed by the duration of the Heavens of which see Psal. 72. 5 7 17. 89. 30 36 37. Mat. 5. 18. 24. 35. Or 2. not until the time of the general Resurrection and the restitution of things when these visible Heavens shall pass away and be no more at least in the same form and manner as now they are of which see Psal. 102. 26. Luk. 21. 33. 2 Pet. 3. 7 10. Rev. 21. 1. they shall not awake nor be raised out of their Sleep 13. O that thou wouldest hide me in †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Grave f Either 1. In some dark Vault under ground such as good men hide themselves in in times of Persecution Heb. 11. 38. Lord hide me in some hiding place from thy Wrath and all the intolerable effects of it which are upon me for I cannot be hid from thee but by thee Or 2. In the Grave properly so called Though I know Life once lost is irrecoverable yet I heartily desire Death rather than to continue in these Torments And if the next words and wish seem to suppose the continuance of his Life that is not strange For he speaks like one almost distracted with his miseries sometimes wishing one thing sometimes another and the quite contrary as such persons use to do And these Wishes may be understood disjunctively I wish either that I were dead or that God would give me Life free from these torments Or the place may be understood thus I could wish if it were possible that I might lie in the Grave for a time till these storms be blown over and then be restored to a comfortable Life that thou wouldst keep me secret g In some secret and safe place under the shadow of thy Wings and favour that I may have some support and comfort from thee until thy Wrath be past h Whilst I am oppressed with such grievous and various Calamities which he calls Gods Wrath because they were or seemed to be the effects of his Wrath. that thou wouldst appoint me a set time i To wit to my sufferings as thou hast done to my Life v. 5. and remember me k i. e. Wherein thou wiltst remember me to wit in mercy oâ—… so as to deliver me For it is well known that God is frequently said to forget those whom he suffers to continue in misery and to remember those whom he delivers out of it 14. If a man die shall he live again l i. e. He shall not namely in this World as was said before The affirmative question is equivalent to an absolute denial as Gen. 18. 17. Psal. 56. 7. Ier. 5. 9. and every where all the days of †Heb. my warfare my appointed time will I wait till my change come m Seeing Death puts an end to all mens hopes of any comfortable being here because man once dead never returns to Life I will therefore wait on God and hope for his favour whilest I live and it is possible to enjoy it and will continue waiting from time to time until my change come i. e. either 1. Death the great and last change which is expressed by the Root of this word Iob 10. 17. Or 2. The change of my condition for the better which you upon your Terms encourage me to expect and which I yet trust in God I shall enjoy for this word properly signifies Vicissitudes or Changes in ones condition and this seems to suit best with the following verse And this Change or a comfortable Life here Iob so heartily wisheth not only from that love of Life and Comfort which is naturally implanted in all men good and bad and is not forbidden by God which also was stronger in those Old Testament Saints when the discoveries of Gods Grace to sinners and of eternal Life were much darker than now they are but also because this would be an effectual vindication of his own Integrity and Good-name and of the honour of Religion both which did suffer some Eclipse from Iob's extream Calamities as is evident from the discourses of his Friends 15. Thou shalt * Chap. 40. 3. call and I will answer thee n I trust there is a time coming when thou wiltst grant me the mercy which now thou deniest me to wit a favourable hearing when thou wiltst call to me to speak for my self and I shall answer thee which I know will be to thy Satisfaction and my Comfort Compare this with Chap. 13. 22. where the same words are used in this same Sense Or thou shalt call me out of the Grave of my Calamities and I shall answer thee and say Here I am raised out of the Pit in which I was buried by thy powerful and gracious Command thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands o i. e. To me who am thy Workmanship in divers respects from whom thou now seemest to have an aversion and abhorrency but I doubt not thou wiltst have a desire i. e. shew thy Affection or Good-will to me or a desire to look upon me and to deliver me Nor is it strange that Iob who lately was upon the brink of despair
Of which see the Notes on Chapter 22. 6. 10. They cause him h The poor oppressed person to go naked without clothing i Leaving him nothing or next to nothing to cover him in the Day-time when he should go abroad to his labour to get his living but cannot for want of Cloaths to cover his nakedness and they take away the sheaf from the hungry k That single Sheaf which the poor man had got with the sweat of his Brows to satisfie his hunger they unhumanely take away and added it to their own Stores and full Barns Or they are hungry or they sent them away hungry those words being repeated cut of the former Clause of the Verse as is most usualâ—… which took or carried the sheaf or their sheaves i. e. which reâ—…ped and gathered in the rich man's Corn for which they received injuries in stead of a just Recompence for their labour and that when God's liberality and the bounty of the earth to them invited and obliged them to kind and generous actions to others 11. Which make oil within their walls l To wit the poor man last mentioned Either 1. within their own Walls i. e. in private and secret places for fear of the Oppressors Or rather 2. within the Walls of the rich Oppressors for their use and benefit For the poor alas had no Walls nor Houses nor Olive-yards nor Vine yards left to them but they were violently spoiled of and driveâ—… away from all those things as was said in the foregoing Verses and tread their wine-presses m i. e. The Grapes in their Wine-presses by a Metonymy of the thing containing for the thing contained and suffer thirst n Because they are not permitted to quench their thirst out of the Wine which they make though their labours both need and deserve refreshment 12. Men groan o Under the burden of Injuries and grievous Oppressions from out of the city p Not only in Deserts or less inhabited places where these Tyrants have the greater opportunity and advantage to practice their Villanies but even in Cities where there is a face of Order and Government and Courts of Justice and a multitude of people to observe and restrain such actions whereby they plainly declare that they neither fear God noâ—… reverence man and the soul q Either 1. properly their Soul sympathizing with the Body and being grieved for its insupportable miseries crieth to God and men for help Or rather 2. the life or blood which oft cometh under thâ—… name of those who are there wounded unto death as this word properly signifies 〈◊〉 30. 24. crieth aloud unto God for vengeance Gen. 4. 10. Reâ—… 6 9 â—…0 whereby God might seem in some sort obliged to punish them and yet he did not as the next words declare of the wounded crieth out yet God layeth not folly to them r So the sense is Yet God doth not impute or lay to their charge this folly or wickedness which in Scripture is commonly called folly i. e. He takes no notice of these horrid Oppressions noâ—… hears the Cries of the Oppressed nor punisheth the Oppressors Or Yet God who seeth and permitteth all this disposeth or ordereth or doth for all these things this Hebrew Verb signifies nothing which is absurd or foolish or unsavoury i. e. doth nothing in this permission and connivance unworthy of himself or which a wise and considerate man cannot relish or approve or which is not in it self righteous and reasonable though we do not always discern the reasonableness of it 13. They are of those that rebel against the light s This is added as the general Character of the persons before mentioned and as a great aggravation of their wickedness that they were not modest sinners which were ashamed of their evil ways and therefore sinned in the dark and in secret as some who here follow but sinned impudently in the face of the Sun and in spight of all their light as well the light of Reason and Conscience which abhors and condemns their wicked actions as the light of Divine Revelation which was then in good measure imparted to the Church and people of God in this time and shortly after was committed to Writing all which they set at defiance sinning with manifest contempt of God and of men and of their own Consciences they know not t Either 1. they do not desire or care to know them they are willingly ignorant of them Or 2. they do not approve nor love nor choose them as knowing frequently signifies in Scripture-use the ways thereof u i. e. Of the light or in such ways and courses as are agreeable to the light Or in his ways i. e. in the ways of God who is oft understood in this Book where he is not expressed nor abide in the paths thereof x If they do some good actions yet they do not persevere in well-doing they are not constant and fixed in a good course of life 14. * â—…sal 10. 8. The murderer rising with the light y As soon as the light appears using no less diligence in his wicked practises than Labourers do in their honest and daily employments killeth the poor and needy z Where he finds nothing to satisfie his covetousness he exerciseth his cruelty and in the night is as a thief a i. e. He is really a Thief the Particle as being oft used to express not the resemblance but the truth of the thing as Num. 1â—… 1. Deut. 9. 10. Hos. 4. 4. 5. 10. Iohn 1. 14. In the Night they rob men secretly and cunningly as in the Day-time they do it more openly and avowedly 15. * Prov. 7. 9. The eye also of the adulterer b i. e. The Adulterer but he mentions his Eye because the Eye discerns the difference between light and darkness waiteth for the twilight c To wit for the Evening twilight which is his opportunity saying d In his heart comforting himself with the thoughts of secreâ—…ess and impunity No eye shall see me and †â—…eb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in seâ—… disguiseth his face e Heb. putteth his face in secret covers it with a Vizard or Cloak that he may be undiscovered 16. In the dark they f Either 1. the Adulterer last mentioned although such persons do not use nor need these violent courses to get into the house of the Adulteress but are commonly admitted upon milder and easier terms Or 2. the Thief or Robber whose common practise this is of whom he spoke â—… 14. and having on that occasion inserted the mention of the Adulterer as one who acted his sin in the same manner as the Night-thief did he now returns to him again dig through houses which they g The Thief and his Complices had marked for themselves h Designing by some secret mark the house of some rich man
And particularly the Captivity of the Iews in Babylon and their Deliverance out of it is largely expressed by this very Similitude Ezek. 37. 11 c. together with my dead body l As I my self who am one of your number and of these Dead men shall live again You shall be delivered together with me Which he might add to meet with an Objection for they might think that God would take some special Care of this Holy Prophet and would preserve him when they should be destroyed No saith he As I am at present like a dead Carkass no less than you so you shall be restored to Life no less than I. If the Supplement of our Translation seems to be too liberal it may be rendred to the same purpose as my body the Particle as being oft understood as I have divers times observed As my dead Body shall rise so shall theirs also we are equally dead and shall equally live again shall they arise m Unto Life as appears from the former Clause awake n Out of your sleep even the sleep of death as it is called Psal. 13. 3. Death being oft compared to a Sleep as Ioh. 11. 11. Act. 7. 60. and Restauration to Life unto awaking as 2 Kings 4. 31. and sing ye that dwell in the dust o You that are dead and buried in the Dust as the Dead are said to sleep in the dust Dan. 12. 2. for thy dew p The Favour and Blessing of God upon thee which is oft compared to the dew as Hos. 14. 5. Mich. 5. 7. The Pronoun thy is here taken not efficiently but objectively as thy curse Gen. 27. 13. is the Curse coming upon thee is as the dew of herbs q Which gently refresheth and reviveth them and maketh them to grow and flourish and the earth shall cast out the dead r. qAs an abortive Birth is cast out of the Womb to which the Grave is compared Iob 1. 21. But because the Verb here used doth not signifie to cast out but to cast down which seems not proper here these Words may be and are both by ancient and later Interpreters rendred otherwise and thou wilt cast down the land of the giants or of the violent ones of the proud and potent Tyrants of the World For the Word here rendred dead is elsewhere rendred giants as 2 Sam. 21. 16. 18. See also on Iob 26. 5. Prov. 9. 18. 21. 16. But then the Words seem to be better rendred and thou wilt cast the giants down to the ground Either 1. thou O God who is oft understood in such Cases or rather 2. thou O my People to whom he speaks in the foregoing Clauses of the Verse thy dead body and thy dew and here continueth his Speech thou wilt or shalt cast c. thou shalt subdue even thy most Giant-like and mighty Enemies Which though it be properly God's Work the Church is oft said to do because she by her Prayers engageth God to do it And so as the former Clauses of the Verse speak of the Deliverance and Prosperity of God's Church and People so this Clause speaks of the Destruction of their Enemies which usually accompanieth it 20 Come my people s Having foretold the wonderful Deliverance and great Happiness of God's People and the utter Destruction of their Enemies lest they should think they were now entring into the possession of this Felicity he adds what here follows and intimates that for the present they were to expect Storms and to prepare for them and patiently to wait God's time for the Accomplishment of so great a Mercy enter thou into thy chambers and shut thy doors about thee t Withdraw thy self from the Company and Conversation of the Wicked World lest partaking with them in their Sins thou dost also partake of their Plagues pour out thy Prayers to God in thy Closet as this may be explained by comparing Mat. 6. 6. put thy self under the protection of my Providence and Grace by Faith and Prayer He alludes to the common practice of Men who when there are Storms or Dangers abroad betake themselves into their own Houses or Chambers for safety or as some think to that History Exod. 9. 19 20. or to that Command of not going out of their houses Exod. 12. 22. or to the like Charge given to Rohab as the Condition of her Preservation Ios. 2. hide thy self as it were * Psal. 30. 5. Chap. 54. 7 8. 2 Cor. 4. 17. for a little moment u Whereby he intimates that all their Afflictions how long and tedious soever they may seem are but short and momentary in comparison of that Happiness which is reserved for them until the indignation x The dreadful Effects of God's Anger those sore Judgments of God mentioned in the following Verse be overpast 21 For behold the LORD * Mic. 1. 3. cometh out of his place y Cometh down from Heaven which God in Scripture is frequently said to do when he undertaketh any great and glorious Work either of Delivering his People or of Destroying their Enemies The Speech is borrowed from the manner of Princes who come out of their Palaces either to fit in Judgment or to fight against their Enemies which is the Case here to punish the inhabitants of the earth z All the Enemies of God and of his People for these are here opposed to God's People Therefore take heed you be not found in the number of them for their iniquity the earth also shall disclose her †Heb. bloods blood and shall no more cover her slain a The innocent Blood which hath been spilled upon the Earth shall be brought to light and shall be severely revenged upon the Murderers For the Phrase see on Gen. 4. 10. Iob 16. 18. Ezek. 24. â—… CHAP. XXVII IN that day the LORD with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish Leviathan a What kind of Creature the Leviathan is see in my Notes on Iob 41. 1 c. Whence it is evident that it was a very great and terrible Sea-monster But here it is certain that the Expression is metaphorical and that by this Leviathan Serpent and Dragon for all signifie the same thing he understands some very powerful Enemy or Enemies for the Singular Number may be here put for the Plural as it is in many other places of God and of his Church or People which may well be called by these Names partly for their great Might and partly for the great Terrour and Destruction which they cause upon the Earth as the Leviathan doth in the Sea He seems to have a special respect to some particular Enemy and Oppressor of God's People either the Assyrian Emperour who now was so or rather the Babylonian who should be so Some understand this of the Devil But although it may be applied to him in a mystical sence it seems to be literally meant of some
he was perfectly innocent it pleased God for other just and wise Reasons to punish him he hath put him to grief p God was the principal cause of all his sorrows and sufferings although mens sins were the deserving cause ‖ Or when his soul shall make an offering †If thou shalt make his soul sin 2 Cor. 5. 21. 1 Pet. 2. 24. when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin q When thou O God shalt make or have made thy Son a Sacrifice by giving him up to death for the attonement of mens sins His Soul is here put for his Life or for himself or his whole humane nature which was sacrificed his Soul being tormented with the sense of Gods Wrath and his Body crucified and Soul and Body separated by Death Or the words may be rendred When his soul shall make or have made itself an offering for sin whereby it may be implied that he did not lay down his Life by force but willingly he shall see his seed r His death shall be glorious to himself and highly beneficial to others for he shall have a numerous issue of Believers reconciled to God and saved by his death he shall prolong his days s He shall be raised to immortal Life and shall live and reign with God for ever he shall die no more Rom. 6. 9. and of his Kingdom there shall be no end Luk. 1. 33. and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand t Gods gracious decree for the redemption and Salvation of Mankind shall be effectually carried on by his Ministry and Mediation 11 He shall see u He shall receive or enjoy as this word commonly signifies of the travel of his soul x The comfortable and blessed fruit of all his hard labours and grievous sufferings and shall be satisfied y He shall esteem his own and his Fathers Glory and the Salvation of his People an abundant recompence for all his Sufferings by his knowledg z Either 1. Actively by that knowledg of Gods Will and of the way of Salvation which is in him in its highest perfection and which by him is revealed unto men and by his Spirit is imprinted in the Minds and Hearts of his People so as to produce Faith and Obedience in them Or 2. Passively by the knowledg of him as my fear and thy fear are put for the fear of me and of thee Psal. 5. 7. Ier. 32. 40. Knowledg being here as it is most frequently in Scripture taken practically for that kind of Knowledge which worketh Faith and Love and Obedience to him So the sense is the same in both cases shall * Ch. 42. 1. 49. 3. my righteous servant a Which title is here given to Christ partly to vindicate him from those false imputations of wickedness which were fastened upon him by his Adversaries and which found the more belief because of his most grievous and unexampled Sufferings both from God and Men and partly to shew his fitness for this great work of justifying sinners because he was exactly holy and harmless and undefiled Heb. 7. 26. and fulfilled all righteousness according to his duty Mat. 3. 15. and therefore his person and performance must needs be acceptable to God and effectual for the justification of his People which was the great design of his coming into the World justifie b Acquit them from the guilt of their sins and all the dreadful consequences thereof For Iustification is here opposed to condemnation as appears from the following clause and from many other passages in this Chapter and as it is used in all places of Scripture one or two at most excepted where it is mentioned And Christ is said to justifie sinners meritoriously because he purchaseth and procureth it for us as God the Father is commonly said to do it authoritatively because he accepted the price paid by Christ for it and the pronunciation of the sentence of Absolution is referred to him in the Gospel Dispensation many c Which word is seasonably added partly by way of Restriction to shew that Christ will not justifie all but only such as believe in him and obey him and partly by way of Amplification to declare that this blessed priviledge shall not now be as hitherto it had in a manner been confined to Iudoea and the Jews but shall be conferred upon an innumerable company of all the Nations of the World for he shall bear their iniquities d For he shall satisfie the Justice and Law of God for them by bearing the punishments due to their sins and therefore by the principles of Reason and Justice they must be justified or acquitted otherwise the same debt should be twice required and paid 12 Therefore will I e God the Father the spectator and Judge of the Action or Combat divide him f Give him his share Or impart or give to him for this word is oft used without respect to any distribution or division as Deut. 4. 19. 29. 26. and elsewhere a portion g Which is very commodiously supplied out of the next clause where a word which answers to it the spoil is expressed with the great h Or among the great such as the great and mighty Potentates of the World use to have after a sharp Combat and a glorious Victory Though he be a very mean and obscure person as to his extraction and outward condition in the World yet he shall attain to as great a pitch of the Glory as the greatest Monarchs enjoy and he shall divide the spoil with the strong i The same thing is repeated in other words after the manner of prophetical Writers The sense of both clauses is That God will give him and he shall receive great and happy success in his glorious undertaking he shall conquer all his Enemies and lead Captivity Captive as is said Eph. 4. 8. and set up his universal and everlasting Kingdom in the World because he hath poured out his soul unto death k Because he willingly laid down his Life in Obedience to Gods Command Ioh. 10. 17 18. and in order to the Redemption of Mankind Death is here called a pouring out of the Soul or Life either because the Soul or Life which in living men is contained in the body is turned out of the Body by Death or to signifie the manner of Christs Death that it should be with the shedding of his Blood in which the Life of Man consists Levit. 17. 11 14. and he * Mar. 15. 28. Luk. 22. 37. was numbred with the transgressors l He was willing for Gods Glory and for Mans Good to be reproached and punished like a Malefactor in the same manner and place and betwixt two of them as is noted with reference to this place Mark 15. 27 28. and he bare the sin of many m Which was said v. 11.
