afterwards given to them which made it no loss but a great convenience and advantage to the Children of the chief Wives to have their half-brethren the Sons of the Concubines seated so near to them which Abraham had Abraham gave gifts and sent them away from Isaac his son o Partly that the intire possession of that Land might be reserved to the Children of Isaac and partly lest nearness of relation joyned with cohabitation or neighbourhood should beget a great familiarity between them whereby Isaacs seed were likely to be infected by their brethren whose degeneration and Apostacy Abraham might easily foresee from the evil inclinations of their own hearts and Gods exclusion of them from that Covenant of grace and life which was the onely effectual remedy against that powerful and universal corruption while he yet lived east-ward unto the east-countrey p Into Arabia and other parts of Asia the greater which were scituate east-ward from the Southern part of Canaan where Abraham now was whence these people are oft called the Children of the East as Iudg. 6. 3. and 7. 12. Iob 1. 3. 7 And these are the days of the years of Abrahams life which he lived an hundred threescore and fifteen years 8 Then Abraham gave up the ghost q His soul was not required of him as it was of that fool Luk. 12. 20. not forced from him by sharp and violent diseases but was quietly easily and chearfully yielded up by him into the hands of his merciful God and Father as the word intimates and died in a good r Good both graciously his hoary head being found in the way of righteousness and naturally free from the manifold infirmities and calamities of old age Of which see Eccles. 12. 1. c. old age an old man and full of ‖ Or days See Chap. 35. 29. years s In the Hebrew it is onely full or satisfied but you must understand with days or years as the phrase is fully expressed Gen. 35. 29. 1 Chron. 23. 1. and 29. 28. Iob 42. 17. Ier. 6. 11. When he had lived as long as he desired being in some sort weary of life and desirous to be dissolved or full of all good as the Chaldee renders it satisfied as it is said of Naphtali Deut. 33. 23. with favour and full with the blessing of the Lord upon himself and upon his Children and was gathered to his people t To his godly Progenitours the former Patriarchs to the Congregation of the just in heaven Heb. 12. 23. in regard of his soul For it cannot be meant of his body which was not joyned with them in the place of burial as the phrase is Isa. 14. 20. but buried in a strange Land where onely Sarahs body lay And it is observed that this phrase is used of none but good men of which the Jews were so fully perswaded that from this very expression used concerning Ishmael here below ver 17. they infer his Repentance and Salvation See this phrase Gen. 15. 15. and 49. 29. Numb 20. 24. and 27. 13. Iudg. 2. 10. 9 And his sons Isaac and Ishmael u For Ishmael though banished from his Fathers house lived in a place not very far from him and as no doubt he received many favours from his Father after his departure which is implied here ver 6. though it be not mentioned elsewhere so it is probable that he had a true respect and affection to his Father which he here expresseth buried him in the cave of Machpelah in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite which is before Mamre 10 * Chap. 23. 16. The field which Abraham purchased of the sons of Heth there was Abraham buried and Sarah his wife 11 And it came to pass after the death of Abraham that God blessed his son Isaac and Isaac dwelt by the * Chap. 16. 14. and 24. 62. well Lahai-roi 12 Now these are the generations of Ishmael x Here recorded as an evidence of Gods faithfulness in fulfilling his promises made to Abraham Gen. 16. 10. and 17. 20. Abrahams son whom Hagar the Egyptian Sarahs handmaid bare unto Abraham 13 And * 1 Chron. 1. 29. these are the names of the sons of Ishmael by their names according to their generations the first-born of Ishmael Nebajoth y Of whom see Isa. 60. 7. From whom part of Arabia was called Nabathea and Kedar z Of whom see Psal. 120. 5. Isa. 21. 16. Ier. 49. 28. the Father of those called Cedraei or Cedareni in Arabia and Adbeel and Mibsam 14 And Mishma and Dumah a From him Dumah Isa. 21. 11. or Dumatha a place in Arabia seems to have received its name Others make him the Father of the Idumeans and Massa 15 ‖ Or Hadad 1 Chron. 1. 30. Hadar and Tema b He gave his name to the City and Countrey of Tema or Teman Iob 2. 11. and 6. 19. Ier. 25. 23. Jetur c The Father of the Itureans as may be gathered from 1 Chron. 5. 19. Naphish and Kedemah 16 These are the sons of Ishmael and these are their names by their towns and by their castles * Chap. 17. 20. twelve princes according to their nations 17 And these are the years of the life of Ishmael an hundred and thirty and seven years and he gave up the ghost and died and was gathered unto his people 18 And they dwelt from Havilah unto Shur that is before Egypt as thou goest towards Assyria ‖ i. e. On that part or side of Egypt which leads to Assyria and he * Heb. fell 2 Sam. 21. 9. died in the presence of all his brethren d His brethren surviving him and being his Neighbours and therefore as they had conversation with him in the time of his Life so now they did him honour at his death But this translation and interpretation may seem improbable 1. Because his death was related ver 17. and would not be so presently repeated 2. Because the foregoing words in this verse speak not of his death but of his dwelling to which these words do very well agree For what we translated and he died is commonly rendred and he fell or it fell and is most commonly used concerning a lot whereby mens portions are designed and divided as Levit. 16. 9 10. Numb 33. 54. Ios. 16. 1. and so the sense may be it fell i. e. that Countrey fell to him and his or he lay or was stretched out or posted himself as the Hebrew word is used Iudg. 7. 12. i. e. he dwelt in the presence of all his brethren and so indeed his Country lay between the Children of Keturah on the East and the Children of Isaac and Israel on the West 19 And these are the generations of Isaac Abrahams son * Matth. 1. 2. Abraham begat Isaac 20 And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to wife the daughter of Bethuel
