call it Prospicietur in monte Jehovae since the Person that added it to the Text seems to speak of it as if it were still used in his time But why might not Moses say that this Proverb was in use etiamnum hodie since perhaps this Form was used from the days of Abraham down to Moses This I am certain of that there is nothing in the whole Matter which does not fitly agree with Moses's time There was a convenient distance enough between Abraham and Moses for the latter to take notice that the aforesaid Form of which Abraham was the Author continued till his own time Nay if the Interval had not been quite so great yet Moses might very warrantably express himself after that manner since this Form is sometimes used by those that writ but a few years after of which we find two Examples in St. Matthew Chap. 27.8 Chap. 28.15 as others have observed before me To these we may add such-like passages out of St. Jerom for he speaking of the Ecclesiastical Writers of his own Age expresses himself after the same manner Saebadius Bishop of Agennum in France Vivit usque hodie lives till now or to this day decrepitâ senectute 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Greek Interpreter has rendered it Didymus of Alexandria Vivit usque hodie and has passed the eightieth year of his Age 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epiphanius Bishop of Salamis in Cyprus Superest usque hodie and in his old Age is writing several Books Eunomius of the Arian Party usque hodie vivere dicitur Priscillianus Bishop of Abila usque hodie to this very day is accused by some of the Gnostick Heresie though others maintain that he was not guilty of what is laid to his Charge Priscillianus was slain by Maximus the Tyrant but seven years before St. Jerom writ this We have touched upon this somewhat largely because several places in the Sacred Historians are illustrated by this Observation 8. Likewise they object the name of Migdal Heder Gen. 35.21 that is The Tower of the Flock by which name is supposed to be meant a Tower upon one of the Gates of Jerusalem which was called the Sheep-gate but this is uncertain however if we may believe latter Ages the Tower of the Flock did not belong to Jerusalem Consult our (g) There was a Tower at Jerusalem or not far from that City of the same name as we are informed by Micah 4.8 St. Jerom following the Tradition of the Inhabitants in his time places it not far from Bethlehem in his Epitaph of Paula who after she had visited Bethlehem Not for from thence says she she descended to the Tower of Ader i. e. of the Flock near which Jacob fed his Flocks and the Shepherds watching by night were so happy as to hear Glory be to God on high c. Which as it might be true so it receives no great Confirmation from so Fabulous a Voucher as Tradition is Observations upon this place of Genesis Nor is there any reason why this place should not retain its ancient name in following Ages 9. They suppose that Moses could not possibly write Chap. 36.31 nor reckon up so many Kings of Edom. Now these were the Kings that reigned in Edom before there was any King in Israel After this follow the names of eight Kings who reign'd successively one after another and make as many Generations as there were from Jacob to Obed Grand-father to David and Contemporary to Saul the first King of Judea since from Jacob to Moses there are only four taking Moses into the account Now some answer That Moses foreknew that the Israelites would set up Kings over themselves to which purpose they cite Deuteronomy Chap. 17.14 But is it credible that God likewise revealed to him how many Kings the Edomites were to have and by what Names they were to be called before the Jewish Theocracy was turned into a Kingly Government Now Moses no where tells us that such a Revelation happened to him and indeed whoever will read over the nine Verses wherein the Succession of the Kings of Edom is contained will soon be satisfied that there is no Prophecy in the case for the Sacred Historian there speaks as of a thing past and gone that nothing can be more clearly express'd For what more evident Testimony can there be given that the thing was already past than these Phrases And he died and there reigned in his stead Some body whose name has escaped me solves it another way for he humbly supposes that these Kings reign'd at the same time in different places and for my part I humbly suppose he never read this Chapter his Head being certainly fill'd with Metaphysical Contemplations To deal ingeniously with the Reader the best way to get clear of this Difficulty will be to own frankly that these nine Verses from V. 31 to 39 were added by some one who lived after the Kingly Government was set up in Israel 10. Some have objected that Canaan is called the Land of the Hebrews Chap. 40.15 which in propriety of Speech could be said only at that time when the Hebrews had possessed themselves of it and that therefore the Sacred Historian who was later than Moses accommodated Joseph's way of speaking to the Stile of his own time But we have (h) 'T is plain enough says our Author upon