any considerable inconvenience to us who are free from the obligations which the Jews were formerly under of procuring such stones and abstaining in their Diet from such Beasts and Birds as then were sufficiently known to them and if any were doubtful they had one safe course to abstain from them and the Onyx stone m A kind of pretious stone of which see Exod. 25. 7. and 28. 9 20. 13. And the name of the second River is Gihon n Not that River in the Land of Israel so called 1 King 1. 33. 2 Chron. 32. 30. But another of the same name which in Hebrew signifies the branch of a greater River Here it is a branch either of Euphrates as most think or of Tigris as some late Writers conceive The same is it that compasseth the whole Land of †Câ—…sh Ethiopia o Not that Countrey in Africa above Aegypt commonly so called but either Arabia which in Scripture is frequently called Cush or Ethiopia Of which see the notes upon 2 King 19. 9. Iob 28. 19. Ezek. 29. 10. and 30. 8 9. Hab. 3. 7. or rather a Countrey adjoyning to India and Persia with which Cush is joyned Ezek. 38. 5. See also Esa. 11. 11. and Ezek. 27. 10. And about which place the Ethiopians are seated by Herod l. 7. Homer Heâ—…iod and others Of which see my Latin Synopsis 14. And the name of the third River is Hiddekel p i. e. Tigris or an eminent branch of it See Dan. 10. 4. That is it which goeth ‖ Or Eastward to Assyria toward the East of Assyria And the fourth River is Euphrates 15. And the LORD God took ‖ Or Adam the Man and put him q i. e. Commanded and enclined him to go into the Garden of Eden to ‖ Or till See Chap. 3. 23. dress it r i. e. To prune dress and order the Trees and Herbs of it and to keep it s From the annoyance of Beasts which being unreasonable Creatures and allowed the use of Herbs might easily spoil the beauty of it 16. And the LORD God commanded the Man t And the Woman too as appears both from the permission for eating Herbs and Fruits given to her together with her Husband Gen. 1. 28 29. and from Gen. 3. 1 2 3. and from Eves punishment and that either immediately or by Adam whom God enjoyned to inform her thereof saying of every Tree of the Garden †Heb. Eating thou shalt eat thou mayest freely eat u Without offence to me or nutt to thy self The words in Hebrew have the form of a command but are only a permission or indulgence as 1 Cor. 10. 25 27. 17. But of the Tree of the Knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat of it For in the day in which thou eatest thereof †Heb. dying thou shalt dye thou shalt surely dye x With a threefold death 1. Spiritual by the guilt and power of sin at that instant thou shalt be dead in trespasses and sins Eph. 2. 1. 2. Temporal or the death of the Body which shall then begin in thee by decayes infirmities terrors dangers and other harbingers of death 3. Eternal which shall immediately succeed the other 18. And the LORD God said y Or Had said to wit upon the sixth day on which the Woman was made Gen. 1. 27 28. It is not good z Not convenient either for my purpose of the increase of mankind or for mans personal comfort or for the propagation of his kind that the man should be alone I will make him an help †Heb as before him or as it were comparable to him Is. 40. 1â—… meet for him a A most emphatical phrase signifying thus much one correspondent to him suitable both to his nature and necessity one altogether like to him in shape and constitution disposition and affection a second self or one to be at hand and near to him to stand continually before him familiarly to converse with him to be always ready to succour serve and comfort him or one whose eye respect and care as well as desire Gen. 3. 16. should be to him whose business it shall be to please and help him 19. And out of the ground the LORD God formed every Beast of the Field and every Fowl of the Air and brought them b Either by Winds or Angels or by his own secret instinct by which Storks and Cranes and Swallows change their places with the season unto ‖ Or the Man Adam c Partly to own their subjection to him partly that man being recreated with their prospect might adore and praise the Maker of them and withall be sensible of his want of a meet companion and so the better prepared to receive Gods mercy therein and partly for the reason here following to see d Or make a discovery not to God who knew it already but to all future Generations who would hereby understand the deep wisdom and knowledge of their first Parent what he would call them And whatsoever Adam called every †Heb. living Soul living Creature that was the name thereof e To wit in the primitive or Hebrew Language And this was done for the manifestation both of mans Dominion over the Creatures and of the largeness of his understanding it being an act of authority to give names and an effect of vast knowledge to give convenient names to all the Creatures which supposeth an exact acquaintance with their Natures 20. And Adam †Heb. callâ—…d gave Names to all Cattle and to the Fowl of the Air and to every Beast of the Field but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him f But though in giving them names he considered their several natures and perfections it was evident to himself as well as to the Lord that none of them was an help meet for him 21. And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam g That he who was without sin might feel no pain in the taking away of his Rib. And in this sleep some think Adam was in an extasie wherein he saw what was done together with the reason and mystery of it and he slept and he took one of his Ribs h Together with the Flesh upon it v. 23. Or one of his sides for the Hebrew word signifieth a Side as well as a Rib which may be taken Synecdochically for a part of one of his sides viz. a Rib and the Flesh upon it Or for one part out of each of his sides as if two Ribs clothed with Flesh were taken out of the man because he saith verse 23 This is Bone of my Bones not of my Bone The Woman was taken out of this part not out of the higher or lower parts to shew that she is neither to be her husbands Mistress to usurp authority over him 1 Tim. 2. 12. Nor yet to be
and that all the difference which was between him and consequently between other good men and the wicked progeny of Cain was not from the nature which they received from Adam but from the grace infused into them by God and called his name Seth. 4. * 1 Chron. 1 â—… c. And the days of Adam after he had begotten Seth were eight hundred years And he begat Sons and Daughters k Whose names and numbers are here passed over in silence as not belonging to the Genealogy of Christ nor to the following History 5. And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years l The long lives of men in ancient times here noted are also mentioned by Heathen Authors And it was wisely so ordered by God both for the more plentiful encrease of mankind in the first age of the world and for the more effectual propagation of true Religion and other useful knowledge to the World And many natural reasons might be given why their lives were then longer than afterwards and he died 6. And Seth lived an hundred and five years and begat Enos 7. And Seth lived after he begat Enos eight hundred and seven years and begat Sons and Daughters 8. And all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years and he died 9. And Enos lived ninety years and begat †Heb. Kenaâ—… Cainan 10. And Enos lived after he begat Cainan eight hundred and fifteen years and begat Sons and Daughters 11. And all the days of Enos were nine hundred and five years and he died 12. And Cainan lived seventy years and begat †Gr. Maleleel Mahalaleel 13. And Cainan lived after he begat Mahalaleel eight hundred and forty years and begat Sons and Daughters 14. And all the days of Cainan were nine hundred and ten years and he died 15. And Mahalaleel lived sixty and five years and begat †Heb. Iered Iared 16. And Mahalaleel lived after he begat Iared eight hundred and thirty years and begat Sons and Daughters 17. And all the days of Mahalaleel were eight hundred ninety and five years and he died 18. And Iared lived an hundred sixty and two years and he begat Enoch 19. And Iared lived after he begat Enoch eight hundred years and begat Sons and Daughters 20. And all the days of Iared were nine hundred sixty and two years and he died 21. And Enoch lived sixty and five years and begat †Gr. Mathusala Methuselah m Whose name is thought by some learned men to contain a prophesie of the flood which was to come a thousand years after for it signifies He dies and the dart or Arrow of Gods vengeance comes Or He dies and the sending forth of the Waters comes 22. And Enoch * Chap. 24. 40. Psal. 16. 8. 116. 9. walked with God n i. e. He lived as one whose eye was continually upon God whose care and constant course and business it was to please God and to imitate him and to maintain acquaintance and communion with him as one devoted to Gods service and wholly governed by his will he walked not with the Men of that wicked age or as they walked but being a Prophet and Preacher as may be gathered from Iude v. 14 15. with great zeal and courage he protested and preached against their evil practises and boldly owned God and his ways in the midst of them Compare Gen. 6. 6. Ier. 12. 3. Mic. 6. 8. after he begat Methuselah three hundred years and begat Sons and Daughters o Hence it is undeniably evident that the state and use of Matrimony doth very well agree with the severest course of Holiness and with the office of a Prophet or Preacher 23. And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years 24. And * Heb. 11. â—… Enoch walked with God And he was not p i. e. He appeared not any longer upon Earth or amongst mortal Men. The same phrase is in Gen. 42. 36. Ier. 31. 15. for God took him q Out of this sinful and miserable World unto himself and to his heavenly Habitation See Luke 23. 43. And he took either his Soul of which alone this phrase is used Ezek. 24. 16. or rather both Soul and Body as he took Elias 2 King 2. 11. because he so took him that he did not see death Heb. 11. 5. 25. And Methuselah lived an hundred eighty and seven years and begat †Heb. Lemech Lamech 26. And Methuselah lived after he begat Lamech seven hundred eighty and two years and begat Sons and Daughters 27. And all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty and nine years r The longest time that any man lived But it is observable that neither his nor any of the Patriarchs lives reached to a thousand years which number hath some shadow of perfection and he died s But a little before the Flood came being taken away from the evil to come 28. And Lamech t Not that wicked Lamech mentioned Chap. 4. for he was of the Family of Cain but this was descended from Seth. lived an hundred eighty and two years and begat a Son 29. And he called his name †Gâ—… Noe. Noah u Which signifies rest saying x By the Spirit of Prophesie this same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands y i. e. Concerning the hard labour and manifold troubles to which we are sentenced ch 3. 19. And this he did either 1. By the invention of instruments of husbandry whereby Tillage was made more easie Or 2. By removing in some part the curse inflicted upon the Earth and reconciling God unto mankind Possibly he might suppose that this was the Messias or promised Seed and the Saviour of the undone World As it was frequent with the antient Fathers through their earnest desire of the Messias to expect him long before he came and to mistake other persons for him Or 3. By preserving a remnant of mankind from that deluge which he by the spirit foresaw would come and re-peopling the emptied Earth with a new Generation of men and by restoring and improving the art of Husbandry See Gen. 9. 20. because of the ground which the LORD hath cursed 30. And Lamech lived after he begat Noah five hundred ninety and five years and begat Sons and Daughters 31. And all the days of Lamech were seven hundred seventy and seven years and he died 32. And Noah was five hundred years old And Noah begat z i. e. He began to beget God in mercy denying him Children till that time that he might not beget them to the destroyer that he might have no more than should be saved in the Ark. Or having before that time begotten others who were now dead and having the approaching Flood in his view he began again to beget a seminary for the World Of these three Sons here following the eldest
children of Israel 20 And when he hath made an end of reconciling the holy place and the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar he shall bring the live goat 21 And Aaron shall lay both his hands h See on Exod. 29. 10. and Lev. 1. 4. upon the head of the live goat and confess over him i Confession of sin being a duty to accompany the sacrifice offered for it as we see Lev. 5. 5. Numb 5. 7. all the iniquities of the children of Israel and all their transgressions in all their sins k Or with or according to all their sins for so the Hebrew particle is oft used He mentions iniquities transgressions and sins to note sins of all sorts and that a very free and full confession was to be made and that the smallest sins needed and the greatest sins were not excluded from the benefit of Christs death here represented putting them upon the head l Charging all their sins and the punishment due to them upon the goat which though onely a ceremony yet being done according to Gods appointment and manifestly pointing at Christ upon whom their iniquities and punishments were laid Isa. 53. 5 6. it was available for this end And hence the heathens took their custom of selecting one beast or man upon whom they laid all their imprecations and curses and whom they killed as an expiatory sacrifice for their sins and to prevent their ruine of the goat and shall send him away by the hand of †Heb. a 〈◊〉 opportunity a fit man m One that knows the wilderness and the way to it and what places in it are most convenient for that use Heb. a man of time i. e. of years and discretion who may be trusted with this work into the wilderness n Which signified the removal of their sins far away both from the people and out of Gods sight or from the place of his presence And here the goat being neglected by all men and exposed to many hardships and hazards from wild beasts which were numerous there might further signify Christs being forsaken both by God and by men even by his own disciples and the many dangers and sufferings he underwent The Iews write that this goat was carried to the mountain called Azazel whence the goat is so called ver 10. and that there he was cast down headlong and that the red string by which he was led turned white when God was pleased with the Israelites otherwise it remained red and then they mourned all that year And the antient Hebrews write that 40 years before the destruction of the Temple which was about the time of Christs death this red string turned no more white 22 And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land †Heb. of seperation not inhabited and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness 23 And Aaron shall come o Forthwith not expecting the return of the man who carried the goat away but securely committing that to Gods providence he shall go on in his work into the tabernacle of the congregation and shall put off the linnen garments which he put on when he went into the holy place and shall leave them there 24 And he shall wash his flesh with water in the holy place p Either in the laver appointed for that purpose Or in some other vessel within the holy place because after he had washed in it he is said to come forth and put on his garments q Not his ordinary Priestly linnen garments for he was to leave them in the Tabernacle ver 23. but the High-priestly garments called his garments properly and peculiarly and by way of distinction from the former garments which are called holy garments ver 4. and the linnen garments ver 23. but never his garments as these are And this change of his garments was not without cause For the common Priestly garments were more proper and fit for him in the former part of his ministration both because he was to appear before the Lord in the most holy place to humble himself and make atonement for his own and for the peoples sins and therefore his humblest and meanest attire was most fit and because he was to lay his hands upon that goat on which all their sins were put by which touch both he and his garments would be in some sort defiled and therefore as we read here that he washed himself or his flesh so we may well presume his linnen garments were laid by for the washing as the cloaths â—…f him who carried away the scape-goat were washed ver 26. And the High-priestly garments were most proper for the latter part of his work which was of another nature and come forth and offer his burnt-offering and the burnt-offering of the people and make an atonement for himself and for the people 25 And the * fat of the sin offering shall he burn chap. 4. 10. upon the altar 26 And he that let go the goat for a scape-goat shall wash r Because he had contracted some degree of ceremonial uncleanness by the touch of the goat his clothes and bathe his flesh in water and afterward come into the camp 27 * And the bullock †for the sin offering and chap. 4. 12 the goat ‖ for the sin offering whose blood was 〈◊〉 and 6. 30. brought in to make atonement in the holy place 〈◊〉 13. 11. Heb. of Heb. of shall one carry forth without the camp and they shall burn in the fire their skins and their flesh and their dung 28 And he that burneth them shall wash his clothes and bathe his flesh in water and afterward he shall come into the camp 29 And this shall be a statute for ever s See on Exod. 12. 14. unto you that * in the seventh moneth t Answering part to our September and part to our October when they had gathered in all their fruits and were most at leasure for Gods service This time God chose for this and other feasts herein graciously condescending to mens necessities and conveniencies being contented with that time which men could best spare on the tenth chap. 23. 27. 〈◊〉 29. 7. day u Obj. It was on the ninth day Lev. 23. 32. Ans. It began in the evening of the ninth day and continued till the evening of the tenth day as is there sufficiently implyed of the month ye shall afflict your souls x i. e. your selves as the word soul is frequently used both your bodies by abstinence from food and other delights and your minds by anguish and grief for former sins which though bitter yet is voluntary in all true penitents who are therefore here said not to be afflicted but to afflict themselves or to be active in the work and do no work at all whether it be one of your own countrey or a stranger that sojourneth among you 30 For on