the matter 10 And he said Now also let it be according unto your words he with whom it is found shall be my servant and ye shall be blameless f Thus he moderates the conditions which they proposed exempting the innocent and exchanging the deserved and offered death of the nocent into slavery 11 Then they speedily took down every man his sack to the ground and opened every man his sack 12 And he searched and began at the eldest g To take off all their suspicion of his fraud and left at the youngest and the cup h He found doubtless the money there but he accused them not about that matter both because they had an answer ready to that charge from his own mouth chap. 43. 23. and because the greater crime the stealing of the cup which Ioseph so much prized and used might seem to extinguish the less or at least cause him to neglect it was found in Benjamins sack 13 Then they rent their clothes and laded every man his asse and returned to the City i Being afraid and ashamed to go to their father without Benjamin concerning whom they had received so severe a charge and made such solemn promises and imprecations 14 And Judah and his brethren came to Josephs house for he was yet there and they fell before him on the ground 15 And Joseph said unto them What deed is this that ye have done wot ye not that such a man as I can certainly ‖ Or make trial divine 16 And Judah k Who speaks in the cause as being one of the eldest and a person of most gravity and discretion and readiness of speech and most eminently concerned for his brother said What shall we say unto my Lord what shall we speak or how shall we clear our selves God hath found out the iniquity l viz. This iniquity of which it seems some of us are guilty and God hath discovered it Or iniquity may be put for iniquities whether we are guilty of this fact or not we are certainly guilty of many other sins for which God is now punishing us to whose providence we therefore willingly submit of thy servants behold we are my Lords servants both we and he also with whom the cup is found 17 And he said God forbid that I should do so but the man in whose hand the cup is found he shall be my servant and as for you get you up in peace unto your father 18 Then Judah came near unto him m Made a little nearer approach to him that he might present his humble petitiâ—… to him and said O my Lord let thy servant I pray thee speak a word in my Lords ears n In thy hearing For this phrase doth not necessarily imply that he whispered in his ears as appears from Numb 14. 28. Deut. 32. 44. Iudg. 17. 2. and let not thy anger burn against thy servant for thou art even as Pharaoh o As thou representest his person so thou art invested with his Majesty and Authority and therefore thy word is a law thou canst do with us what thou pleasest either spare or punish us and therefore we do justly deprecate thine anger and most humbly intreat thy favourable audience and princely compassion to us 19 My Lord asked his servants saying have ye a father or a brother 20 And we said unto ray Lord we have a father an old man and a child of his old age a little one p So they call him comparatively to themselves who were much elder and withal to signifie the reason why he came not with them because he was young and tender and unfit for such a journey and his brother is dead and he alone is left of his mother and his father loveth him 21 And thou saidest unto thy servants Bring him down unto me that I may set mine eyes upon him q i. e. See him with my own eyes and thereby be satisfied of the truth of what you say Compare Gen. 42. 15 16. Elsewhere this phrase signifies to shew favour to a person as Ier. 39. 12. and 40. 4. But though that was Iosephs intention as yet he was minded to conceal it from them 22 And we said unto my Lord The lad cannot leave his father for if he should leave his father his father would die 23 And thou saidest unto thy servants * Chap. 43. 3. except your youngest brother come down with you you shall see my face no more r Quest. Why would Ioseph expose his father to the hazard of his life in parting with his dear child Answ. Ioseph supposed that to be but a pretence and might fear lest his brethren had disposed of Benjamin as they did of him and therefore could not bring him forth And as for his father the experience which he had of his continuance in life and health after the supposed untimely death of Ioseph gave him good assurance that his parting with Benjamin for a season and that under the care and charge of his brethren was not likely to make any dangerous impression upon him 24 And it came to pass when we came up unto thy servant my father we told him the words of my Lord. 25 And * Chap. 43. 2. our father said Go again and buy us a little food 26 And we said we cannot go down if our youngest brother be with us then will we go down for we may not see the mans face except our youngest brother be with us 27 And thy servant my father said unto us Ye know that my wife s He calleth her so by way of eminency as Gen. 46. 19. because she onely was his wife by design and choice whereas Leah was put upon him by fraud and might have been refused by him if he had so pleased and the other two were given to him by Rachel and Leah bare me two sons 28 And the one went out from me and I said * Chap. 37. 33. surely he is torn in pieces and I saw him not since 29 And if ye take this also from me and mischief befall him ye shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave 30 Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father and the lad be not with us seeing that his life is bound up in the lads life t The death of the Child which upon this occasion he will firmly believe will unavoidably procure his death also 31 It shall come to pass when he seeth that the lad is not with us that he will die and thy servants shall bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to the grave 32 For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father saying * Chap. 43. 9. If I bring him not unto thee then I shall bear the blame to my father for ever 33 Now therefore I pray thee let thy servant abide in stead of the lad u Partly in