this place that after Joshua had led the Israelites into Canaan all that Country might be called and really was called the Land of the Hebrews But if we should take it in this Sence it would follow that this Passage was written after the time of Joshua as some have believed If we would have it written by Moses we must only understand some part of Canaan where the Hebrews generally fed their Flocks without any disturbance For though they were Strangers and wandered from one place to another yet those Fields might properly enough be said to belong to them where they had pitch'd their Tents for several years with the Consent of the old Inhabitants Now it appears by the Book of Genesis that they sojourn'd for the greatest part about Mamre and Hebron as far as Sichem partly by the Permission of the Natives and partly by Force answered this Objection in our Commentary 11. In Exodus Chap. 6. after the Sacred Historian has inform'd us of Aaron's and Moses's Pedigree he thus goes on v. 26. These are THAT Aaron and Moses to whom the Lord said bring out the Children of Israel from the Land of Egypt according to their Armies These are THEY that spoke to Pharaoh King of Egypt to bring out the Children of Israel from Egypt These are THAT Moses and Aaron Now we do not urge the third Person here say some which 't is plain several Historians have used but the Demonstrative Pronouns that and they which Moses would scarce make use of while he was alive and writing of himself But we must here call to mind that Moses
the Impiety of the Builders of Babel in most Tragical Strains and thence conclude that the Godly Patriarchs of which number Heber was one were not engaged in that wicked Design But we have shewn that though for certain reasons God Almighty was pleased to disapprove the Design yet there was no Wickedness in it Besides I would fain know who it was inform'd the Jews that Heber was so Pious and Godly a Person I am sure his Piety is no where commended nay on the contrary Abraham's Ancestors who liv'd on the other side the Euphrates are not obscurely charged with Idolatry in (d) The Passage in Joshua is this Your Fathers dwelt on the other side of the Flood in old time even Terah the Father of Abraham and the Father of Nachor and they served Other Gods And indeed the old Jews derived the beginning of their Religion from Abraham who as Josephus tells us lib. 1. c. 8. of his Jewish Antiquities 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was the first that had the Coutage to profess one God the Creator of all things Joshua 24.2 Thirdly They pretend that the Posterity of Heber escaped the Punishment which this bold Attempt drew upon the rest of Mankind since they always preserved the Hebrew Language in its Primitive Purity and Perfection But we need not now repeat that the Language which afterwards was called the Hebrew can with no more pretence set up for the first Tongue than the Chaldee for we hope we have already demonstrated that Point but I would fain ask them a few questions If Heber and his Sons had no share in this Transgression if it deserve that name how happened it that the Posterity of Joktan who was the Son of Heber above-mentioned came to speak Arabick How came it to pass that most of the Children of Shem who as they pretend was none of the Builders of Babel that his Children I say who settled beyond the Euphrates either spoke Chaldee or some other Language more remote from the Hebrew In a word whatever the Rabbins impudently prate of the Hebrew Tongue 's being preserv'd in one Family it is in my Opinion the Product of their own empty lying Brains which in all Ages of the World were known to be Famous for inventing of Fables and Heber's Posterity liable to the common Fate of the rest of Mankind as they came to be scatter'd into various Regions so no doubt of it but they expressed their meaning in different Sounds If we should then enquire what was the Language that Abraham spoke on the other side the Euphrates letting bare Conjectures or rather Rabbinical Comments alone the most probable Opinion is That he spoke that Language which not long after was received in those places I mean the Chaldee He lived till the seyentieth Year of his Life perhaps at Vr of the Chaldees whither one of his Ancestors went and setled after Mankind had resolved to seek their Fortunes in different Countries Afterwards he continued for some time at Haran in Mesopotamia Now 't is manifest beyond all Dispute that Chaldee was spoke in these places in the days of Jacob the Grand-child of Abraham for in Gen. 31.47 Laban is said to have called a heap of Stones erected in remembrance of the Covenant he made with Jacob Jegar schaha doutha which words are merely Chaldee and signifie the Heap of Witness Nor does the Language of his Grand-father Nachor seem to be any other than this because Languages do not use to change in so short a course of time for 't is to no purpose to say that the Posterity of Peleg preserved the Hebrew Tongue among themselves since no reason can be assigned why Laban who descended from him as well as Abraham spoke the Chaldean