whosoever shall succeed in thy place to whom it belongs to see those and other of my laws observed shall take care that the Priest be holy and do not defile himself by any of these forbidden marriages though he would do it therefore for he offereth the bread of thy God he shall be holy unto thee p Either 1. in thy esteem and therefore shall not give thee cause to think meanly and irreverently of him by his defiling or debasing of himself with irregular mixtures or 2. to thy use or service in whose name he is to act with God and therefore shall preserve himself in a state of holiness and acceptation with God for I the LORD which sanctifie you am holy q And therefore my Ministers must be such also 9 And the daughter r And by analogy his son also and his wife because the reason of the law here added concerns all And nothing is more common than to name one kind for the rest of the same nature as also is done Levit. 18. of any priest if she profane her self by playing the whore she profaneth her father s i. e. Exposeth his person and office and consequently religion one of whose prime ministers he is to contempt she shall be burnt with fire t Which was the severest of all the kinds of punishments among the Iews Whereby God would shew both the greatness of their sins who stand in nearer relation to God than others and how far God is from allowing sin in those who are nearest to him 10 And he that is the high priest among his brethren upon whose head * Exod. 3â—… 30. the anointing oyl was poured u Levit. 8. 11. Which was onely sprinkled upon inferiour Priests blood also being mixed with it Lev. 8. 30. and * Exod. 28. 2. chap. 16. 32. that is consecrated to put on the garments x To wit those holy garments which were peculiar to him as well as those common to others shall * chap. 10. 6. not uncover his head y This being then the posture of mourners Lev. 10. 6. though afterwards the custom was changed and mourners covered their heads 2 Sam. 15. 30. Eâ—… 6. 12. Or iâ—… this custom was now in use the meaning may be he shall not put off the Priestly covering or miter which was necessary for him to do if he had put on the mourners covering upon his head otherwise the holy covering had been defiled but he shall continue in the exercise of his office which is signified by keeping on his Priestly garments nor rent his clothes z. 11 Neither shall he go in a To wit into the chamber or house where they ly This and divers other rites here prescribed were from hence translated by the Heathens into their use whose Priests were put under the same obligations to any dead body nor defile himself for his father b Because upon his fathers death he was actually High-priest having been consecrated to this office in his Fathers life-time or for his mother 12 Neither shall he go out of the sanctuary c To wit to attend the funerals of any person for upon other occasions he might and did commonly go out nor profane the sanctuary d Either by making the service thereof give place to the discharge of his passions or the performance of a civility or by entring into the Sanctuary before the seven days allotted for his cleansing Numb 19. 11. were expired of his God for * Exod. 28. 36. the ‖ Or consecration or separation Numb 6. 7. crown of the anointing oyl e i. e. The anointing oil which to him was in stead of a crown by which he was advanced not onely above the rest of his brethren but even above all the people whose chief Governour he was in the things of God though subject and accountable to the civil Magistrate by which also he was made an eminent type of Christ who was to be King and Priest Or the crown to wit the golden plate which is called the holy crown Exod. 29. 6. and the anointing oyl of his God are upon him So there is onely an Ellipsis of the conjunction and which is frequent as Psal. 33. 2. and 144. 9. Isa. 63. 11. Hab. 3. 11. c. And these two things being most eminent are put for the rest and the sign is put for the thing signified q. d. for he is Gods High-priest Or the consecration for so nâ—…zer signifies of the anointing oil which by an Hypallage may be put for the anointing oil of the consecration i. e. whereby he is consecrated is upon him i. e. though that action be past yet the vertue of it remains still upon him he is a sacred person in the highest degree and therefore not to defile himself in any kind of his God is upon him I am the LORD 13 And he shall take a wife in her virginity f Or a Virgin partly for the decency of the type because as he was a type of Christ so his wife was a type of the Church which is compared to a Virgin 2 Cor. 11. 2. Rev. 14. 4. and partly for greater caution and assurance that his wife was not a defiled or defloured person This and the following rule belong not to all the Priests for then this were a gross tautology these same things or most of them being expresly forbidden to them ver 7. but onely to the High-priest to shew that he also and he especially is obliged to the same cautions 14 A widow g Except she were the widow of his predecessour which some gather from Ezek. 44. 22. But that place speaks onely of the common Priest not of the High-priest or a divorced woman or profane or an harlot these shall he not take but he shall take a virgin of his own people h i. e. Either 1. of his own tribe which is confuted by the examples of holy men See 2 Chron. 22. 11. Or 2. of the seed of Israel as it is explained Ezek. 44. 22. to wife 15 Neither shall he prophane his seed i By mixing it with forbidden kinds whereby the children would be disparaged and rendred unfit for their Priestly function among his people for â—… the LORD do sanctifie him k i. e. have separated him from all other sorts of men for my especial and immediate service and therefore will not have that race corrupted 16 And the LORD spake unto Moses saying 17 Speak unto Aaron saying Whosoever he be of thy seed l Whether the High-Priest or the inferiour ones in their generations m In all successive ages as long as your Priesthood and policy indures that hath any blemish n i. e. Any defect or excess of parts any notorious deformity or imperfection in his body The reason hereof is partly typical that he might more fully represent Christ the great High-priest who was typified both
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
this is limited and explained by the following words and every stroke the particle and being put expositively of which instances have been formerly given i. e. every controversie which shall arise about any stroke whether such a mortal stroke as is here spoken of a murder which may well be called a stroke as to smite is oft used for to kill as Gen. 4. 15. Levit. 24. 17. c. or any other stroke or wound given by one man to another and every stroke be tried 6 And all the elders of that city that are next unto the slain man * See Ps. 19. 1â—… shall wash their hands i In testimony of their innocency See on Mat. 27. 24. over the heifer that is beheaded in the valley 7 And they shall answer k To wit to the Priests who shall examine them and determine this controversie and say Our hands have not shed this blood l This about which the present enquiry is made or this which is here present for it is thought the Corps of the slain man was brought into the same place where the heifer was slain neither have our eyes seen it m Nor have we seen or understood how or by whom this was done 8 Be merciful O LORD unto thy people Israel whom thou hast redeemed and * Judg. 9. 2â—… lay not innocent blood †Heb. in the midst unto thy people of Israels charge and the blood shall be forgiven them n i. e. Not imputed to them nor punished in them for God is sometimes said to forgive when he doth not punish as Psal. 78. 38. Besides though there was no moral guilt in this people yet there was a ceremonial uncleanness in the land which was to be expiated and forgiven 9 So shalt thou put away the guilt of innocent blood from among you when thou shalt do that which is right in the sight of the LORD 10 When thou goest forth to war against thine enemies o Of other nations but not of the Canaanites for they might not spare their women and much less marry them Exod. 34. 16. Deut. 7. 3. and the LORD thy God hath delivered them into thine hand and thou hast taken them captive 11 And seest among the captives a beautiful woman and hast a desire unto her p Or hast cleaved to her to wit in love or hast taken delight in her Which may be a modest expression for lying with her and seems probable because it is said v. 14. that he had humbled her to wit by military insolence when he took her captive not after he had married her for then he would have expressed it thus because thou hast married her which had been more emphatical than to say because thou hast humbled her And here seem to be two cases supposed and direction given what to do in both of them 1. that he did desire to marry her of which he speaks ver 11 12 13. 2. that he did not desire this or not delight in her of which he speaks ver 14. that thou wouldest have her to thy wife 12 Then thou shalt bring her home to thine house and she shall shave her head and ‖ Or suffer to grow †Heb make or dress pare her nails q Either 1. to take off his affections from her by rendring her uncomely and deformed but then the last words must not be rendred shall pare her nails but shall nourish them or suffer them to grow as the Chaldee Arabick and divers of the learned Iews and other Interpreters render it Or 2. to express her sorrow for the loss of her father and mother as it follows ver 13. it being the antient custom of mourners in most nations to shave themselves and in some to pare their nails in others to suffer them to grow Or rather 3. in token of her renouncing her heathenish Idolatry and superstition and of her becoming a new woman and embracing the true religion Which her captive condition and subjection to his will would make her inclinable to do in profession 13 And she shall put the raiment of her captivity r i. e. Either 1 those goodly raiments in which she was when she was taken captive in stead of which she now must put on a servile habit as this is generally understood or rather 2. those servile and sordid raiments which were put upon her when she was taken captive as the manner was to do with captives as the phrase it self seems to intimate as prison-garments Ier. 52. 33. are such garments as prisoners use to wear and garments of praise are praise-worthy or glorious garments and it seems harsh to call those garments of captivity which are made for and generally worn by free persons onely and which are usually taken away from persons when they come into captivity Adde that this doth not seem to be any part or token of her sorrow but rather a mending of her condition and exchanging her servile habit for a better and more decent one which might be though this were a mourning habit from off her and shall remain in thine house and bewail her father and her mother s Either their death or which was in effect the same her final separation from them Withall this signified her alienation from them or from their superstitious and Idolatrous courses and her translation of her love from all other persons to her husband and to the true religion Compare Psal. 45. 11. a full month and after that thou shalt go in unto her and be her husband and she shall be thy wife t Supposing what might very rationally be supposed of one in her circumstances and what she signified by the foregoing rites that she should submit to her husbands Religion in which case the marriage might be tolerable Or this was a permission and indulgence given to them for the hardness of their hearts as in the case of Divorce Deut. 24. 1. Mat. 19. 8. 14 And it shall be if thou have no delight in her u Either 1. after thou hast married her and so this is a permission of a Divorce which being indulged towards an Israelitish woman was not likely to be denied towards a stranger Or rather 2. before thy marriage for it is not probable that God having given him competent time for the trial of his affections to her before he was permitted to marry her would suffer him upon so sleight an occasion within a day or two after so solemn a contract to send her away nor is there a word spoken here of any Divorce then thou shalt let her go whither she will but thou shalt not sell her at all for mony thou shalt not make merchandise of her x i. e. Make gain of her either by using her to thy own servile works or by prostituting her to the lusts or to the service of others because thou hast humbled her y i. e. Lain with her as this
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
should not receive the Grace of God in vain and to teach them that the Grace of God doth not discharge mans obligation to his duty nor excuse him for the neglect of it and that Conversion and Sanctification though it be Gods work yet it is mans duty unto the voice of the LORD thy God to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law and if thou turn unto the LORD thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul. 11 For this commandment which I command thee this day k He seems to speak of the law or of that great command of loving and obeying God mentioned here v. 2 6 10 16. which is the sum of the Law of which yet he doth not here speak simply or as it is in it self but as it is mollified and accompanied with the Grace of the Gospel whereby God circumciseth mens hearts to do this as is expressed v. 6. The meaning is that although the practise of Gods Law strictly and severely be now far from us and above our strength yet considering the advantage of Gospel Grace whereby God enables us in some measure to our duty and accepts of our sincere endeavours in stead of perfection and imputes Christs perfect righteousness unto us that believe now it is near and easie to us And so this place well agrees with Rom. 10. 6 c. where St. Paul expounds or applies this place to the righteousness of faith by which alone the Law is such as it is here described it * chap. 27. 8. Isa. 45. 19. is not hidden from thee l Heb. Is not too wonderful for thee as Deut. 17. 8. Prov. 30. 18. Ier. 32. 17. i. e. not too hard for thee to know and do the Will of God which is but darkly manifested to other nations Act. 17. 27. is clearly and fully revealed unto thee thou canst not pretend ignorance or invincible difficulty neither is it far off m i. e. Out of thy reach 12 * Rom. 10. 6. c. It is not in heaven n i e Shut up there but it hath been thence delivered and published by thy hearing that thou shouldest say Who shall go up for us to heaven and bring it unto us that we may hear it and do it 13 Neither is it beyond the sea o The knowledge of this commandement is not to be fetched from far distant places to which divers of the wise Heathens travelled for their wisdome but it was brought to thy very doors and ears and declared to thee in this Wilderness that thou shouldest say Who shall go over the sea for us and bring it unto us that we may hear it and do it 14 But the word is very nigh unto thee in thy mouth p Thou knowest it so well that it is the matter of thy common discourse thou professest thy knowledge and belief of it or in the mouths of thy Priests and Levites who are dayly preaching of it and instructing thee in it and in thy heart q i. e. In thy mind as the heart is very commonly taken to understand and believe it that thou mayest do it 15 * Chap. 11. 〈◊〉 ver 19. See I have set before thee this day life and good r i. e. A good or an happy life A figure called Hendiaduo Or life and all the blessings of life as good is oft used as Iob 7. 7. Psal. 4. 6. and 128. 5. Eccles. 2. 24. and 4. 8. and 6. 3. and death and evil 16 In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God to walk in his wayes and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments that thou mayest live and multiply and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it 17 But if thine heart turn away so that thou wilt not hear but shalt be drawn away s Either by thy own evil mind or by the examples or perswasions of others and worship other gods and serve them 18 I denounce unto you this day that ye shall surely perish and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it 19 * Chap. â—… 〈◊〉 Ver. 15. I call heaven and earth to record this day against you t Compare Deut. 4. 26. Ios. 24. 27. Psal. 50. 4. Isa. 1. 2. that I have set before you life and death blessing and cursing therefore chuse life that both thou and thy seed may live 20 That thou mayest love the LORD thy God and that thou mayest obey his voice and that thou mayest cleave unto him for he is thy life u i. e. The cause or author of thy life as life is used Ioh. 14 6. and 17. 3. and the length of thy dayes that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers to Abraham to Isaac and to Jacob to give them CHAP. XXXI 1 AND Moses went and spake a i. e. Proceeded or continued to speak An usual Hebrew phrase Or went to the place where he had assembled the people that he might speak to them these words unto all Israel 2 And he said unto them * chap. 34 I am an hundred and twenty years old this day I can no more go out and come in b i. e. Perform the Office of a Leader or Governour either because I now find a decay of my mind and body which seems not well to agree with Deut. 34. 7. or because I foresee the time of my death approaches also the LORD hath said unto me * Num. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chap. 3. 2 Thou shalt not go over this Jordan 3 The LORD thy God he will go over before thee and he will destroy these nations from before thee and thou shalt possess them and Joshua he shall go over before thee * Num. 2â—… 2â—… as the LORD hath said 4 And the LORD shall do unto them * Numb 21. 24 33. as he did to Sihon and to Og kings of the Amorite and unto the land of them c Which he gave to you to possess whom he destroyed 5 And * Chap. 7. â—… the LORD shall give them up before your face d i. e. Into your power See on Deut. 1. 8. that ye may do unto them according unto all the commandments which I have commanded you 6 Be strong and of a good courage fear not nor be afraid of them for the LORD thy God he it is that doth go with thee * Josh. 1. 5. Heb. 13. 5. he will not fail thee nor forsake thee 7 And Moses called unto Joshua and said unto him in the sight of all Israel Be strong and of a good courage for thou must go with this people unto the land which the LORD hath sworn unto their fathers to give them and thou shalt cause them to inherit it 8 And the