* Deut. 4. 39. 12 Now therefore I pray you swear unto me by the LORD y By your God who is the only true God so she shews her Conversion to God and owns his Worship one eminent Act whereof is swearing by his Name since I have shewed you kindness that ye will also shew kindness unto * See 1 Tim 5. 8. my fathers house z My near Kindred which she particularly names v. 13. Husband and Children it seems she had none And for her self it was needless to speak it being a plain and undeniable Duty to save their Preserver and give me a true token a Either an assurance that you will preserve me and mine from the common Ruine or a Token which I may produce as a Witness of this agreement and a mean of my security 13 And that ye will save alive my father and my mother and my brethren and my sisters and all that they have b i. e. Their Children as appears from Iosh. 6. 23. and deliver our lives from death 14 And the men answered her Our life †for ‡ Heb. instead of you to die yours c We pawn and will venture our lives for the security of yours Or may we perish if you be not preserved if ye utter not this our business d i. e. This Agreement of ours and the way and condition of it lest others under this pretence secure themselves By which they shew both their Piety and Prudence in managing their Oath with so much Circumspection and Caution that neither their own Consciences might be ensnared nor the publick Justice obstructed And it shall be when the LORD hath given us the land that * Judg. 1. 24. we will deal kindly and truly with thee 15 Then she let them down by a cord through the window for her house was upon the Town-wall e Which gave her the opportunity of dismissing them when the gates were shut and she dwelt upon the wall f Her particular dwelling was there which may possibly be added because the other part of her House was reserved for the entertainment of Strangers 16 And she said unto them Get ye to the mountain g i. e. To some of the Mountains wherewith Iericho was encompassed in which also there were many Caves where they might lurk lest the Pursuers meet you and hide your selves there three days h Not three whole days but one whole day and parts of two days See on Iosh. 1. 11. until the Pursuers be returned and afterward may ye go your way 17 And the mensaid i Or had said namely before she let them down it being very improbable either that she would dismiss them before the Condition was expressed and agreed or that she would discourse with them or they with her about such secret and weighty things after they were let down when others might over-hear them or that she should begin her discourse in her Chamber and not finish it till they were gone out of her House Obj. They spoke this after they were let down for it follows v. 18. this thread which thou didst let us down by Ans. Those words may be thus rendred which thou dost let us down by i. e. art about to do it it being frequent for the Preter Tense to be used of a thing about to be done by an Enallage of Tenses as Iosh. 10. 15. unto her We will be blameless k i. e. Free from guilt or reproach if it be violated namely if the following Condition be not observed of this thine oath which thou hast made us swear 18 Behold when we come into the land l i. e. Over Iordan and near the City thou shalt binde this line of scarlet threed in the window m That it may be easily discerned by our Soldiers which thou didst let us down by and thou shalt †bring thy Father and thy Mother and ‡ Heb. gather thy Brethren and all thy Fathers Houshold home unto thee 19 And it shall be that whosoever shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street his blood shall be upon his head n The blame of his death shall rest wholly upon himself as being occasioned by his own neglect or contempt of the means of safety and we will be guiltless and whosoever shall be with thee in the house his blood shall be upon our head o We are willing to bear the sin and shame and punishment of it if any hand be upon him p To wit so as to kill him as this Phrase is used Esth. 6. 2. Iob 1. 12. 20 And if thou utter this our business then we will be quit of thine oath which thou hast made us to swear 21 And she said According unto your words so be it And she sent them away and they departed and she bound the scarlet line in the window q Forthwith partly that the Spies might see it hung out before their departure and so the better know it at some distance partly lest some accident might occasion a mistake or neglect about it and partly for her own comfort it being pleasant and encouraging to her to have in her eye the pledg of her deliverance 22 And they went and came unto the mountain and abode there three days r Supporting themselves there with the Provisions which after the manner of those times and places they carried with them which Rahab furnished them with until the Pursuers were returned And the Pursuers sought them throughout all the way s i. e. In the Road to Iordan and the places near it but not in the Mountains but found them not 23 So the two men returned and descended from the mountain and passed over t To wit Iordan unto Ioshua and came to Joshua the son of Nun and told him u Him alone not the people as they did Numb 13. all things that befel them 24 And they said unto Joshua Truly the LORD hath delivered into our hand all the land for even all the Inhabitants of the country do †faint because ‡ Heb. melt of us CHAP. III. AND Joshua rose early in the morning a Not after the return of the Spies as may seem at first view but after the three days as it follows v. 2. and they removed from Shittirn and came to Jordan he and all the children of Israel and lodged there b That night that they might go over in the day time partly that the Miracle might be more evident and unquestionable and partly to strike the greater terror into their Enemies before they passed over 2 And it came to pass after three days c Either 1. at the end of the three days mentioned Iosh. 1. 11. or upon the last of them as this Phrase is used See on Deut. 15. 1. Or 2. after those days were expired See on Iosh. 1. 11. that the Officers went through the host