Tongue while the rest of the Gentiles spoke another Besides if the Hebrew Language was in use among the Descendants of Peleg beyond Euphrates certainly some remainders of it would be shewn us since 't is an undeniable Truth that the Aramean or Chaldean Dialect was spoken on the East of Euphrates In short no tolerable cause can be assigned why only Abraham's Family should preserve the old Language in Canaan and propagate it to his Posterity and yet the other Children of Peleg in Mesopotamia should utterly forget it and learn a new Dialect As the Posterity of Peleg that fixt their Habitations beyond the Euphrates had frequent Inter-marriages with the Inhabitants of those places so likewise the Children of Abraham not only took them Wives out of their Father's Family as Isaac and Jacob did but also married Canaanitish Women as is evident by the Example of Jacob's Sons The Sacred Writers expresly tell us that in the following Ages on the North and South of Mesopotamia the Syrian Tongue was spoken which the Jews did not understand but we are no where told that they were ignorant of the Language of their Neighbours the Canaanites At the same time I do not deny but that there may be different Dialects in one and the same Language as we find by experience in all Modern Tongues but still those Dialects are understood by all the Neighbours When Sennacherib Monarch of Assyria that is to say King not only of the Nations beyond the Tygris but likewise of the Vpper-Mesopotamia sent an Ambassador to Hezekiah King of Judah to stir up the People to a Rebellion Hezekiah's Courtiers thus address themselves to him because he talked in Hebrew Speak we pray thee to thy Servants in the Aramean or Syrian Language for we understand it but talk not to us in Hebrew least the People that is upon the Wall should hear 2 Kings 18.26 It also appears out of Daniel Esdras and Nehemiah that the Chaldean Tongue was spoken at Babylon Nabuchodonosor Dan. 1.4 commands some Youths to be chosen out of the Jewish Nobility that were carried to Babylon to be instructed in the Learning and Language of the Chaldeans So likewise Jeremiah speaks of the Chaldeans Chap. 5.15 Behold says the Lord I will bring a Nation upon you from afar O House of Israel which is a powerful Nation and an ancient Nation a Nation whose Language thou knowest not neither understandest what they say But no where do we find any like this said of those Nations that were situated between the Mediterranean-Sea and the Jordan The Dialects of the neighbouring People were indeed easie to be distinguished from the Jewish Tongue as Nehemiah particularly tells us of that of Asdod and some others Chap. 13.24 but 't is no where affirmed that they were not understood by the Jews V. Having thus shewn that Hebrew was neither the Primitive Tongue nor preserved in the Family of Heber nor yet Abraham's Mother-Tongue it now remains for me to enquire where it was spoken To give my own Opinion freely though it is different from that of several Learned Men who therein agree with the Jews I suppose it was the Language of Canaan and that the Posterity of Abraham learnt it between the
did not only write to his own Age wherein his Father and Grand-father were well known but likewise to the following Ages to whom he seems in this place to direct his Discourse and not to his Contemporaries who knew all these Particulars well enough It was of Consequence for them to know that Aaron the Brother of Moses was descended from Levi and that he was the first Head of the Sacerdotal Families therefore it ought not to seem strange to any one that in this place Moses and Aaron are as it were pointed at and their Genealogy shown to the Israelites of future Ages 12. The words of Exodus 16.35 are alledged which they pretend could not be written till after the death of Moses And the Children of Israel did eat Manna forty years until they came to a Land inhabited They did eat Manna until they came unto the Borders of the Land of Canaan For it appears from the fifth Chapter of Joshua that Manna did not cease till after the death of Moses To this some answer That Moses fore-knew as is evident from Numbers 14.33 that the Manna would cease after the end of forty years so soon as the Israelites entred the Land of Canaan But this is here related and not foretold and therefore Moses uses the Preterperfect Tense Comederunt did eat For which reason I should rather chuse to say that this Verse as well as some more has been added to the Text by way of Parenthesis occasioned by what immediately goes before where mention is made of an Omer full of Manna to be laid up in the Ark. 13. Some Persons deny the following Verse to belong to Moses But an Omer is the tenth part of an Ephah because when a Measure is in use it is not customary to define it and therefore they believe that after the Hebrews were scatter'd into several Countries and consequently began to use the Measures of other Nations this was purposely written that they might understand which Measure was meant in this History The same is observed about their Money Numb 3.47 Chap. 18.16 But it does