held their lamps in their left hands b That they might be thought to be a mighty Host having as many Troops or Companies as there were Trumpets and Lights and their trumpets in their right hands to blow withal and they cried The sword of the LORD and of Gideon 21 And they stood every man in his place c As if they had only been Torch-bearers to the several Companies round about the camp and all the host ran and cried and fled 22 And the three hundred blew the trumpets and * Isa. 9. 4. the LORD set every mans sword against his fellow d They slew one another either because they suspected Treachery and so fell upon those they first met with which they might more easily do because they consisted of several Nations as may be gathered from Iudg. 6. 3. and Iosephus affirms or because the darkness of the night made them unable to distinguish Friends from Foes or because the suddenness of the thing struck them with Horror and Amazement or because God infatuated them as he hath done many others Compare 1 Sam. 14. 20. 2 Chron. 20. 23. even throughout all the host and the host fled to Beth-shittah ‖ Or towards in Zererath and to the ‡ Heb. lip border of Abel-meholah Of which see 1 King 4. 12. and 19. 16. unto Tabbath 23 And the men of Israel gathered themselves together out of Naphtali and out of Asher and out of all Manasseh and pursued after the Midianites 24 ¶ And Gideon sent messengers throughout all mount Ephraim saying Come down against the Midianites and take before them the waters unto Beth-barah f i. e. The Passes over those Waters to which they are like to come and Jordan g The Foords of Iordan which River they must pass over into their own Countrey Then all the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together and took the waters unto Beth-Barah and Jordan 25 And they took * Psal. â—…3 11. Isa. 10. 26. two princes of the Midianites Oreb and Zeeb and they slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb and Zeeb they slew at the wine-press of Zeeb and pursued Midian and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side Jordan h For Gideon in the pursuit had passed over Iordan as we read Iudg. 8. 4. which though mentioned after this may seem to have been done before it such transpositions being frequent in Sacred Story Or on this side Jordan for the Hebrew word is indifferent to both sides see Gen. 50. 10. And so this is opposed to what follows of his passing over Iordan Iudg. 8. 4. And then there is no anticipation here CHAP. VIII AND the men of Ephraim said unto him ‡ Heb. 〈◊〉 thing is 〈◊〉 thou 〈◊〉 unto us Why hast thou served us thus that thou calledst us not a Why hast thou neglected and despised us in not calling us in to thy help as thou didst other Tribes These were a proud people Isa. 11. 13. puffed up with a conceit of their Number and Strength and the preference which Iacob by Divine direction gave them above Manasseh Gen. 48. 19 20. of which Tribe Gideon was who by this act had seemed to advance his own Tribe and to depress theirs when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites and they did chide with him ‡ Heb. 〈◊〉 sharply 2 And he said unto them What have I done now in comparison of you b What was done was done by Gods immediate hand making them one to kill another what I have done in cutting off some of the Fugitive common Soldiers is not to be compared with your Exploit in destroying their Princes I began the War but you have finished is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim c What you have gleaned or done after me better than the vintage of Abiezer d i. e. Of the Abiezrites to whom he modestly communicateth the honour of the Victory and doth not arrogate it to himself as Generals commonly do 3 God hath delivered into your hand the princes of Midian Oreb and Zeeb and what was I able to do in comparison of you then their ‡ Heb. 〈◊〉 anger was abated toward him when he had said that e His soft and humble Answer allayed their Rage and Envy see Prov. 17. 11. and 25. 15. 4 ¶ And Gideon came to Jordan and passed over f Or had passed over When he passed over see on Iudg. 7. 25. he and the three hundred men that were with him faint yet pursuing them 5 And he sent unto the men of Succoth g A place beyond Iordan Gen. 33. 17. Ios. 13. 27. Psal. 60. 8. Give I pray you loaves of bread unto the people that follow me for they be faint and I am pursuing after Zeba and Zalmunna kings of Midian h Where before this time were five Kings at once Numb 31. 8. who either reigned separately in divers parts of the Land or governed by common counsel and consent as sometimes there were two or three Roman Emperors together 6 ¶ And the princes of Succoth said Are the hands of Zeba and Zalmunna now in thine hand i Art thou so foolish to think with thy 300 faint and weary Soldiers to conquer and destroy an Host of 15000 men that * See 1 〈◊〉 25. 10. we should give bread unto thine army 7 And Gideon said Therefore when the LORD hath delivered Zeba and Zalmunna into mine hand I will ‡ Heb. thresh tear your flesh with the thorns of the Wilderness k Which grow abundantly in the neighbouring Wilderness I will chastise or beat your naked Bodies with Thorny Rods even unto Death Or I will lay you down upon Thorns on the ground and bring the Cart-wheel upon you which will both tear your flesh and bruise you to death and with briers 8 ¶ And he went up thence to Penuel l Another City beyond Iordan of which see Gen. 32. 30. 1 King 12. 25. and spake unto them likewise and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered him 9 And he spake also unto the men of Penuel saying When I come again in peace I will break down this tower m Your confidence in which makes you thus Proud and Presumptuous He implies that he would afterwards destroy their persons as is expressed v. 17. 10 ¶ Now Zeba and Zalmunna were in Karkor and their hosts with them about fifteen thousand men all that were left of all the hosts of the children of the east for there fell ‖ Or an hundred and twenty thousand every one drawing a sword an hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword n i. e. Persons expert and exercised in War besides the retainers to them Iudg. 6. 5. 11 ¶ And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents o i. e. Of the Arabians so fetching a compass and
is called either because he was her husband for which cause Sarah called Abraham Lord 1 Pet. 3. 6. or because she had been his maid-servant as Concubines oftentimes were as Gen. 30. 3 9. 27 And her lord rose up in the morning and opened the doors of the house and went out to go his way and behold the woman his concubine was fallen down at the door of the house and her hands were upon the threshold f The posture either of one that had fallen down or of one that was layed down to sleep her hands or arms for the Hebrew word signifies both leaning upon the threshold and being put under her head and therefore he thought to awake her and raise her up 28 And he said unto her Up and let us be going But none answered g For she was dead as is said Iudg. 20. 5. then the man took her up upon an ass and the man rose up and gat him into his place 29 ¶ And when he was come into his house he took a knife and laid hold on his concubine and divided her together with her bones h Or according to her bones according to the joints of her Body for there he made the division This might seem to be a Barbarous and inhuman act in it self but may seem excusable if it be considered that the sadness of the Spectacle did highly contribute to stir up the zeal of all the Israelites to avenge his Concubines death and to execute Justice upon such profligate Offenders and was necessary especially in this time of Anarchy and general Corruption Iudg. 17. 6. to awaken them out of that Lethargy in which all the Tribes lay into twelve pieces i That one piece might be sent to every Tribe whereof none to Levi because they would meet with it in every Tribe being dispersed among them but one to Benjamin for he might well presume that they would as much abhor so villanous an Action though done by some of their own Tribe as any of the rest and sent her into all the coasts of Israel k By several messengers by whom also he sent a particular Relation of the Fact 30 And it was so that all that saw it said There was no such deed l So wicked and abominable done nor seen from the day that the children of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt unto this day consider of it take advice and speak your minds m Let us meet together and seriously consider and every one freely speak what is to be done in this case CHAP. XX. THEN all the children of Israel a i. e. A great number and especially the Rulers of all the Tribes except Benjamin v. 3 12. went out b From their several habitations and the congregation was gathered together as one man c i. e. With one consent from Dan even to Beersheba d Dan was the Northern border of the Land near Lebanon and Beersheba the Southern border Gen. 21. 33. Compare 1 King 4. 25. with the land of Gilead e Beyond Iordan where Reuben Gad and half Manasseh were unto the LORD f As to the Lords Tribunal for God was not only present in the place where the Ark and Tabernacle was but also in the Assemblies of the Gods or Judges Psal. 82. 1. and in all the places where Gods name is recorded Exod. 20. 24. and where two or three are met together in his name Matth. 18. 20. for his service and to seek for Counsel and mercy from him compare Iudg. 11. 11. in Mizpeh g A place in the borders of Iudah and Benjamin and therefore ascribed to both of them Ios. 15. 38. and 18. 26. This they chose as a place most fit and proper in many respects First as a place they used to meet in upon Solemn occasions See Iudg. 10. 17. and 11. 11. 1 Sam. 7. 5 16. and 10. 17. Secondly For its convenient Scituation for all the â—…ribes within and without Iordan Thirdly As being near the place where the Fact was done that it might be more throughly examined and not far from Shiloh where the Tabernacle was whither they might go or send if need were 2 And ‡ Hebr. the corners the chief h Heb. the corners i. e. the Nobles and Rulers which are oft so called because like corner-stones they both unite and support and adorn the whole Building Or and four hundred thousand It is an Ellipsis of the Particle and of which Examples have been given before for the chief of the People were not so many but the common Soldiers and these were all Foot-men whereas many of the Rulers rid upon Horses or Asses Iudg. 5. 10. and 10. 4. and 12. 14. The number is here set down to shew both their zeal and forwardness in punishing such a Villany and the strange blindness of the Benjamites that durst oppose so great and united a Body and that the success of Battelâ—… depends not upon great numbers seeing this great Host was twice defeated by the Benjamites but wholly upon Gods blessing of all the people even of all the tribes of Israel presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God four hundred thousand i foot-men k For horse-men they had few or none in their Armies that drew sword 3 Now the children of Benjamin heard l Like Persons unconcerned and resolved they neither went nor sent thither partly from their own pride and stubbornness and self-confidence partly because as they were loath to give up any of their Brethren to Justice so they presumed the other Tribes would never proceed to a War against them and partly from a Divine infatuation hardening that wicked Tribe to their own Destruction that the children of Israel were gone up to Mizpeh Then said the children of Israel Tell us m The Verb is of the Plural Number because they speak to the Levite and his Servant and his Host who doubtless were present upon this occasion how was this wickedness 4 And ‡ Hebr. the man the Lâ—…vite the Levite n To whose Relation the other two gave their consent the husband of the woman that was slain answered and said I came into Gibeah that belongeth to Benjamin I and my concubine to lodge 5 And the men of Gibeah rose up against me and beset the house round about upon me by night and thought to have slain me o Except I would either submit to their unnatural Lust which I was resolved to withstand even unto death or deliver up my concubine to them which I was forced to do and my concubine have they ‡ Hebr. humbled forced that she is dead 6 And I took my concubine and cut her in pieces and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel for they have committed lewdness and folly p i. e. A lewd folly most ignominious and impudent Wickedness in Israel 7 Behold
by other Authors that I may go in and dress it for me and my son that we may eat it and die b For having no more Provision we must needs perish with Hunger For though the Famine was onely in the Land of Israel yet the Effects of it were in Tyre and Sidon which were fed by the Corn of that Land See Acts 12. 20. Or the same Famine might be in those parts also the chief cause of the Famine to wit the Worship of Baal being common to both places 13 And Elijah said unto her Fear not go and do as thou hast said but make me thereof a little cake first c Which he requires as a tryal and exercise of her Faith and Charity and Obedience which he knew God would graciously and plentifully reward and so this would be a great Example to encourage others to the practise of the same Graces upon like occasions and bring it unto me and after make for thee and for thy son 14 For thus saith the LORD God of Israel d In whom I perceive thou trustest The barrel of meal e i. e. The Meal of the Barrel An Hypallage or Metonymy So the cruse of oil â—…or the oil of the cruse shall not waste neither shall the cruse of oil fail until the day that the LORD ‡ Heb. giveth sendeth rain upon the earth 15 And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah f Giving Glory to the God of Israel by believing his Prophet and she and he and her house did eat ‖ Or a full year many days g i. e. A long time even above Two Years See Chap. 18. 1. Heb. days i. e. A full Year as ver 7. namely before the following Event about her Son happened and the rest of the time of the Famine after it 16 And the barrel of meal wasted not h God still Creating new as fast as the old was spent neither did the cruse of oil fail according to the word of the LORD which he spake ‡ Heb. by the hand of by Elijah 17 ¶ And it came to pass after these things that the son of the woman the mistress of the house fell sick and his sickness was so sore that there was no breath i Or no Soul or Life as this Hebrew Word oft signifies i. e. He died as is manifest from the following Verses See also Heb. 11. 35. left in him 18 And she said unto Elijah What have I to do with thee k Wherein have I injured or provoked thee Or Why didst thou come to Sojourn in my House as the following Words seem to Explain these if this be the fruit of it They are Words of a troubled Mind favouring of some rashness and impatience O thou man of God art thou come unto me l Didst thou come for this end that thou mightest severely observe my Sins and by thy prayers bring down God's just Judgment upon me for them as thou hast for the like cause brought down this Famine upon the Nation to call my sin to remembrance m Either 1. To my remembrance that I should by this dreadful Judgment be brought to the knowledge and remembrance of my Sins which have procured it Or rather 2. To God's Remembrance for God is oft said in Scripture to remember sins when he punisheth them and to forget them when he spares the Sinner See 2 Sem. 16. 10. Have I instead of the Blessing which I expected from thy presence met with a Curse and to stay my son 19 And he said unto her Give me thy son n Into mine Arms. And he took him out of her bosom and carried him up into a loft o A private place where he might more freely and fully pour out his Soul to God and use such Gestures or Methods as he thought most proper without any offence or observation where he abode and laid him upon his own bed 20 And he cried unto the LORD and said O LORD my God hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn by slaying her son p A Prayer full of powerful Arguments Thou art the Lord that canst revive the Child and my God and therefore wiltst not do not deny me She is a widow add not Affliction to the Afflicted deprive her not of the great support and staff of her Age She hath given me kind entertainment let her not fare the worse for her kindness to a Prophet whereby Wicked Men will take occasion to Reproach both her and Religion 21 And he ‡ Heb. measured stretched himself upon the child q Not as if he thought this could contribute any warmth or Life to the Child but partly to express and withal to increase his grief for the Child's Death and his desire of its reviving that thereby his Prayers might be more fervent and consequently more prevalent with God and partly that it might appear That this Miracle though wrought by God alone yet was done for the sake of Elijah and in answer to his Prayers Compare 2 King 4. 34. Ioh. 9. 6. Act. 20. 10. three times and cried unto the LORD r First he stretched himself then he prayed and that for Three times successively and said O LORD my God I pray thee let this childs soul come ‡ Heb. into 〈◊〉 inward parts into him again s By which it is evident That the Soul was gone out of his Body and therefore doth subsist without it after Death Compare Gen. 35. 18. This was a great Request but Elias was incouraged to make it partly by his Zeal for God's Honour which he thought was concerned in it and would be Eclipsed by it partly by the experience which he had of his prevailingpower with God in prayer and partly by a Divine Impulse moving him to desire it 22 And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah and the soul of the child came into him again and he revived 23 And Elijah took the child and brought him down out of the chamber into the house and delivered him unto his mother and Elijah said See thy son liveth 24 ¶ And the woman said to Elijah Now by this I know t Now I am assured of that concerning which I began upon this sad occasion to doubt that thou art a man of God and that the word of the LORD in thy mouth is truth u That the God whom thou professest is the True God and the Doctrine and Religion which thou Teachest is the onely True Religion and therefore henceforth I wholly Renounce the Worship of Idols CHAP. XVIII AND it came to pass after many days that the word of the LORD came to Elijah in the third year a Either 1. From the time when he went to hide himself by the Brook Cerith Six Months before which time the Famine might begin though it was not yet come to extremity And so this being in or