and well with the flocks and bring me word again so he sent him out of the vale of Hebron and he came to Shechem 15 And a certain man found him and behold he was wandring in the field and the man asked him saying What seekest thou 16 And he said I seek my brethren tell me I pray thee where they feed their flocks 17 And the man said they are departed hence for I heard them say Let us go to Dothan q A place not very far from Shechem where afterwards a City was built See 2 King 6. 13. And Joseph went after his brethren and found them in Dothan 18 And when they saw him afar off even before he came near unto them they conspired against him to slay him 19 And they said one to another Behold this †Heb. Master of dreams dreamer r Heb. this master of dreams this crafty dreamer that covers his own ambitious designs and desires with pretences or fictions of dreams cometh 20 Come now therefore and let us slay him and cast him into some pit s Partly as unworthy of burial partly to cover their villanous action and partly that they might quickly put him out of their sight and minds and we will say some evil beast hath devoured him t There being great store of such creatures in those parts See 1 King 13. 24. 2 King 2 24. and we shall see what will become of his dreams 21 And * chap. 42. 22. Reuben heard it and he delivered him u He did so as to the violent and certain dispatch of his life which was intended Or the act is here put for the purpose and endeavour of doing it in which sence Balak is said to fight against Israel Jos. 24. 9. and Abraham to offer up Isaac Heb. 11. 17. So here he delivered him i. e. used his utmost power to deliver him that so he might recover his fathers favour lost by his incestuous action out of their hands and said Let us not kill him 22 And Reuben said unto them Shed no blood but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness and lay no hand upon him That he might rid him out of their hands to deliver him to his father again 23 And it came to pass when Joseph was come unto his brethren that they stript Joseph out of his coat his coat of many ‖ Or pieces colours that was on him 24 And they took him and cast him into a pit and the pit was empty there was no water in it 25 And they sate down to eat bread x To refresh themselves their consciences being stupified and their hearts hardned against their brother notwithstanding all his most passionate intreaties to them Gen. 42. 21. and they lift up their eyes and looked and behold a company of * See v. 28 36. Ishmeelites y The Posterity of Ishmael See Gen. 25. 18. came from Gilead z A famous place for balm and other excellent commodities and for the confluence of Merchants See Ier. 8. 22. and 22. 6. with their camels bearing spicery and balm a Or rosin as the antient and divers other translatours render it and myrrhe going to carry it down to Egypt 26 And Judah said unto his brethren What profit is it if we flay our brother b If we suffer him to perish in the pit when we may sell him with advantage and conceal his bloud c i. e. His death as the word blood is oft used See Deut. 17. 8. 2 Sam. 1. 16. and 3. 28. 27 Come and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites and let not our hand be upon him for he is our brother and our flesh and his brethren †Heb. hearkned were content 28 Then there passed by Midianites d This story seems a little involved and the persons to whom he was sold doubtful Here seem to be two if not three sorts of Merchants mentioned Ishmaelites and Midianites here and Medanites as it is in the Hebrew ver 36. which were a distinct people from the Midianites as descending from Medan when the Midianites descended from Midian both Abrahams Sons Gen. 25. 2. The business may be accommodated divers ways either 1. the same persons or people are promiscuously called both Ishmaelites and Midianites as they also are Iudg. 8. 1 24 28. either because they were mixed together in their dwellings and by marriages or because they were here joyned together and made one Caravan or company of merchants And the Text may be read thus And the Midianite merchant-men either the same who are called Ishmaelites ver 27. or others being in the same company with them passed by and they i. e. not the Merchant-men but Iosephs brethren spoken of ver 27. the relative being referred to the remoter antecedent as it is frequently in the Scripture liâ—…t up Ioseph and sold him to the Ishmaelites or Midianites c. or 2. the persons may be distinguished and the story may very well be conceived thus The Ishmaelites are going to Egypt and are discerned at some distance by Iosephs brethren while they were discoursing about their brother In the time of their discourse the Midianites who seem to be coming from Egypt coming by the pit and hearing Iosephs cries there pull him out of the pit and sell him to the Ishmaelites who carry him with them into Egypt There they sell him to the Medanites though that as many other historical passages be omitted in the sacred story And the Medanites or Midianites if you please onely supposing them to be other persons then those mentioned ver 28. which is but a fair and reasonable supposition sell him to Potiphar Merchant-men and they drew and lift up Joseph out of the pit and * Psal. 105. 17. Wisd. 10. 13. Act. 7. 9. sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for * See Mat. 27. 9. twenty pieces of silver and they brought Joseph into Egypt 29 And Reuben returned unto the pit e That according to his brethrens order ver 27. he might take him thence and sell him and behold Joseph was not in the pit and he rent his clothes f As the manner was upon doleful occurrences See below ver 34. Numb 14. 6. Ezra 9. 3. Iob 1. 20. and 2. 12. 30 And he returned unto his brethren and said The child g So he calls him comparatively to his brethren though he was 17 years old ver 2. is not h i. e. Is not in the land of the living or is dead â—…s that phrase is commonly used as Gen. 42. 13 36. compared with Gen. 44. 20. Iob 7. 21. Ier. 31. 15. Lam. 5. 7. Mat. 2. 18. and I whither shall I go i Either to find the child or to flee from our father He is more solicitous then the rest because he being the eldest brother his father would require Ioseph at his hand and being so highly incensed against him for his former