not appear that the Jews used any other Measures in Palestine so as to make it necessary to define the old Measures nor does an Ephah seem to be better known than an Omer But Moses who instituted the Jewish Commonwealth might designedly give a short Description of the Coins and Measures to the end that they might not afterwards be changed 14. The Sacred Historian thus begins Deut. 1.1 These are the words which Moses spoke to all Israel on this side Jordan in the Wilderness From whence they gather that the Writer of this Book was then in Canaan But we have discussed the Ambiguity of the Particle Bheber upon * M. le Clerk has promised the World a Paraphrase and Comment upon the other four Book of Moses but they have not seen the light as yet that place of Deuteronomy to which we refer the Reader 15. In the same Book Chap. 2.12 there are some words which they pretend could never come from Moses The Horims dwelt in Sur before time but the Children of Eâ—au succeeded them when they had destroyed them from before them and dwelt in their stead as Iâ—rael did unto the Land of his Possession But at that time when Moses writ this two Tribes and a half had already setled themselves near the head of Jordan and turn'd out the old Inhabitants and Moses had an Eye to that 16. Chap. 3.11 Thus the Sacred Writer speaks of the King of Basan For only Og King of Basan remain'd of the remnant of Giants behold his Bedsted was a Bedsted of Iron Is it not in Rabbah of the Children of Ammon Nine Cubits was the length thereof and four Cubits the breadth of it Now some can scarce believe that it was possible for Moses to speak thus of a Man that was lately dead and overcome by the Israelites and whose Bed was rather in Basan of which Territory he was King than among the Ammonites who were none of his Subjects But Moses had a mind to give a particular account of a thing which was well known at that time indeed but would have been unknown to Posterity unless he had deliver'd it in writing As for what concerns the Bed how it came to be carried into another Kingdom who can tell But since there is no Absurdity in this Story nothing can be gather'd from a thing the reason of which is altogether unknown 17. In the same Chapter v. 14. we meet with the following passage Jair the Son of Manasseh took all the Country of Argob unto the Coasts of Geshuri and Maacathi and call'd them after his own name Bashan-Havoth-jair unto this day We shall handle this matter more at large in our Commentary In the mean time if this were added by a later hand yet it would not follow from thence that the greatest part of the Pentateuch was not written by Moses 18. We will not deny the last Chapter of Deuteronomy to be writ by some one else where Moses's going up to Mount Nebo and his death are related and yet all the foregoing Chapters are not therefore to be given away from him We may easily suppose that this Book was supplied by another hand which had been in a manner imperfect if it had not ended with the death of Moses But those Jews that are of opinion that Moses foretold all these things as being assisted by a Prophetical Spirit do not deserve to be heard What can be said more plainly to make us understand that these things were written long after Moses's death than what we find in the three last Verses IV. Hence we may gather from these eighteen places which are commonly brought to prove the Pentateuch to be of a later date that most of them are doubtful and consequently ought not to be made use of as Arguments to prove these five Books to belong to another Age. Very few of them manifestly seem to be added by another hand and do not in the least hinder why we should not ascribe these Volumes to Moses After the same manner some ancient Grammarians tell us there are several Verses here and there inserted into Homer's Poems yet no one from thence takes occasion to deny that the Iliads and the Odysses were written by Homer We must not imagine that in former Ages they had such plenty of Books or so many Copies of the same Book as now we have and so it might easily happen that in succeeding Times one of the Prophets might make some Additions to Moses which afterwards were incorporated with all the Copies Indeed if it did not otherwise evidently appear that the greatest part by far of the Pentateuch was written by Moses I confess there would be great weight in the above-mention'd Objections to incline us to believe that these Volumes were written much later than is commonly pretended but since we have proved it beyond all manner of doubt that almost all the