the baseness and cowardise of their King but meerly from the Righteous and Dreadful Judgment of God who was now resolved to reckon with them for their filthy Apostacy are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel 9 And Jehoahaz slept with his fathers and they buried him in Samaria and Joash his son reigned in his stead 10 ¶ In the thirty and seventh year of Joash king of Judah o By which compared with v. 1. it may be gathered that Iehoahaz had two or three Years before his death made his Son Iehoash King with him which is very probable because he was perpetually in the state of War and consequently in danger of an untimely death and because he was a Man of valour as is implied here ver 12. and declared 2 Chron 25. began Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz to reign over Israel in Samaria and reigned sixteen years 11 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD he departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nabat who made Israel sin but he walked therein 12 And the rest of the acts of Joash and all that he did and his might wherewith he fought against Amaziah king of Judah are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel 13 And Joash slept with his fathers and Jeroboam sat upon his throne and Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel 14 ¶ Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he died and Joash the king of Israel came down unto him and wept over his face p Noâ—… for any true Love and Respect to him for then he would have followed his counsel in forsaking the Calves and returning to the Lord but for his own and the Kingdoms inestimable loss in him and said O my father my father the chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof q See 2 King 2. 12. 15 And Elisha said unto him Take bow and arrows And he took unto him bow and arrows 16 And he said to the king of Israel ‡ Heb. Make thine hand to ride Put thine hand upon the bow And he put his hand upon it and Elisha put his hands upon the kings hands 17 And he said Open the window east-ward r Either towards Syria which lay North-East-ward from the Land of Israel or towards the Israelites Land beyond Iordan which lay East-ward from Canaan and which was now possessed by the Syrians Either way this Arrow is shot against the Syrians as a token what God intended to do against them and he opened it Then Elisha said Shoot and he shot And he said The arrow of the LORDS deliverance and the arrow of deliverance from Syria for thou shalt smite the Syrians in Aphek s Not in the City but in the Territory of it where it seems there was a great Battel to be fought between the Israelites and Syrians Of Aphek see 1 Sam. 4. 1. and 29. 1 1 King 20. 30. though it is possible there might be several Cities of that name Or as in Aphek i. e. thou shalt smite them as they were smitten in the City and Territory of Aphek i. e. utterly destroy them See 1 King 20. 26 29 30. the Particle as being oft understood as hath been formerly and frequently proved till thou have consumed them t i. e. The Syrians not all that people but their Armies or at least that which was to be at Aphek where a dreadful Battel was to be fought Or if this be meant of all the Syrian Armies this is to be understood conditionally if he did not hinder it by his unbelief or neglect signified in the following Verses 18 And he said Take the arrows and he took them And he said unto the king of Israel Smite upon the ground u The former sign portended Victory and this was to declare the number of the Victories and he smote thrice and stayed 19 And the man of God was wroth with him and said Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice x Quest. Wherein was Iehoash his fault or why was the Propher angry with him Ans. The Prophet himself did not yet know how many Victories Iehoash should obtain against the Syrians but God had signified to him that he should learn that by the number of the Kings strokes And he was angry with him not simply because he smote onely thrice but because by his unbelief and Idolatry he provoked God so to over-rule his heart and hand that he should smite but thrice which was a token that God would assist him no further Although his smiting but thrice might proceed either from his unbelief or negligence For by the former sign and the Prophets Comment upon it he might clearly perceive that this also was intended as a sign of his success against the Syrians and therefore he ought to have done it frequently and vehemently 20 ¶ And Elisha died and they buried him y In or near Samaria and the bands of the Moabites invaded the land at the coming in of the year z In the Spring when the Fruits of the Earth grew ripe 21 And it came to pass as they were burying Or were about to bury as that Particle is oft used in the Hebrew Tongue a man that behold they spied a band of men a Coming towards them but at some distance and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha b Not daring to carry the dead Corps further to the place appointed for his burial they made use of the next burying-place where Elisha was buried and there they removed some Stone or opened some Door and hastily flung down their dead Corps there and when the man c i. e. The mans dead Body or the Coffin in which he was put ‡ Heb. went down was let down and touched the bones of Elisha d Which might easily be the Coffin and Linen in which Elisha's Body was put and the Flesh of his Body being now consumed for this was some considerable time after his death he revived and stood up on his feet e Which Miracle God wrought there partly to do honour to that great Prophet and that by this Seal he might confirm his Doctrine and thereby confute the false Doctrine and Worship of the Israelites partly to strengthen the Faith of Ioash and of the Israelites in his promise of their success against the Syrians and partly in the midst of all their Calamities to comfort such Israelites as were Elisha's followers with the hopes of that Eternal life whereof this was a manifest pledge and to awaken the rest of that people to a due care and preparation for it 22 ¶ But Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz 23 And the LORD was gracious unto them and
of the sword and slaughter and destruction and did †Heb â—…ding to their will what they would unto those that hated them 6 And in Shushan the palace f i. e. In the City so called as was noted before ch 1. 2. it not being probable either that they would make such a slaughter in the Kings palace or that they would be suffered so to do the Jews slew and destroyed five hundred men g Whom by long experience they knew to be their constant and inveterate Enemies and such as would watch all opportunities to destroy them which also they might possibly now attempt to do Part of them also might be Friends and Allies of Haman and therefore the avowed Enemies of Mordecai 7 And Parshandatha and Dalphon and Aspatha 8 And Poratha and Adalia and Aridatha 9 And Parmashta and Arisai and Aridai and Vajezatha 10 The ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha the enemy of the Jews slew they but on the spoil laid they not their hand h Either because they were desirous it should come into the Kings Treasury or because they would leave it to their Children that it might appear that what they did that day was not done out of malice to their Persons and Families or covetousness of their Estates but out of meer necessity and by that great and approved Law of Self-preservation and that they were ready to mix Mercy with Judgment and would not deal with their Enemies so ill as it was apparent that their Enemies intended to do against them 11 On that day the number of those that were slain in Shushan the palace †Heb. 〈◊〉 was brought before the king h Possibly with evil design to incense the King against the Jews 12 And the king said unto Esther the queen The Jews have slain and destroyed five hundred men in Shushan the palace and the ten sons of Haman what have they done in the rest of the kings provinces i In which doubtless many more were slain So that I have fully granted thy Petition And yet if thou hast any thing further to ask I am here ready to grant it now what is thy petition and it shall be granted thee or what is thy request further and it shall be done 13 Then said Esther If it please the king let it be granted to the Jews which are in Shushan to do to morrow also according to this days decree k i. e. To kill their implacable Enemies For it is not improbable that the greatest and worst of them had politickly withdrawn or hidden themselves for that day after which the Commission granted to the Jews being expired they confidently returned to their homes where they were taken and slain by vertue of this private and unexpected decree and †Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let Hamans ten sons be hanged upon the gallows l They were slâ—…in before now let their Bodies be hanged upon their Fathers Gallows for their greater Infamy and the terrour of all others who shall presume to abuse the King in like manner or to persuade him to execute such cruelties upon his own Subjects This custom of hanging up the Bodies of Malefactoâ—… after their death was frequent among the Jews and Persians alâ—…o as is well known 14 And the king commanded it so to be done and the decree was given at Shushan and they hanged Hamans ten sons 15 For the Jews that were in Shushan gathered themselves together on the fourteenth day also of the month Adar and slew three hundred men at Shushan but on the prey they laid not their hand 16 But the other Jews that were in the kings provinces gathered themselves together and stood for their lives and had rest from their enemies and slew of their foes seventy and five thousand but they laid not their hand on the prey 17 On the thirteenth day m This belongs not to the Feast but to the work done before it The meaning is This they did i. e. they slew their Foes as was now said â—… 16. upon the 13th day of the month Adar and on the fourteenth day †Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the same rested they and made it a day of feasting and gladness 18 But the Jews that were at Shushan assembled together on the thirteenth day thereof and on the fourteenth thereof and on the fifteenth day of the same they rested and made it a day of feasting and gladness 19 Therefore n To wit because they did their whole work upon the 13th day as was noted v. 17. to which this manifestly relates the 18th verse coming in as it were by waâ—… of Parenthesis the Jews of the villages that dwelt in the unwalled towns o Heb. Iâ—… the cities of the villages i. e. in the lesser Cities and Villages which are here opposed to the great City Shushan and those who dwelt in it made the fourteenth day of the month Adar a day of gladness and feasting and a good day and of sending portions one to another 20 And Mordecai wrote these things p Either 1. The Letters here following But that is distinctly mentioned in the next word Or 2. The History of these things which was the ground of the Feast which Mordecai knew very well ought to be had in remembrance and to be told to their Children and Posterity through all ages according to the many commands of God to that purpose and the constant practice of the holy men of God in such cases and sent letters unto all the Jews that were in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus both nigh and far 21 To stablish this among them that they should keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar and the fifteenth day of the same q Because both these days had been set apart this year the latter at Shushan the former in other parts and because that great work of God which was the ground of this solemnity had been done both upon the 13th and the 14th day yearly 22 As the days wherein the Jews rested from their enemies and the month which was turned unto them from sorrow to joy and from mourning into a good day that they should make them days of feasting and joy and of sending portions one to another and gifts to the poor r Which they used to give upon days of Thanksgiving of which see Nehem. 8. 10. 23 And the Jews undertook s Having by this means opportunity to gather themselves together upon any occasion the chief of them assembled together and freely and unanimously consented to Mordecai's desire in this matter and bound it upon themselves and Posterity to do as they had begun and as Mordecai had written unto them 24 Because Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite the enemy of all the Jews had devised against the Jews to destroy them and * 〈◊〉 3. â—… had cast Pur that is the lot to †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 consume them and to
the end of the World and which is called the last day Iohn 6. 39 40 44. 54. 11. 24 12. 48. 1 Pet. 1. 5 For this was the time when Iob's Resurrection of which he speaketh 〈◊〉 was to be Heb. at the last By which word he plainly intimates that his hope was not 〈◊〉 things present and of Worldly Felicities of which his Friends had discoursed so much â—…ut of another kind of and a far greater blessedness which should accrue to him in after-times long after he was dead and rotten Or the last who is both the first and the last Isa. 44. 6. Rev. 1. 11. who shall subdue and survive all his and his peoples Enemies and after others the lâ—…t enemy death 1 Cor. 15. 26. and then shall raise up his people and plead their Cause and vindicate them from all the Calumnies and Injuries which are put upon them and conduct them to Life and Glory upon the earth p The place upon which Christ shall appear and stand at the last day Heb. upon the dust in which his Saints and Members lie or sleep whom he will raise out of it ' And therefore he is fitly said to stand upon the dust or the Grave or Death because then he will put that among other Enemies under his feet as it is expressed 1 Cor. 15. 25 26. Some render the Words thus and that very agreeably to the Hebrew The last or at the last he shall arise or stand up against for so this very Phrase is used Gen. 4. 8. Iudg. 9. 18. Psalm 54. 3. the dust and fight with it and rescue the bodies of the Saints which are held in it as Prisoners from its Dominion and Territories Some understand this of God that He should stand last in the field as Conquerour of all his Enemies But this neither agrees with the words the Hebrew Aphar signifying dust and being never used of the field or plâ—…e of Battel nor with Iob's scope which was to defend himself against his Friends Accusations and to comfort himself with his hopes and assurance of God's Favour to be exhibited to him in due time Which end the words in that sense would by no means serve because God might and would be Conqueror of all his Enemies though Iob himself had been one of them and though his Cause had been bad and his Friends should with God have triumphed over him 26. ‖ 〈…〉 And though after my skin worms destroy this body q The style of this and other Poetical Books is concise and short and therefore many words are to be understood in some places to compleat the sense The meaning of the place is this Though my skin is now in a great measure consumed by Sores and the rest of it together with this body shall be devoured by the Worms which may seem to make my case quite desperate Heb. And though which â—…article as it is oft elsewhere is here to be understood as the opposition of the next branch sheweth after my skin which either now is or suddenly will be consumed by Sores or Worms they i. e. the destroyers or devourers as is implyed in the Verb such Impersonal speeches being usual in the Scripture as Gen. 50. 