it was with the first child but the rest were reputed his own 9 And Onan knew that the seed should not be his and it came to pass when he went in unto his brothers wife that he spilled it on the ground lest that he should give seed unto his brother l Two things are here noted 1. The sin it self which is here particularly described by the Holy Ghost that men might be instructed concerning the nature and the great evil of this sin of self-pollution which is such that it brought upon the actor of it the extraordinary vengeance of God and which is condemned not onely by Scripture but even by the light of Nature and the judgment of heathens who have expresly censured it as a great sin and as a kind of murder Of which see my Latin Synopsis Whereby we may sufficiently understand how wicked and abominable a practice this is amongst Christians and in the light of the Gospel which lays greater and stricter obligations upon us to purity and severely forbids all pollution both of Flesh and Spirit 2. The cause of this wickedness which seems to have been either hatred of his brother or envy at his brothers name and honour springing from the pride of his own heart 10 And the thing which he did †Heb. was evil iâ—… the eyes of the Lord. displeased the LORD m An expression noting a more then ordinary offence against God as 2 Sam. 11. 27. wherefore he slew him also n This just but dreadful severity of God is noted both for the terrour of such like transgressors and to provoke love and thankfulness to God in those whom he useth more indulgently 11 Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter in Law Remain a widow at thy fathers house o Whither he sent her from his house that Shelah might not be insnared by her presence and conversation till Shelah my son be grown p So he dismisseth her with a pretence of kindness and a tacit promise of marriage to her which he never intended to keep as the following words imply for he said q Or rather but he said for the Hebrew chi oft signifies but as Gen. 45. 8. Psal. 37. 20. Eccl. 2. 10. and 6. 2. So here is an opposition between what he said to Tamar and what he said to himself or in his own heart as that word said is oft used He intimated to her that he would give Shelah to her but he meant otherwise and said in himself I will not do it Leâ—…t peradventure he die also as his brethren did r Imputing the death of his two sons either to her fault or to her unluckiness rather than to his own or his sons miscarriages and Tamar went and dwelt in her fathers house 12 And †Heb. the days were multiplyed in process of time s When many days had passed and Shelah though grown was not given to Tamar the daughter of Shuah Judahs wife died and Judah was comforted and went up unto his Sheep-shearers t To feast and rejoyce with them at that time as the manner was then and afterwards See 1 Sam. 25. 36. to Timnath u A place not far from Adullam of which see Ios. 15. 57. he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite 13 And it was told Tamar saying Behold thy father in law goeth up to Timnath to shear his sheep 14 And she put her widows garments off from her and covered her with a vail x As harlots used to do in those modester ages of the World when they had not learnt to outface the Sun nor to glory in their villanies and wrapped her self and sate in †Heb. the door of eyes or of Enajim an open place y Where she might be soonest discovered by Passengers This is noted as the practice of Harlots Prov. 7. 12. and 9. 14. Ier. 3. 2. Ezek. 16. 24 25. which is by the way to Timnath for she saw that Shelah was grown and she was not given unto him to wife 15 When Judah saw her he thought her to be an harlot because she had covered her face z And was doubtless careful not to discover her self by her voice 16 And he turned unto her by the way and said Go to I pray thee let me come in unto thee for he knew not that she was his daughter in law and she said What wilt thou give me that thou mayest come in unto me 17 And he said I will send thee †Heb. a kid of the goats a kid from the flock and she said Wilt thou give me a pledge till thou send it 18 And he said What pledge shall I give thee And she said Thy signet and thy bracelets a Or handkerchief or girdle or any other ornament made of twisted thread which the Hebrew word signifies and thy staff that is in thine hand and he gave it her and came in unto her and she conceived by him b God so ordering things by his Providence that his sin might be discovered And this and other such horrid crimes committed sometimes by the Patriarchs and other eminent persons it hath pleased God for divers wise and holy reasons to leave upon record partly to discover how great and deep the corruption of mans nature is and that even in the best partly to oblige all men to an humble sence of their own infirmity and to a diligent application of themselves to God for his gracious succors and to a greater circumspection and watchfulness to prevent those evils in themselves partly to encourage even the greatest sinners to repentance and the hope of Pardon and partly for the just punishment and obduration of incorrigible sinners who make such sad examples matter of their delight and imitation 19 And she arose and went away and laid by her vail from her and put on the garments of her widowhood 20 And Judah sent the kid by the hand of his friend the Adullamite to receive his pledge from the womans hand but he found her not 21 Then he asked the men of that place saying Where is the harlot that was ‖ Or in Enajim openly by the way side And they said There was no harlot in this place 22 And he returned to Judah and said I cannot find her and also the men of the place said That there was no harlot in this place 23 And Judah said Let her take it to her Lest we †Heb. become a contempt be ashamed b Note that fornication was esteemed sinful and shameful amongst the heathens behold I sent this kid and thou hast not found her 24 And it came to pass about three months after that it was told judah saying Tamar thy daughter in law hath played the harlot and also behold she is with child by whoredom and Judah said Bring her forth c To the Magistrate from whom she may receive her sentence and deserved punishment Iudah had