Innocent should be saved in the midst of Sinners Secondly Where it is said That all living Creatures were destroy'd the place must be understood only of those Animals that were within the Limits of the overflow'd Countries Which is not only the answer of Vossius but of Dr. Stillingfleet Nay from what has already been said concerning the word All we may gather That 't is not inconsistent with the Mosaical Narration to suppose that not all but many Animals and especially such as were in a more particular manner serviceable to Mankind were destroy'd Thirdly Noah tarried in the Ark till the Waters were dried up because it would be more convenient for him to set footing in a Country which he was formerly acquainted with and which was free from Wild Beasts than in an unknown place full of Savage Creatures No doubt on 't but the Soil was sufficiently damag'd by the Stagnation of the Water but Mesopotamia and the adjoyning Countries being watered by vast noble Rivers received less Detriment from the Salt Water than others that were destitute of fresh Streams so that 't is reasonable to believe they recover'd their former Fertility in a short space Fourthly The highest Mountains that were covered to so vast a heighth by the Flood were those which were scituate in these Countries beyond which Mankind was not at that time propagated Nor does that Addition Vnder Heavens oblige us to believe the contrary since it is sometimes used of a few neighbouring Countries as Deut. 2.25 On that day will I begin to send the Fear and Terror of thee through the People under all the Heavens Sub omni Coelo Having thus consider'd what might be said in behalf of this Opinion against the former it now remains to be enquir'd how far according to this Hypothesis the Deluge might extend But since we do not know what Countries were then inhabited What Man dares presume to define the Bounds of the Flood Perhaps that Tract of Ground which lies between the four Seas the Persian the Caspian the Euxine and the Syrian in which compass we find the Tigris the Euphrates and several other vast Rivers were by the Eruption of all Waters and by the Clouds gathered from all parts of the World by the Divine Power and there condens'd into Moisture buried and overflow'd 'T is true this could not be effected without a Miracle but then there is no way to solve the Difficulties of so great a Cataclysm without a Miracle However the less and fewer of this Kind we suppose provided the rest may be conveniently explain'd that Exposition uses to be accounted the most agreeable to Truth by all Interpreters because God is never so prodigal of Miracles as to have recourse to them where Natural Causes are sufficient much less does he violate and overturn all the establish'd Laws of Nature without good reason In this very History we find that God was pleased to give Noah notice when it was time for him to go into the Ark because he could scarce know it of himself but he does not tell him the time when he was to go out of it but left the Matter wholly to his own Discretion because he might very well know it without the Divine Assistance He might if it had so pleased hâ—â— have preserved all the Animals in the Ark alive without any Aliment which had made the Ark considerably lighter and had saved Noah a great deal of trouble and yet we see he did not do it because these Creatures might be supplied with Food by Humane Diligence Where the Industry of Man ceases there the Divine Help begins and Vice versâ Thus the Favourers of a Particular Deluge support their Opinion but it has been objected against them That if this Supposition were true the Superficies of the Water could not have been perfectly Spherical and consequently that the Ark in this great Declivity must necessarily incline to the lower places But as Vossius has very well answered that which happens in lesser Inundations the same might fall out in this great and more than Natural Deluge For the same Power which drove the Seas and Clouds to that Tract of Earth which was to be destroy'd did likewise sustain the Ark and the Declivity of the Water as long as there was occasion for it Dissertation VI. Concerning the Confusion of Languages I. What is meant by The whole Earth was of one Lip II. And Let us make our selves a Name III. Who are denoted by the Children of Men. IV. This passage Let us go down examined V. The different Opinions how the Confusion was effected VI. That the Design of Babel might be Foolish but was not Impious Some Conjectures why God thought fit to blast it I. BEFORE this wonderful Confusion happened at Babel the Sacred Historian expresly tells us Gen. 11.1 That the whole Earth was of one Lip and of the same words or as we have translated it of one Language and of one Speech because 't is evident that the word Lip both here and in several other places signifies Speech and the reason of it is Because the Lips are no less serviceable to us in speaking than the Tongue it self see Isaiah 19.18 No one doubts but that one Universal Language was spoken by all Mankind at this time but whether Moses has here a regard to that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not so plain Perhaps these words may signifie that Men lived in a State of Peace and Concord because 't is equally necessary towards the Building of any City that Men should agree in their Sentiments and Inclinations as well as in their Language Nor does the Idiom of the Hebrew Language reject this Interpretation Thus for instance to denote the unanimous Agreement of the Canaanites to beat back the Israelites by main force They gathered themselves together says the Sacred History