26. Luke 12. 20. 16. 9. where the actions are expressed but the persons or things acting are understood And by the Destroyers he most probably designs the Worms which do this work in the Grave destroy or cut off or devour this i. e. all this which you see left of me this which I now point to all this which is contained within my skin all my flesh and bones this which I know not what to call whether a living Body or a dead Carkass because it is between both and therefore he did not say this body because it did scarce deserve that name yet r For the Particle and is oft used adversatively Or then as it is oft rendred in my flesh s Heb. out of my flesh or with as the Particle Mem is used Can. 1. 2. 3. 9. Isa 57. 8. my flesh i. e. with eyes of flesh as Iob himself calls them Chap. 10. 4. Or with bodily eyes my flesh or body being raised from the Grave and restored and reunited to my soul. And this is very sitly added to shew that he did not speak of a mental or spiritual but of a corporeal Vision and that after his death shall I see God t The same whom he called his Redeemer v. 25. i. e. Christ of which see the note there who being God-man and having taken flesh and appearing in his flesh or body with and for Iob upon the earth as was said v. 25. might very well be seen with his bodily eyes Nor is this understood of a simple seeing of him for so even they that pierced him shall see him Revel 1. 7. but of seeing him with delight and comfort as that word is oft understood as Gen. 48. 11. Iob 42. 16. Psalm 128. 5. Isa. 53. 11. of that glorious and beautiâ—…ying Vision of God which is promised to all God's people Psalm 16. 11. 17. 15. Matth. 5. 8. 1 Cor. 13. 12. 1 Iohn 3. 2. 27. Whom I shall see u In manner before and after expressed No wonder that he repeats it again and again because the meditation of it was most sweet to him for my self x i. e. For my own comfort and benefit as that Phrase is oft used Or which is much of the same importance on my behalf to plead my Cause and vindicate me from all your reproaches and mine eyes shall behold and not †〈…〉 another y To wit for me or in my stead I shall not see God by anothers eyes but by my own and by these self-same eyes in this same body which now I have Heb. not a stranger i. e. This priviledge shall be granted to me and to all other sincere Servants of God but not to strangers i. e. to wicked men who are oft called strangers as Psal. 18. 44 45. 54. 3. Prov. 21. 8. because they are estranged or alienated from God and from his service and people And if I were such an one as you suppose me to be I could never hope to enjoy that happiness though my reins be consumed †Heb. in my 〈◊〉 within me z This I do confidently expect and hope for though at present my Case seems desperate my very inward parts being even consumed with grief and though as I have said the Grave and the Worms will consume my whole Body not excepting the Reins which seem to be fasest and furthest out of their reach Or without though which is not in the Hebrew My reins are consumed within me So this may be a sudden and passionate ejaculation or exclamation such as we find Gen. 48. 18. and oft in the Book of Psalms arising from the contemplation and confident expectation of this his unspeakable happiness wherein he expresseth
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
Verb is used 2 Chron. 18. 31. Or allured or intiâ—…ed or persuaded thee as the word properly signifies which possibly may here be emphatical and may imply as that Iob had by his sins brought himself into these straits so that God would have brought him out of them by the usual and regular way to wit by persuading him to turn from his sins and humbly and earnestly to cry to God for Mercy which if he had complied with God would have delivered him out of the p Heb. out of the mouth or jaws of Tribulation which like a wild Beast was ready to swallow him up strait into a broad place q i. e. Into a state of ease and freedom where there is no straitness and †Heb. 〈◊〉 of thy 〈◊〉 * Psal. 23. â—… that which should be set on thy table should be full of fatness r Thy Dishes or the food in them 17. But thou hast fulfilled the judgment s Or the cause or sentence as the word most properly signified Thou hast fully pleaded their cause and justified the hard and reproachful speeches which wicked men in their rage utter against God condemning God and justifying themselves of the wicked ‖ Or 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 should 〈◊〉 thee judgment and justice take hold on thee t Or therefore which is oft understood the sentence and judgment or the judicial sentence to wit of the wicked now mentioned shall take hold on thee Thou hast maintained their cause against God and God shall pass against thee their sentence or the Sentence of Condemnation due to such wicked men 18. Because there is wrath u To wit conceived by God against thee Because by thy pleading the cause of the wicked thou hast deserved that God should give sentence against thee as was now said and hast provoked God's wrath against thee therefore look to thy self and reconcile thy self to God by true repentance whilst thou mayest and before sentence be executed upon thee beware x This is not in the Hebrew but is necessarily to be understood to make up the sence and is oft understood in the like cases and that before this Hebrew Particle Pen as Gen. 3. 22. 11. 4. 42. 4. Isa. 36. 18. See the like also Mat. 25. 9. Act. 5. 39. leâ—…t he take thee away with his stroke y Properly with the stroke of his hand or foot It is an allusion to men who oft express their anger by clapping their hands or stamping with their feet then * Psal. 49. â—… a great ransom cannot †Heb. 〈◊〉 tâ—…ee 〈◊〉 deliver thee z For if once God's wrath take hold of thee and sentence be executed upon thee before thou dost repent and humble thy self to thy judge neither Riches nor Friends no nor any Person or thing in Heaven and Earth can redeem thee no Ransom or Price will be accepted for thee 19. Will he esteem thy riches no not Gold nor all the â—…orces of strength a If thou couldst recover thy lost wealth or strength or thy Friends would employ theirs on thy behalf neither could the one ransom thee nor the other rescue thee 20. * 〈◊〉 â—… 4. Desire not the night b Either 1. properly that in it thou mayest find some ease or rest as men usually do But this Iob did not much desire for he complains that his nights were as restless as his days Or rather 2. metaphorically the night of Death which is called the Night both in Scripture as Iohn 9. 4. and in other Writers and which Ioâ—… had oft and earnestly desired and even thirsted after as this Verb notes See Ch. 7. 15. And this seems best to agree with the foregoing counsel v. 18. beware lâ—…st 〈◊〉 take thee away with his stroke for then saith he thou art irrecoverably lost and gone and therefore take heed of thy foolish and oft râ—…peated desire of death leâ—… God inflict it upon thee in great anger when c Or by which which words are oft understood in divers Textâ—… of Scripture people d Even whole Nations and Bodies of People which aâ—…e all God's Creatures as well as thou and yet are not spared by him but cut off in wrath and many of them sent from one death to another take heed therefore thou beeâ—… not added to the number 〈◊〉 34. 20. are cut off e Heb. are made to 〈◊〉 i. e. to vanish or perish or die as this Verb is ofâ—… 〈◊〉 as Jâ—…b 18. 16. Psal. 102. 25. in their place f In their several places where they are or suddenly before they â—…an remove out of the Place where the hand and stroke of God finds them or in the place where they are settled and surrounded with all manner of Comforts and Supports and Friends all which could not prevent their being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…ossibly this phrase may allude to that expression of Job's Chap. 29. 18. I shall die in my â—…est 21. Take heed regard not g Or look not to it to wit with an approving or coveâ—…ing eye as this word is used Prov. 23. 31. iniquity for this hast thou chosen rather than affliction h Thou hast chosen rather to quarrel with God and censure his judgments than humbly and quietly to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to them and to wait upon God by Faith and Prayer for deliverance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 time and way 22. Behold God exalteth i Or is â—…igh or exâ—…lted the active Verb being taken intransitively which is not unusual in the Hebrew Tongue This is a proper argument to force the foregoing counsels God is omnipotent and therefore can with great facility either punish thee far worse if thou beâ—…st obstinate and refrâ—…ctory or deliver thee if thou doest repent and return to him by his power * 〈…〉 who teacheth like him k He is also infinitely wiâ—…e as well as powerful and as none can work like him so none can teach liâ—…e him Therefore do not presume to teach him how to govern the World or to order thy affairs but know that whatsoever he doth with thee or with any other men is best to be done And therefore â—…e willing to learn from him learn obedience by the things which thou suâ—…erest from him and do not follow thy own fancies or affections but use the methods which God hath taught thee to get out of thy troubles by submission and prayer and repentance The words may be rendred What Lord is like him For the word Morâ—… in the Chaldee dialect signifies a Lord This Translation suits with the former Clause of this Verse but ours agrees well enough with that and is confirmed by the following Verse 23. * 〈◊〉 â—… 13. Who hath enjoyned him his way l Wherein he should walk i. e. what courses and methods he shall use in the administration of humane affairs If he had a Su periour Lord who gave him Laws for his actions he might be
I have set the LORD always before me c i. e. I have always presented him to my mind as my Rule and Scope as my Witness and Judge as my Patron and Protector in the discharge of my Office and in all my Actions Hitherto David seems to have spoken in his own Person and with special respect to himself but now he seems to have been transported by an higher Inspiration of the Spirit of Prophecy and to be carried above himself and to have an Eye to the man Christ Jesus who is and was the end of the Law and the great Scope of all the Prophets and to speak of himself only as a Type of Christ and with more special respect unto Christ in whom this and the following Verses were much more truly and fully accomplished than in himself Christ as man did always set his Fathers will and Glory before him as he himself oft declareth especially in St. Iohn's Gospel because * he is at my right hand d To wit to strengthen me for the right hand is the chief seat of a Man's strength and Instrument of Action to Protect assist and Comfort me as this Phrase signifies Psal. 109. 31. and 110. 5. And this assistance of God was necessary to Christ as man I shall 〈◊〉 2. 25 〈◊〉 73. 23. â—… â—…1 5. not be moved e Or removed either from the discharge of my Duty or from the attainment of that Glory and Happiness which is prepared for me Though the Archers shoot grievously at me and both men and Devils seek my Destruction and God sets himself against me as an Enemy withdrawing his favour from me and filling me with deadly sorrows through the Sence of his anger yet I do not despair but am assured that God will deliver me out of all my Distresses 9. Therefore f Upon this ground and Confidence my heart g The proper seat of joy and of all the Affections is glad and my glory h Either 1. my soul which is indeed the Glory of a man Or rather 2. my Tongue which also is a mans Glory and Priviledge above all other living Creatures and the Instrument of glorifying both God and man and which is oft called a mans Glory as Gen. 49. 6. Psal. 30. 12. and 57. 8. and 108. 1. and 149. 5. And so this very Word is translated Act. 2. 26. And thus the distinction between Heart and Glory and Flesh is more certain and evident rejoyceth i Or exsulteth i. e. Declares or expresseth my inward joy For this Verb signifies not so much internal joy as the outward and visible Demonstrations of it in Words or Gestures and Carriages my flesh also shall †〈…〉 rest k i. e. My body shall quietly and 〈◊〉 rest in the Grave to which I am hastening in hope l i. e. In confident assurance of it's Incorruption there and of it's Resurrection to a blessed and immortal Life as it is explained v. 10 11. The flesh or body is in it self but a dead and senceless lump of Clay yet Hope is here ascribed to it figuratively as it is to the brute Creatures Rom. 8. 19. because there is Matter and Foundation for such hope if it were capable of it the good promised and expected being certainly future 10. * 〈◊〉 2. 31. 13. 35. For thou will not leave my soul m i. e. My Person as this word is every where used by a Syneâ—…doche of the part and then the Person by another Synecdoche of the whole is put for the Body The soul is oft put for the Body either for the living Body as Psal. 35. 13. and 105. 18. or for the Carkass or dead Body as it is taken Levit. 19. 28. and 21. 1. Numb 5. 2. and 6. 6. 9. 11. and 9 10. and 19. 11. 13. And so it is interpreted in this very place as it is produced Act. 2. 29 c. and 13. 36 37. in hell n i. e. In the Grave or state of the Dead as appears 1. From the Hebrew word Scheol which is very frequently so understood as is undeniably evident from Gen. 42. 38. Numb 16. 30. Iob 14. 13. Comp. with 17. 13. Psal. 18. 5. and 30. 3. and 141. 7. Eccles. 9 10. Ezek. 32. 21 27. Ionab 2 2. and many other places 2. From the following clause of this Verse 3. From Act. 2. and 13. where it is so expounded and applied neither wilt thou suffer thine holy One o i. e. Me thy holy Son whom thou hast sanctified and sent into the World It is peculiar to Christ to be called the holy one of God Mark 1. 24. Luk. 4. 34. to see corruption p Or Rottenness i. e. To be corrupted or putrified in the Grave as the Bodies of others are Seeing is oft put for perceiving by experience In which 〈◊〉 men are said to see good Psal. 34. 13. and to 〈◊〉 Death or the Grave Psal. 89. 48 Luk. 2. 26. Ioâ—… 8. 51. and to see sleep Eccles. 8. 16. And the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 though sometimes by a Metonymy it signifies the Pit or place of Corruption yet properly and generally it signifies Corruption or Perdition as Iob 17. 14. and 33. 18. 30. Psal. 35. 7. and 55. â—…3 Ionâ—… 2. 6. and is so rendred by the seventy Jewish Interpreters Psal. 107. 20. Prov. 28. 10. Ier. 13 14 and 15. 3 Lament 4. 20. Ezek. 19. 4. and 21. 31. And so it must be understood here although some of the Jews to avoid the force of this Argument render it the Pit But in that Sence it is not true for whether it be meant of David as they say or of Christ it is confessed that both of them did see the Pit i. e. Were laid in the Grave And therefore it must necessarily be taken in the other Sence now mentioned and so it is properly and literally true in Christ alone although it may in a lower and Metaphorical Sence be applied to David who had a just and well grounded Confidence that although God might bring him into great Dangers and Distresses which are called the sorrows of Death and the pains of Hell Psal. 116. 3. yet God would not leave him to Perish in or by them 11. Thou wilt shew me q i. e. Give me an exact and experimental knowledge of it for my own Comfort and the benefit of my People the path of life r i. e. The way that leadeth to Life not to a temporal and mortal Life here for he is supposed to be dead and buried v. 10. But to an endless and immortal and blessed Life after death in the presence of God as it followeth the way to which is by the Resurrection of the Body So the Sence is Thou wilst raise me from the Grave and Conduct me to the place and state of everlasting Felicity * Psal. 21. 6 in thy presence s Heb With or before my Face i. e. In that heavenly