some for Baal and some for the True God whom he pretended and would be thought to worship in and by the Calves which he had made 16 And after them out of all the Tribes of Israel such as set their heart to seek the LORD God of Israel f Such as loved and feared God in truth and with their whole Heart came to Jerusalem to sacrifice unto the LORD God of their fathers 17 So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah and made Rehoboam the son of Solomon strong three years for three years they walked in the way of David and Solomon g This honourable mention of Solomon as a Pattern of Piety is a considerable Evidence of his true Repentance before his death of which see more on 1 King 11. 43. 18 And Rehoboam took him Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth to wife and Abihail the daughter of Eliab h He declared him his Successor and gave him the Dominion over his Brethren wherein if he was not the First-born as it seems to be implyed because this is mentioned as an Effect of his Superlative Love to his Mother he transgressed that Law Deut. 21. 15 16. unless God was pleased to dispence with it at this time the son of Jesse 19 Which bare him children Jeush and Shamariah and Zaham 20 And after her he took * 1 Kin. 15. 2. She is called Michaiah the daughter of Uriel Chap. 13. 2. Maachah the daughter of Absalom which bare him Abijah and Attai and Ziza and Shelomith 21 And Rehoboam loved Maachah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubins for he took eighteen wives and threescore concubins and begat twenty and eight sons and threescore daughters 22 And Rehoboam made Abijah the son of Maachah the chief to be ruler among his brethren i Lest his other Sons should after his death unite their Counsels and Forces together against Abijah he wisely dispersed them into several and distant Places and under pretence of honouring them with the Government of them he made them Prisoners in a sort appointing several persons to observe their motions and prevent their Combinations for he thought to make him king 23 And he dealt wisely and dispersed of all his children throughout all the countries of Judah and Benjamin unto every fenced city k Agreeable to their Quality that their Restraint might be more easie to them and he gave them victuals in abundance and desired †Heb. a multitude of wives many wives l Either 1. for his Children Or rather 2. for himself by comparing this with v. 21. CHAP. XII 1 ANd it came to pass when Rehoboam had established the kingdom and had strengthened himself * 1 Kin. 14. 22. he forsook the law of the LORD and * Ch. 11. 3. 28. 19. all Israel with him 2 And it came to pass that in the fifth year a Presently after the Apostacy of the King and People which was in his fourth year by comparing this with ch 11. 17. of king Rehoboam Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem * 1 Kin. 14. 24 25. because they had transgressed against the LORD 3 With twelve hundred chariots and threescore thousand horsemen and the people were without number that came with him out of Egypt the Lubims b A People of Africa bordering upon Egypt of whom see ch 16. 8. Dan. 11. 43. Nah. 3. 9. the Sukkiims c A People living in Tents as the Word signifies and such there were not far from Egypt both in Africa and in Arabia and the Ethiopians d Either those beyond Egypt or the Arabians 4 And he took the fenced cities which pertained to Judah and came to Jerusalem 5 Then came Shemajah the prophet to Rehoboam and to the princes of Judah that were gathered together to Jerusalem because of Shishak and said unto them Thus faith the LORD Ye have forsaken me and therefore have I also left you in the hand of Shishak 6 Whereupon the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves and they said The LORD is righteous 7 And when the LORD saw that they humbled themselves e Which though they did but forcedly yet God was pleased so far to regard it as to mitigate their Calamity the word of the LORD came to Shemajah saying They have humbled themselves therefore I will not destroy them but I will grant them ‖ Or a lâ—…ttle while some deliverance and my wrath shall not be poured out f I will give some stop to the course of my Wrath which was ready to be poured forth upon them to their utter Destruction upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak 8 Nevertheless they shall be his servants that they may know my service and the service of the kingdoms of the countries g That they may experimentally know and feel the Difference between my Yoke and the Yoke of a Foraign and Idolatrous Prince and what Mischief they have done to themselves by forsaking me and my Service 9 So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem and took away the treasures of the house of the LORD and the treasures of the kings house h Upon which Condition and Rehoboams Submission to him he delivered up to him the fenced Cities of Judah which he had taken v. 4. But of this and the two next verses see on 1 Kin. 14. 26 c. he took all he carried away also the shields of gold which Solomon had * 1 Kiâ—… 10. 16. Ch. 9. 15. made 10 Instead of which king Rehoboam made shields of brass and committed them to the hands of the chief of the guard that kept the entrance of the kings house 11 And when the king entred into the house of the LORD the guard came and fet them and brought them again into the guard-chamber 12 And when he humbled himself the wrath of the LORD turned from him that he would not destroy him altogether ‖ Or and yet in Iudah there werâ—… good things and also in Judah things went well i Heb. There were good things The meaning is either 1. Though there were many Corruptions in Judah yet there were also divers good things there which were not in Israel as the Word and Ordinances and pure Worship of God Prophets and Ministers of Gods Institution and divers truly Religious People And so this is an additional Reason why God would not destroy them Or 2. Notwithstanding this loss they began to recruit themselves and to regâ—…in some degree of their former Prosperity Whence it follows v. 13. So there being some respite given and Peace being restored Rehoboam strengthened himself c. 13 So king Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem and reigned for * 1 Kiâ—… 14. 21. Rehoboam was one and sorty years old when he began to reign and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem the city which the LORD had chosen out of all the tribes of