Joshua 9.2 to fight with Joshua and with Israel with one mouth Thus likewise the False Prophets agreeing together in their Predictions declared good unto the King with one mouth 1 Kings 22.13 Hence it is that to speak with the Lip of another is the same thing as to agree as appears by the above-cited place of Isaiah In that day shall five Cities in the Land of Egypt speak the lip of Canaan and Swear to the Lord of Hosts that is to say They shall be of the same Opinion with the Hebrews that inhabit the Land of Canaan And indeed the words Vnum Labium una Verba seem rather to signifie Agreement of Mind than of Language although 't is certain there was but one Language then in the World For by cadem or una verba we are not here to understand the same Sounds and the same Syllables but voces consentientes Unity of Mind Solomon Jarchi expounds it the same design II. Learned Men have rightly enough observed that in Scripture to make ones self a Name is all one as to get ones self a Fame or Reputation in which sence this
Expression is to be found 2 Sam. 8.13 Isaiah 63.12 Jer 32.20 Dan. 9.15 and so this Tower might be said to be built in nomen i. e. to spread the Fame of the Builders all over the World which Phrase is to be met with 1 Chron. 22.5 where mention is made of the Building of the Temple of Jerusalem But this cannot possibly be the meaning of this place for what an odd sort of a Conclusion would this be Let us acquire our selves a Reputation lest we be dispersed all over the Earth Besides with whom would all Mankind which was concerned in the Building of this City have gotten Glory and Fame With their Posterity as some will be apt to say but then what fine Sence would this make Let us make our selves Famous with Posterity lest we be scattered into several Countries If we carefully examine these words and revolve the whole History in our Mind we shall find the meaning of the place to be to this or the like purpose Let us build us a City that may be the Metropolis of all the World in which let there be one Government the Seat of which Empire shall be perpetually in that City lest Mankind be scattered all over the World according to the Fancy of every rambling Family If this Interpretation be admitted it will follow that to make us a Name at least in this place signifies in a manner the same as to leave our name somewhere i. e. to make a place Famous with our Habitation so that it derives its name from the Inhabitant see 1 Kings 9.3 14.21 Perhaps a Name here denotes a Monument which is called by the Name of the Person that erected it Thus Absalom in his Life time had reared up for himself a Pillar which is in the King's Dale for he said I have no Son to keep my Name in remembrance and he called the Pillar after his own Name and it is called unto this day Absalom's place 2 Sam. 18.18 So Cain not long after the Creation of the World built a City which he called after the Name of his Son Gen. 4.17 In like manner Men were now resolved to build a City which perhaps they would have called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or by some such sort of a Name But if instead of the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Schem a Name we changed one Letter and read it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 em that is to say a Metropolis the same Sence would arise nor could it be pretended that this Expression is incongruous Let us build us a City and Tower and make us a Metropolis lest we be dispersed through all the Earth And therefore the Intention of Mankind perhaps might be to build a Mother-City or Metropolis in the Vale of Shinaar to which the Cities around it should be subject Thus upon the building of this Metropolis there would have been but one Empire in the World which perhaps was design'd at first with no ill Intention but because this Project drew several great Inconveniences along with it as we shall hereafter observe God was pleased to blast and disappoint it III. By the Children of Men Bochart Phal l. 1. c. 10. with several others would understand the Unfaithful only because the Daughters of Men Gen. 6.2 signifies the Female Descendants of Cain distinguished from those of Seth and thinks it by no means probable that Noah Shem Arphaxad Salah and Heber were concern'd in the building of so vain and daring a Structure But in the first place 't is evident enough that all Mankind consisting of the Faithful as well as the Unfaithful are generally meant by the Children of Men. Secondly It is manifest that this Phrase is here to be taken in that Sence from the first Verse of this Chapter where they are called the whole Earth as well as from the Silence of Moses Thirdly The Posterity of three Women and that within the compass of an Age were not sufficient to have laid the Foundation of an indifferent City much less can we suppose that any of them refused to give their assistance towards so vast an Undertaking which required so many hands Fourthly Noah and the rest from whom the Hebrews are descended are without reason exempted out of this number since this Attempt had nothing of Impiety in it