and all other means of redeeming his Brother which he hath not when he himself is dangerously or desperately sick nor give to God n The onely Lord of Life and the Judge who hath passed upon him the Sentence of Death a ransom for him 8. For * Job 36. 18 19. the redemption of their soul o i. e. Of their Life as Soul is commonly used is precious p i. e. Rare as the Word is used 1 Sam. 3. 1. Dan. 2. 11. hard to be obtained But he doth not call it simply impossible because Christ hath purchased this Priviledge for his true Disciples that in some Sence they shall not see Death Iob. 8. 51. and it ceaseth for ever q i. e. It is never to be accomplished to wit by any meeâ—… Man for himself or for his Brother 9. That he should still live for ever and * Psal. 89. 48. not see corruption r Or the Pit or the Grave i. e. Not die as that Phrase is oft used as hath been noted before 10. For he seeth s An impersonal Expression Every man sees and knows it it is visible and evident both from Reason and from universal Experience that * Eccle. 2. 16. wise men die likewise the fool and the brutish person perish t All men die without any Difference between Wise and Fools good and bad and leave their wealth to others u He saith not to Sons or Kindred but indefinitely to others because he is wholly uncertain to whom he shall leave them to Friends or Strangers or Enemies which he mentions as a great Vanity in Riches They neither can save them from Death nor will accompany him in and after Death and after his Death will be disposed he knows not how nor to whom 11. Their inward thought is x Though they are ashamed to express it yet it is their secret Opinion and Hope and Wish that their houses y Either 1. Their posterity oft called mens Houses as 2 Sam. 7. 11. c. Psal. 113. 9. and 115. 12. Or 2. Their Mansion-Houses as it is explained in the next Clause which also serve for this purpose to preserve a Mans name for ever shall continue for ever z Not to them in their own Persons but to them and theirs in succeeding Generations as it follows and their dwelling places †Heb. to Generation and Generation to all generations they call their lands after their own names a Fondly dreaming by this means to immortalize their Names and Memories 12. Nevertheless b Notwithstanding all these fine Fancies and Devices * Psal. 82. 7. man being in honour c Living in all the Splendour and Glory above mentioned abideth not d The Hebrew word Properly signifies to lodge for a Night as Gen. 32. 21. Iudg. 19. 10. and thence to abide for a long or Considerable time as Psal. 25. 13. and 55. 7. Prov. 15. 31. All his Dreams of perpetuating his Name and Estate shall vanish and be Confuted by Experience he is like the beasts that perish e i. e. That are utterly lost and Exstinct So he is in reference to all his Wealth and Honour of which he here speaks 13. This their way f i. e. Their Counsel and Contrivance to immortalize themselves is their folly g Though to themselves and some others it seem to be Wisdom yet in Truth it is apparent folly and madness For they neither obtain that immortal Name which they seek and hope for Nor if they do doth it yield them any Comfort or Benefit yet their posterity †Heb. 〈◊〉 in their 〈◊〉 approve their sayings h Heb. their Mouth i. e. Their Counsels and Suggestions which they gave them concerning these Matters The Mouth is oft put for the Words which come out of it as Numb 35. 30. Iob. 7. 11. Selah 14. Like sheep i Which for a season are fed in large and sweet Pastures but at the owners Pleasure are put together in close and Comfortless solds and led away to the Slaughters not knowing nor considering whither they are going they are laid in †Heb. Hell the grave k Or in Hell For the Hebrew word signifie both death shall feed on them l The first Death shall Consume their Bodies in the Grave and the second Death shall devour their Souls and the * Dan. 7. 22. Mal. 4. 3. Luk. 22. 30. 1 Cor. 6. 2. Rev. 2. 26. 20. 4. upright m Good men whom here they oppressed and abused at their Pleasure shall have dominion over them in the morning n Either 1. Suddendly or within a very little time as this Phrase is oft used as Psal. 30. 5. and 46. 5. and 101. 8. and 143. 8. c. Or 2. In the day of general Judgment and the Resurrection of the Dead For Death being called the night Ioh. 9. 4. and sleep in many places that day is fitly Compared to the Morning when men awake out of sleep and enter upon that everlasting day But whether this or the former be the true meaning of the Phrase it is sufficiently evident the thing here spoken of is not done in this Life but in the next For 1. This Proposition and Priviledge being general and common to all upright Persons is not verified here it being the lot of many good men to be oppressed and killed by the â—…icked as is manifest both from Scripture as Psal. 44. 22. Eccles. 8. 14. and 9. 2. and from the Experience of all Ages of the Church 2. This Dominion of the just over the wicked happens after the wicked are laid in their Grave as is here expressed and Consequently supposeth their future Life and Resurrection for when one Person rules over another both are supposed to exist or have a being Nor is there any Argument against this Sence but from a vain and absurd Conceit which some men have entertained that the Saints in the Old Testament had no firm belief nor Expectation of the Recompences of the Life to come Which is against evident Reason and against many clear places of the Old Testament that cannot without force be wrested to any other Sence and against the express Testimony of the New Testament concerning them Heb. 11. and in many other places and their ‖ Or Strength beauty o Or their Form or Figure or Image all which come to one and seems to intimate that all their Glory and Felicity which they had in this Life was rather imaginary than Real and indeed but a shadow as it is called Eccles. 6. 12. and 8. 13. shall consume p Heb. is to Consume or to be Consumed i. e. Shall be consumed the infinitive Verb being here put for the Future as it is Psal. 32. 8. Zeth 3. 4. and 12. 10. ‖ Or 〈◊〉 Grace being an habitation to every one of them in the grave from their dwelling
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
in the crooked paths of wickedness 18 * Ch. 11. 2. 18. 12. Pride goeth before destruction s It is commonly a forerunner and cause of mens ruine because it highly provokes both God and Men. and an haughty spirit before a fall 19 Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly than to divide the spoil with the proud t Who will spoil and rob others to maintain their own Pomp and Luxury 20 ‖ Or he that understandeth a matter He that handleth a matter wisely u He who orders his affairs with discretion Or as others both ancient and later Interpreters take it He that understandeth or at endeth to the Word to wit the Word of God which is called absolutely the Word Prov. 13. 13. and elsewhere making that the rule of his actions shall find good x Shall obtain happy success and whoso * Psal. 2. 12. 34. 8. 125. 1. Isa. 30. 18. Jer. 17. 7. trusteth in the LORD y Who doth not trust to his own prudence or diligence but to God's providence and blessings Or who mixeth God's Word with Faith as the Phrase is Heb 4. 2. happy is he z He shall not onely find some good but shall certainly attain to true happiness 21 The wise in heart shall be called prudent a The sense is either 1. He who hath Wisdom or sound knowledg in his Heart will shew it by his prudence in 〈◊〉 his Actions Or rather 2. He who is truly wise or prudent or intelligent all which words most commonly signify one and the same thing both in this and in other Books of Scripture shall be so called or accounted by others and the sweetness of the lips b Eloquence added to Wisdom the faculty of expressing a Man's mind fitly and freely and acceptably increaseth learning c Both in himself for whilst a Man teacheth others he improveth himself and especially in others who by this means are induced to hear and receive his good instructions Wisdom gets a Man repute with others but this faculty of right speaking makes a wise Man more instrumental to do good to others 22 * Ch. 13. 14. 14. 27. Understanding is a well-spring of life d Is contiâ—…ually suggesting wholesom and saving Instructions to him that hath it e And to others also as is understood from the following clause but the instruction of fools is folly f Their most grave and serious counsels are foolish 23 The heart of the wise †Heb. maketh wise teacheth his mouth g Directeth him what and when and how to speak and keepeth him from speaking rashly and foolishly and addeth learning to his lips h i. e. Inableth him to speak learnedly and wisely Or increaseth Learning in himself and others by as this Hebrew Particle oft signifies and is by some rendred here his lips i. e. by his wise speeches that this may agree with the latter clause of v. 21. where this same Phrase is used 24 * Ch. 15. 26. Pleasant words i The Discourses of the wise last mentioned v. 23. which yield both profit and delight their wholesom counsels and refreshing comforts are as an honey-comb sweet to the soul and health to the bones k To the body Synecdochically expressed by the Bones the strongest and greatest parts of it and the supporters of the rest 25 * There is a way that seemeth right unto a man but the end thereof is the ways of death l This whole Verse was delivered before Ch. 14. 12. and is here repeated partly for its great importance and usefulness to prevent that self-deceit which is so common and dangerous and partly to keep men from leaning too much to their own understanding and to oblige them to seek and receive the good counsels of wise and holy men 26 * Eccles. 6. 7. †Heb. the Soul of him that laboureth He that laboureth laboureth for himself m For his own use and benefit The scope of the Proverb is to commend and press diligence in a Man's calling and to condemn idleness for his mouth †Heb. boweth unto him craveth it of him n Heb. boweth to him as a suppliant beggeth him to labour that it may have somthing to put into it for its own comfort and for the nourishment of the whole Body 27 †Heb. a man of Belial An ungodly man diggeth up evil o Inventeth or designeth mischief to others and prosecuteth his evil designs with great and constant industry and in his lips there is as a burning fire p As his thoughts so also his words are very vexatious and pernicious his Tongue is set on fire of Hell and sets himself and others on fire by lyes and slanders and other provoking speeches 28 * Ch. 6. 14. 19. 15. 18. 26. 21. 29. 22. A froward q Or perverse who perverteth his words and ways who pleaseth not God and is contrary to men as was said of the Jews 1 Thess. 2. 15. man †soweth strife r by whispering such things as may provoke one against another and * Ch. 17. 9. a whisperer s Who secretly carry Tales from one to another publishing those evil words and actions which they should conceal and detracting from their good actions and perverting such as are innocent with their false constructions separateth chief friends t Heb. a chief Friend the Singular number put for the Plural as is frequent in the Hebrew Text. 29 A violent man u Heb. A Man of violence i. e. devoted to violent and injurious courses enticeth his neighbour x Into a confederacy with him in his wicked practices as it follows and leadeth him into the way that is not good y i. e. That is very sinful as this Phrase is used Prov 17. 26. 18. 5. and oft elsewhere 30 He †Heb. sâ—…eth 〈◊〉 shutteth his eyes z That his Thoughts may be more free and intent to contrive mischief to devise froward things moving his lips a Which is the gesture either 1. of one whose Thoughts are deeply engaged Or 2. of one that speaketh or maketh signs to others to assist him in executing that wickedness which he hath contrived he bringeth evil to pass 31 * Ch. 20. 29. The hoary head is a crown of glory b A great Honour and Ornament as it is a singular Blessing of God a token of great experience and prudence as it comes nearest to God who is called The Ancient of Days Dan. 7. 9. if †Heb iâ—… 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 be found it be found in the way of righteousness c If it be accompanied with true Piety otherwise an old Sinner is accuâ—…sed Isa. 65. 20. Heb. it shall be found c. This is a priviledge promised to righteous Persons Exod. 20. 12. Prov. 3. 16.
serious consideration of their last end which is their greatest Wisdom and Interest and the living will lay it to his heart g Will be seriously affected with it and awakened to prepare for it whereas feasting is commonly attended with Mirth and Levity and manifold Temptations and indisposeth mens minds to Spiritual and Heavenly Thoughts Hence it is evident that those passages of this Book which may seem to favour a sensual and voluptuous Life are not spoken by Solomon in his own Name or as his Opinion but in the person of an Epicure 3 ‖ Or 〈◊〉 Sorrow h Either for sin or any outward troubles is better than laughter for by the sadness of the countenance i Which is â—…eared in the heart but manifested in the Countenance the heart is made better k More weaned from the Lusts and Vanities of this World by which most men are ensnared and destroyed and more quickned to seek after and embrace that true and everlasting Happiness which God offers to them in his Word 4 The heart of the wiâ—…e is in the house of mourning l Even when their bodies are absent They are constantly or very frequently meditating upon sad and serious things such as Death and Judgment the Vanity of this Life and the reality and eternity of the next because they know that these thoughts though they be not grateful to the sensual part yet they are absolutely necessary and highly profitable and most comfortable in the end which every wise man most regards but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth m Their minds and affections are wholly set upon feasting and jolly because like Fools and brutish Creatures they regard only their present delight and mind not how dearly they must pay for them 5 * Prov. 13. 18. â—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 32. See 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—… 5. It is better to hear the rebuke of the wiâ—…e n Which though it causeth some grief yet frequently brings great benefit even Reformation and Salvation both from temporal and from eternal Destruction both which are the portion of impenitent sinners than for a man to hear the song o The flatteries or other merry discourses which are as pleasant to corrupt Nature as Songs or Musick of fools 6 For as the †Heb. a sound crackling of thorns p Which for a time make a great noise and blaze but presently wast themselves and go out without any considerable effect upon the meat in the pot under a pot so q So vanishing and fruitless is the laughter of the fool this also is vanity 7 Surely oppression r Either 1 Active When a wise Man falls into the practice of this sin of oppressing others he is besotted by it and by the vast Riches which he by his great wit gets by it Or rather 2. Passive when a wise man is oppressed by foolish and wicked men it makes him fret and rage and speak or act like a mad man for the wisest men are most sensible of indignities and injuries whereas fools are stupid do not much lay them to heart maketh a wise man mad * Deut. 16. 19. and a gift s A bribe given to a wise man destroyeth the heart t Deprives him of the use of his understanding which is oft called the heart as Exod. 23. 8. Deut. 16. 19. Hos. 4. 18. or makes him mad as was said in the former clause So this verse discovers two ways whereby a wise man may be made mad by suffering oppression from others or by receiving bribes to oppress others And this also is an argument of the vanity of worldly Wisdom that it is so easily corrupted and lost and so it serves the main design of this Book 8 Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof u If this verse relates to that next foregoing it is an Argument to keep mens minds from being disordered either by oppression or bribery because the end of those practices will shew that he who oppresseth another doth himself most hurt by it and that he who taketh Bribes is no gainer by them But if this be independent upon the former as divers other verses here are it is a general and useful observation that the good or evil of things is better known by their end than by their beginning which is true both in evil Counsels and Courses which are pleasant at first but at last bring destruction and in all noble Enterprizes in the studies of Learning and in the practice of Virtue and Godliness where the beginnings are difficult and troublesom but in the progress and conclusion they are most easie and comfortable and it is not sufficient to begin well unless we persevere to the end which crowns all and * Pro. 24. 29. the patient in spirit x Who quietly waits for the end and issue of things and is willing to bear hardships and inconveniences in the mean time is better than the proud y Which he puts instead of hasty or impatient which the opposition might seem to require partly because Pride is the chief cause of impatience Prov. 13. 10. and makes men unable to bear any thing either from God or from Men whereas Humility makes Men sensible of their own unworthiness and that they deserve at least from God all the indignities and injuries which they suffer from Men by Gods permission and therefore patient under them and partly to correct the vulgar errour of proud men who think highly of themselves and trample all others especially such as are meek and patient under their feet in spirit 9 * Pro. 14. 17. 16. 32. Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry z Be not angry with any man without due consideration and just and necessary cause for otherwise anger is somtimes lawful and somtimes a duty for anger resteth a Hath its settled and quiet abode is their constant companion ever at hand upon all occasions whereas wise Men resist and mortifie and banish it in the bosom b In the Heart the proper seat of the passions of fools 10 Say not thou c To wit by way of impatient Expostulation and Complaint against God either for permitting such disorders in the World or for bringing thee into the World in such an evil time and state of things Otherwise a man may say this by way of prudent and pious enquiry that by searching out the cause he may as far as it is in his power apply Remedies to make them better What is the cause that the former days were better d Either 1. Less sinful Or rather 2. More quiet and comfortable For this and not the former is the cause of most Mens murmurings against Gods Providence And this is an Argument of a mind discontented and unthankful for the many Mercies which Men commonly enjoy even in evil times and impatient under Gods hand than these