both which cases it is a Metonymy of the Adjunct are like a shadow that declineth r Or that is extended or stretched out to its ulmost length as it is when the Sun is setting when it speedily and totally vanisheth And just so the hopes of our restitution which sometimes we have are quickly cut off and disappointed and I am * Isai. 40. 6. Jam. 1. 10. Psal. 109. 13. withered like grass 12 But * Lam. 5. 19. thou O LORD shalt endure for ever s But this is my comfort although we dye and our hopes vanish yet our God is everlasting and unchangeable and therefore invincible by all his and our enemies constant in his counsels and purposes of mercy to his Church stedfast and faithful in the performance of all his promises and therefore he both can and will deliver his people and * Psal. 135. â—…3 thy remembrance t Either 1. the fame and memory of thy wonderful works Or rather 2. thy name Iehovah mentioned in the former clause which is called by this very word Gods remembrance or memorial and that unto all generations Exod. 3. 15. Thus this clause exactly answers to the former and both of them describe the Eternity of Gods existence whereby the Psalmist relieves and supports himself under the consideration of his own and his peoples frailty and vanity unto all generations 13 Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Zion u Upon Ierusalem or thy Church and People for the time to favour her yea the set time x The end of those 70. Years which thou hast fixed of which see Ier. 25. 12. and 29. 10. Dan. 9. 2. is come 14 For thy servants take pleasure in her stones and favour the dust thereof y Thy people value the dust and rubbish of the holy City more than all the Palaces of the Earth and passionately desire that it may be rebuilt 15 So the Heathen shall fear the name of the LORD and all the kings of the earth thy glory z Which was in some sort fulfilled when the rebuilding of the Temple and City of God was carried on and finished through so many and great difficulties and oppositions to the admiration envy and terrour of their Enemies as we read Nehem. 6. 16. Compare Psal. 126. 2. but much more truly and fully in building of the spiritual Ierusalem by Christ unto whom the Gentiles were gathered and the Princes of the World paid their acknowledgments 16 When the LORD shall build up Zion he shall appear in his glory a His glorious power and wisdom and goodness shall be manifested to all the World 17 He will regard the prayer of the destitute b i. e. Of his poor forsaken despised people in Babylon and not despise c i. e. Will accept and answer their prayer 18 This shall be written d This wonderful deliverance shall not be lost nor forgotten but carefully recorded by thy people for the generation to come e For the instruction and incouragement of all succeeding Generations The singular number put for the plural as is ordinary and * Psal. 22. 31. the people which shall be created f Which may be understood either 1. of the Jews which should be restored who were in a manner dead and buried in the grave and meer dry bones Isa. 26. 19. Ezek. 37. and therefore their restauration might well be called a Creation or as it is elsewhere a resurrection Or 2. of the Gentiles who should be converted whose conversion is frequently and might very justly be called a second Creation See 43. 1 7 15. and 65. 18. Eph. 2. 10 15. shall praise the LORD 19 For he hath looked down g To wit upon us not like an idle Spectator but with an eye of pity and relief as the next Verse declares from the height of his sanctuary h From his higher or upper Sanctuary to wit Heaven as the next Clause explains it which is called Gods high and holy place Isa. 57. 15. from Heaven did the LORD behold the earth 20 * Psal. 79. 11. To hear the groaning of the prisoner to loose †Heb. the children of death those that are appointed to death i To release his poor Captives out of Babylon and which is more from the Chains and Fetters of Sin and Satan and from eternal destruction 21 To declare the name of the LORD in Zion and his praise in Jerusalem k That they being delivered might publish and celebrate the name and praises of God in his Church 22 When the people are gathered together and the kingdoms to praise the LORD l When the Gentiles shall gather themselves to the Jews and join with them in the praise and worship of the true God and of the Messias This Verse seems to be added to intimate that although the Psalmist in this Psalm respects the deliverance of the Jews out of Babylon yet he had a further design and a principal respect unto that greater and more general deliverance of his Church and People by the Messias 23 He m To wit God to whom he ascribes these Calamities v. 10. to whom therefore he addresseth himself for relief †Heb. afflicted weakned my strength in the way m Either 1. in the midst of our expectations Whilest we are expecting the accomplishment of thy promise either of bringing us out of Babylon or of sending the Messias we faint and one of us perish after another and our hope is like the giving up of the Ghost Or rather 2. in the midst of the course of our lives Which sence is confirmed 1. from the following Clause Which after the manner explains the former he shortned my days as also from the next Verse where he begs relief from God against this misery in these words take me not away in the midst of my days 2. From the use of this word way which is used for the course of a mans life Psal. 2. 12. and which comes to the same thing for the course of a journey as it is opposed to the end of the journey Gen. 24. 27. Exod. 23. 20. and elsewhere the life of man being oft compared to a journeying or travelling and death to his journeys end And the Psalmist here speaks as other sacred Writers do elsewhere and as all sorts of Writers frequently do of the whole Commonwealth as of one man and of its continuance as of the life of one man And so this seems to be the matter of his complaint and humble expostulation with God O Lord thou didst chuse us out of all the World to be thy peculiar people and didst plant us in Ganaan and cause a glorious Temple to be built to thy name to be the onely place of thy publick and solemn worship in the World and didst make great and glorious promises that thine eyes and heart should be upon it perpetually 1 Kings
which the Poor would therefore sooner embrace and the Rich more likely to oppose Or 3. The Poor in Spirit unto the meek he hath sent me to bind up q Now follow several particular expressions to describe the same thing that he mentioned before more generally a Metaphor taken from Chirurgions that carefully and tenderly roll up a broken bone Hos. 6. 1. and this relates to Christs Priestly Office the broken-hearted r The heart dejected and broken with sorrow I am sent to ease their pains whose Consciences are wounded with a sense of Gods wrath to proclaim liberty to the captives s Those Captives in Babylon but principally to Satan that they shall be delivered and this appertains to Christs Kingly Office whereby he proclaims liberty from the Dominion and Bondage of sin and from the Fear and Terrour of Hell See ch 42. 7. and the opening of the prison to them that are bound t i. e. Supposing them to be in chains and fetters yet they should be delivered though in the greatest bondage the further explication of these things will be found upon Luke 4. 18. Because there are some passages expresly mentioned here 2 To proclaim u To declare as it respects the Jews that their liberty is at hand the acceptable x Viz. the happy age of Gods grace either which will be grateful and welcome news to them or acceptable to God a time wherein it pleaseth him to favour them but this must be understood of a farther extent than to Babylon and rather unto Mankind in Jesus Christ. Gal. 4. 4. and Tit. 3. 4. called a time of Gods good will in that Angelical song Luke 2. 14. On the account of those good tidings which the Angel brought v. 10. 11. called so possibly from the arbitrariness and good pleasure of God having no respect to any satisfaction from man year y Not precisely as if Christ preached but one year the mistake of some Ancients mentioned and râ—…uted by Irenaeus lib. 2. ch 38. But for time indefinitely and may include the whole time of preaching the Gospel See Rom. 10. 15. which I take to be the meaning of that now 2 Cor. 6. 2. and probably hath a pertinent allusion to the year of Iubile which was a general release proclaimed by sound of Trumpet which relates also here to the word Proclaiming Lev. 25. 10. of the LORD and the day of vengeance z Viz. on Babylon it being necessary that where God will deliver his People he should take vengeance on their enemies but mystically and principally on the enemies of his Church and the Spiritual ones chiefly viz. Satan Sin and Death of our God to comfort all that mourn a Either by reason of their sufferings or of their sins Mat. 11. 28. Or the miseries of Sion See on ch 57. 18. 3 To appoint b Supple it Viz. Comfort or Joy or else it may refer to those Accusative cases following Beauty Oyl Garments unto them that mourn in Zion c Put by a Metonymy for the Jews q. d. among the Jews and they for the Church of God or according to the Hebrew For Zion to give unto them beauty for ashes d By ashes understand whatever is most proper for days of mourning as Sackcloth sprinkled with Ashes and these ashes which were sprinkled on their heads mixing themselves with their tears would render them of a woful Aspect which was wont to be the habit of Mourners as by Beauty whatever may be beautiful or become times of rejoycing the oyl of joy for mourning e The sense is the same with the former he calls it Oyl of joy in allusion to those anointings they were wont to use in times of joy Psal. 104. 15. and also the same with what follows viz. Gladness for heaviness gladness brings forth Praise to God and it is called a Garment in allusion to their Festival Ornaments for they had Garments appropriated to their conditions some suitable to times of rejoycing and some to times of mourning or else an allusion to comely garments and the spirit of heaviness because heaviness doth oppress and debase the Spirits It is all but an elegant description of the same thing by a three-fold Antithesis the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness that they might be called f That is that they may be so as it is usually expressed Ch 58. 12. 60. 18. they shall be acknowledged so v. 9. trees of righteousness g He ascribes Righteousness to Trees understanding thereby Persons by a Metaphor by which he means that they shall be firm solid and well rooted being by faith engrafted into Christ and bringing sorth fruit suitable to the Soil wherein they are planted that had been as dry trees see on Isa. 56. 3. viz. the Church the Vineyard of God and the hand by which they were planted as in the next words the planting of the LORD h Planted by the holy Lord who being himself holy and righteous would plant none but such which notes also their soundness and stability an allusion to that passage in Moses his Song Exod. 15. 17. that he might be glorified i Either in that glory which he should conser upon them or that glory he may expect and receive from them that so it may be evident whose handy work it was See ch 60. 21. 4 And they shall * Chap. 58. 12. build the old wasts they shall raise up the former desolations and they shall repair the wast cities the desolations of many generations k See ch 58. 12. As it is applied to Gospel times the meaning may be that Gentilism which was as a wilderness overgrown with Briars and Thorns shall be cultivated and those Cities and Provinces of the Gentiles that lay as it were wast void of all true Religion shall now by the Ministry of the Word be edified in the true worship of God 5 And strangers l Viz. Gentiles such as are not of the natural race of the Jews but Gentile Converts Or such as shall have no more then an outward profession strangers to the true work of Grace shall stand m Ready to be at thy service a like expression ch 48. 13. and feed your flocks n The Churches with the word of God and the sons of the alien o The same with strangers or their successours shall be your plowmen and your vine-dressers p As the words describe the prosperous estate of the Jews the meaning of them is that they should be in such a flourishing and prosperous condition that without their own labour they should have all inferiour offices executed either by slaves taken in War or by Persons hired for reward which they should have Riches and Wealth enough to accomplish But as they principally relate to the spiritual State of the Church so probably by Strangers we may understand Converted Gentiles with their Successors