embraceth 6 Because to every purpose there is time and judgment r There is a fit way and season for the happy accomplishment of every business which a man designeth or undertaketh to do which is known to God but for the most part hidden from man as is implied and may be gathered from the following words See the Notes on Ch. 3. 1. therefore s Because there are very few who have that wisdom which is necessary to discern this as was now said v. 5. and most men do by their ignorance and loss of opportunities deprive themselves of many advantages and expose themselves to manifold miseries the misery of man is great upon him 7 For * Pro. 24. 22. Ch. 6. 12. he knoweth not that which shall be t Men are generally ignorant of all future events and of the success of their endeavours and therefore their minds are greatly disquieted and their expectations frequently disappointed and they fall into many mistakes and miscarriages which they could and would prevent if they did foresee the issues of things for who can tell him u No wise Man no Astrologer or other Artist can discover this ‖ Or â—…ow it shall be when it shall be 8 There is no man that hath power * Job 14. 5. over the spirit x i. e. The Soul of Man which is oft called a Spirit as Iob 7. 7. 10. 12. Psal. 78. 39. 104. 29 c. to retain the spirit y To keep it in the Body beyond the time which God hath allotted to it This is added as another evidence of Man's misery neither hath he power in the day z Or against the day i. e. to avoid or delay that day of death and there is no ‖ Or casting â—…ff weaponâ—… discharge a As there is in other Wars when Souldiers either are dismissed from the service or escape by flight or otherwise in that war b In that fatal conflict between Life and Death between Nature and the Disease when a Man is struggling with Death though to no purpose for Death shall always be Conqueror neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it c And although wicked men who most fear Death use all possible means whether good or bad to free themselves from this deadly blow yet they shall not escape it 9 All this d All these things before-mentioned I have seen and apply my heart unto every work e I have been a diligent observer of all actions and events that is done under the sun there is a time wherein one man ruleth over another e There are some Kings who use their power tyrannically and wickedly whereby they do not onely oppress their People but hurt themselves by bringing the vengeance of God and men upon their own heads Which is here noted partly for the terrour of Tyrants and partly for the caution and comfort of Subjects groaning under those heavy pressures which they are not able to remove that they may forbear unlawful or rebellious courses and quietly commit themselves and their cause to God who judgeth righteously and who both can and will call the greatest Monarchs to a sad account for all their impious and unrighteous courses 10 And so f In like manner or such another vanity or disorder I saw the wicked g Wicked Princes or Rulers as the next clause limits this buried h Die quietly in their Beds and afterwards be buried with state and pomp whereas in truth they deserved an untimely end and no other than the burial of an Ass. who had come †〈◊〉 and gone i Who had administred publick Justice and Government which is frequently signified by the Phrase of coming in and going out before the People as Numb 27. 17. Deut. 31. 2. The LXX Jewish Interpreters whom some others follow render the word they were praised applauded and adored by the variation of one Letter in the Hebrew word which also is very like that Letter which is in the Text. from the place of the holy k By which he understands either 1. the Holy City Ierusalem or the the Holy Land where Israel dwelt which may be added to aggravate the wickedness of such Persons from the obligations and counsels and examples which they had to do better things Or 2. the Seat of Majesty and Judgment which may well be called the place or Seat of the Holy i. e. of God who is called the Holy One Habak 3. 3. and oft elsewhere who is in a special manner present in and president over those places whose work and for whom and in whose Name and stead Magistrates act who are therefore called gods of all which see Exod. 22. 28. Deut. 1. 17. 1 Chro. 29. 23. Psal. 82. 1 c. And the Throne or Tribunal seems to be so called here to aggravate their wickedness who being Sacred Persons and advanced by God into so High and Sacred a place betrayed so great a trust and both practised and encouraged that wickedness which by their Office they were obliged to suppress and punish and they were forgotten l Whereas they designed to spread and perpetuate their Names and Memories to all succeeding Ages Psal. 49. 11. in the city where they had so done m i. e. Come to and go from the place of the Holy where they lived in great splendor and were buried with great magnificence which might have kept up their remembrance at least in that place this is also vanity n That men should so earnestly thirst after and please themselves with worldly greatness and glory which is so soon extinct and the very memory of it quickly worn out of the minds of men 11 * 〈◊〉 50. 21. 〈◊〉 26. 10. Because sentence against an evil work o Or the Decree c. God's determ inâ—…te counsel or sentence for the punishment of Tyrants and all evil-doers is not executed speedily therefore p Because God's forbearance makes them presumptuous and secure and confident of impunity the heart of the sons of men is fully set q Heb. is filled is carried on with full sail as the Seventy understand it like a Ship with a strong and violent wind or is bold or presumptuous as the same Phrase is understood Esth. 7. 5. Act. 5. 3. in them to do evil 12 Though a sinner do evil an hundred times r Frequently and innumerably and his days s The time of his Life and Prosperity be prolonged yet surely I know that * Pâ—… 37. 11 18 19. Pro. 1. 32 33. 〈◊〉 3. 10 11. it shall be well with them that fear God t Whereby he implies both that good men might for a time suffer grievous things from such wicked Tyrants and that it should be very ill with the wicked which is manifest from the contrary course and condition of good and bad men and which is
which they are first elaborated and contained which may fitly be compared to a bowl and fountain or cistern or such by which they are derived or conveyed to the several parts of the body which are very conveniently designed by the cord and pitcher and wheel all which are truly said to be loosed or broken i. e. dissolved or become useless and insufficient for the performance of their several functions This in the general But it seems most probable that Solomon who was so profound a Philosopher and doubtless had an accurate knowledge of all the parts of mans Body and their several offices and operations doth by these several Expressions describe so many particular parts and offices By the silver cord it is generally and most probably conceived that he understands the pith or marrow of the back-bone which comes from the brain and thence goeth down to the very lowest end of the Back-bone together with the Nerves and Sinews which as Anatomists observe are nothing else but the production continuation of the marrow And this is most aptly compared to a cord both for its figure which is very long and round and for its use which is to draw and move the parts of the Body and to silver both for its excellency and colour which is white and bright even in a dead and much more in a living Body And this may properly be said to be loosed or dissolved or broken or removed as others render the word the sense of all these translations being the same because it is relaxed or obstructed or otherwise disenabled for its proper service And answerably hereunto by the golden bowl he understands the Membranes of the Brain and especially that innermost Membrane which is called by Anatomists the pious mother because it doth with a motherly care defend the Brain and assist and govern its actions which insinuates itself into all the parts of the Brain following it in its various windings and turnings keeping each parcel of it in its proper place and distinguishing and dividing one part from another to prevent disorder and mischief This is not unfitly called a bowl partly because it is round and partly because it receives and contains in it all the substance of the Brain and a golden bowl partly for its great preciousness and usefulness partly for its ductility being drawn out into a great thinness or fineness as Gold is capable of being drawn forth into thinner plates than other metals can bear and partly for its colour which is somwhat yellow and comes nearer to that of Gold than any other part of the Body doth And this is well said to be broken as for the reasons above noted so because upon the approach of Death it is commonly shrivel'd up and many times broken And as these two former clauses concern the Brain and the animal Powers so the two following clauses of this verse respect the Spring and seat of the vital Powers and Operations and of the blood the great instrument thereof which hath been commonly conceived and consequently is here understood to be the Liver but more truly and certainly is the Heart which is now known and confessed to be the source of the blood And so Solomon here describes the chief Organs or Vessels appointed for the Production and Distribution and Circulation of the Blood in Man's Body For although the Doctrine of the Circulation of the Blood hath lien hid and unknown for very many Generations together and therefore the honour of the Invention of it is justly ascribed to a famous Physician of our Country yet it is not improbably supposed by some that it was well known to Solomon although after his times it was lost as doubtless many other things were which he wrote concerning Plants and other things According to this motion the fountain here is the right Ventricle of the heart which is now acknowledged to be the spring of Life and of the vital Spirits and the pitcher is the veins which convey the blood from it to other parts and especially that arterious Vein as Anatomists call it by which it is transmitted to the Lungs and thence to the left Ventricle of the Heart where it is better elaborated and then by the Pulse thrust out into the great Artery called Artâ—…a â—…orta and by its branches dispersed into all the parts of the Body to give them Life and Vigor which being done the residue of the Blood is carried back by the Veins into the right Ventricle of the Heart whence it is disposed as hath been now mentioned and so runs in a perpetual round unless it be obstructed by some disorder in the Body And the cistern is the left Ventricle of the Heart and the wheel seems to be that great Artery which is joined to it which is very fitly so called because it is the first and great instrument of this Rotation or Circulation of the Blood which by its Pulse is forcibly thrust out into all the parts of the Body whence by various windings and turnings it returns thither again and so is sent again upon the same journey which in like manner it performs again and again as long as Life and Health continue and when any of these parts are disenabled for the discharge of their Offices then are they fitly said to be broken The pitcher may be said to be broken at the fountain when the veins do not return the blood to the Heart but suffer it to stand still and cool within them whence comes that coldness of the outward parts which is a near forerunner of Death And the wâ—…l may be said to be broken at the cistern when the great Arteries do not perform their Office of conveying the Blood into the left Ventricle of the Heart and of thrusting it out thence into the lesser Arteries whence comes that ceasing of the pulse which is a certain sign of approaching Death 7 * Gen. 3. 19. Then shall the dust g The Body called dust both for its original which was from the dust and to signifie its vile and corruptible Nature Iob. 4. 19. 30. 19. Psal. â—…3 14. return to the earth as it was h Whence it was first taken He alludes to that passage Gen. 3. 19. and the spirit i The Soul of man frequently so called as Gen 2 7. Psal 31. 5. c. because it is of a spiritual or immaterial Nature shall return unto God k Into his presence and before his Tribunal that there it may be sentenced to its everlasting habitations either to abide with God for ever if it be approved by him or otherwise to be eternally shut out from his presence and favour * Num. 16. 22. 27. 16. Job 34. 1â—… Isa. 57. 16. Zech. 12. 1. who gave it l To wit in a peculiar manner by his creating Power for in a general sense God giveth to every seed his own body 1 Cor. 15. 38. Hence he is called the father of
he sees fit and necessary for them * 2 Kin. 19. 31. upon mount Zion and on Jerusalem I will †Heb. visit upon punish m Heb. visit to wit in wrath as before on v. 3. the fruit †Heb. of the greatness of the heart of the stout heart of the king of Assyria and the glory of his high looks n His insolent Words and Carriages proceeding from intolerable Pride of Heart 13 For he saith o Not onely within himself but before his Courtiers and others By the strength of my hand I have done it and by my wisdom p I owe all my Successes to my own Power and Valour and wise Conduct and to no other God or Man for I am prudent and I have removed the bounds q I have invaded their Lands and added them to my own Dominions as this Phrase is used Prov. 22. 28. Hos. 5. 10. of the people and have robbed their treasures r Heb. their prepared things their Gold and Silver and other precious things which they had long been preparing and laying in store and I have put down s Deprived of their former Glory and Power the inhabitants ‖ Or like many people like a valiant man 14 And my hand hath found as a nest t As one findeth young Birds in a Nest the nest being put for the Birds in it as Deut. 32. 11. No less easily do I both find and take them the riches of the people and as one gathereth eggs that are left u Which the Dam hath left in her Nest. This is more easie than the former for the young Birds might possibly make some faint resistance or flutter away but the Eggs could do neither have I gathered all the earth x All the Riches of the Earth or World An Hyperbole not unusual in the Mouths of such Persons upon such Occasions and there was none that moved the Wing or opened the mouth or peeped y As Birds do which when they see and cannot hinder the robbing of their Nests express their Grief and Anger by hovering about them and by mournful Cries 15 Shall the ax boast it self against him that heweth therewith z How absurd and unreasonable a thing is it for thee who art but an Instrument in God's hand and canst do nothing without his leave and help to blaspheme thy Lord and Master who hath as great a power over thee to manage thee as he pleaseth as a Man hath over the Ax wherewith he heweth or shall the saw magnifie it self against him that shaketh it ‖ Or as if a rod should shake them that lift it up as if the rod should shake it self against them that lift it up a Or as it is rendred in the Margin and by other Interpreters as if a rod should shake i. e. shall pretend to shake or should boast that it would or could shake which may easily be understood out of the foregoing words them that lift it up or as if the staff should lift up ‖ Or that which is not wood it self as if it were no wood b As if a Staff should forget that it was Wood and should pretend or attempt to lift up it self either without or against the man that moveth it Which is absurd in the very supposition of it and were much more unreasonable in the practice Nor are thy Boasts less ridiculous 16 Therefore shall the Lord the Lord of hosts c The Sovereign Lord and General of thine and all other Armies send among his †Heb. fatnesses fat ones leanness d Strip him and all his great Princes and Commanders of all their Wealth and Might and Glory and under his glory he shall kindle a burning like the burning of a fire e He will destroy his numerous and victorious Army and that suddenly and irrecoverably as the Fire doth those combustible things which are cast into it Which was fulfilled 2 Kings 19. 25. 17 And the light of Israel f That God who is and will be a comfortable Light to his People shall be for a fire g To the Assyrians who shall have Heat without Light as it is in Hell and his holy One for a flame and it shall burn and devour his thorns and briers h His vast Army which is no more able to resist God than dry Thorns and Briers are to oppose the Fire which is kindled among them in one day 18 And shall consume the glory of his forest i Of his great Army which may not unfitly be compared to a Forest either for the multitude of their Spears which when lifted up together resemble the Trees of a Wood or Forest or for the numbers of Men which stood as thick as Trees do in a Forest. and of his fruitful field k Of his Soldiers which stood as thick as Ears of Corn do in a fruitful Field Heb. of his Carmel Wherein it is not improbably conjectured by our late most Learned Mr. Gataker that there is an Allusion to that Brag of the Assyrian who threatens that he would go up to the sides of Israels Lebanon and to the forest of his Carmel and there cut down the tall cedars thereof Which though it was not uttered by the Assyrian till some years after this time yet was exactly foreknown to God who understandeth mens thoughts and much more their Words afar off Psal. 139. 2 3 4. and therefore might direct the Prophet to use the same Words and to turn them against himself Whereas thou threatnest to destroy Israel's Carmel I will destroy thy Carmel †Heb. from the soul and even to the flesh Job 14. 22. both soul and body l i. e. Totally both inwardly and outwardly both Strength and Lise Heb. from the soul even to the flesh Which may possibly signifie the manner of their Death which should be by a sudden Stroke of the destroying Angel upon their inward and vital Parts which was speedily followed by the consumption of their Flesh. See Isa. 37. 35 36. and they shall be m The State of that King and of his great and valiant Army shall be as when a standard-bearer fainteth n Like that of an Army when their Standard-bearer either is slain or rather flees away which strikes a Panick Terrour into the whole Army and puts them to flight 19 And the rest of the trees of his forest o The Remainders of that mighty Host. shall be †Heb. number Job 16. 22. few that a child may write them p That they may be easily numbred by the meanest Accomptant A Child may be their Mustermaster 20 And it shall come to pass in that day that the remnant of Israel and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob q Such Ieus as shall be preserved from that sweeping Assyrian Scourge by which great numbers both of Israel and Iudah were destroyed