although we own it was undiscreet and not agreeable to the Will of God as shall be demonstrated below neither if there had been any harm in it does it therefore follow that Men obnoxious to Sin although in other respects they were not bad abstain from it Besides who can imagine that while Noah and his Sons were alive at so small a distance too from the Flood Mankind was divided into Faithful and Vnfaithful We may indeed rationally enough suppose that some of them were not so Pious as others but however they do not therefore deserve to be stigmatized by the odious Character of Vnbelievers IV. Let us go down The Interpreters are divided about the meaning of this passage as well as that of Let us make Man in the first Chapter of Genesis Some both Jews and Christians are of opinion that God is here introduced speaking 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after the manner of Kings who as they act not only by their own Judgment but that of their Privy-Counsellors use the plural number when they speak to their People Nay sometimes they speak after this fashion when they consult their Nobles Thus 1 Kings 12.9 What Counsel give you that we may answer this People says Rehoboam to his young Advisers 2 Chron. 10.9 Esdras 4.18 Thus God himself also is described like a King consulting his Noble-men 1 Kings 22.20 And the Lord said Who shall perswade Ahab that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-Gilead And one said on this manner and another said on that manner Others pretend there is no necessity to have recourse to this Custom of Kings since sometimes we find in the Hebrew as well as in the Greek and Latin Languages particular Men speaking of themselves in the plural Number Thus Bildad speaks to Job when only they two were together Quando tandem finem imponetis sermonibus Intelligite postea loquemur Cur reputamur ut Jumentum sorduimus in oculis vestris Job 18.2 3. see likewise Cant. 1.4 2 Sam. 16.20 and Dan. 2.36 Some of the later Rabbins as well as the ancient Jews maintain that God speaks to his Angels here as to his Guards The Chaldaean Wise Men indeed never describe God doing any thing but without a great attendance of Angels as Jamblichus often informs us and particularly § 5. c. 21. that all those Powers that are subject to them go before the Presence of the Gods and whenever they make a Procession to the Earth bear them company And the Jewish Masters who as some Learned Men imagine borrow'd their Doctrine concerning Angels out of Chaldaea were of the same Opinion Origen in his Homily upon Numbers 11. is
the other two went to carry God's Commands to Lot But others are of Opinion that he who is called Jehovah v. 13 14 17 20 22. and whom Abraham calls the Judges of the Earth v. 25.27 was the second Person of the holy Trinity But as these People make the Divinity assume a humane shape upon trivial grounds not altogether so becoming the Divine Majesty so they have none of the Jews that lived in the Apostolical times to countenance their Opinion 'T is certain that if Abraham did really entertain the highest God the Exhortation of the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews ch 13.2 is one of the coldest things in the World Be not forgetful to entertain Strangers for thereby some have entertained Angels unawares He ought to have added nay and God himself which had made his Argument much more efficacious However these ancient Stories of the Angels travelling up and down the Earth in humane shapes seem to have given occasion to the Opinion of the Pagans that the Gods used to visit Mankind Thus one of Penelope's Suiters in the Odysses blames Antinous for striking Vlysses because says he the Gods are accustomed to travel thro' Towns and Cities in the Disguise of Guests to behold the Manners and Behaviour of Mortals See Acts 14 11. Now it was not the Custom of Travellers at this time to knock at the Door or to speak to those Persons first by whom they hoped to be entertained But they only stood in the High-way waiting till they were called and at their departure used to receive a Viaticum from their Host to support them upon the Road. For in those Ages there were no Inns in the Eastern Countries no more than there are now a days except a sew Kervansera's as they call them for the Reception of Strangers so that they must either lye all night in the Streets if they came to any Town or else lye in some Body's House who was so kind as to receive them A remarkable Instance of this we find in Judges ch 19.15 Thus likewise among the Greeks and Romans though in the latter Ages they had Inns and Victualing Houses yet formerly they had none Hence came the Fashion of lodging in private Houses and hence Hospitality came to be so much commended Upon which Argument consult Tomasinus de Tesseris And Abraham there called on the name of the Lord the everlasting God ch 21.33 Perhaps the sacred Historian added this Epithet here to distinguish the true God whom Abraham worshipped from those Divinities that were sometimes born and were to dye at last If Philo Byblius's Sanchoniathon was a faithful Expositor of the Phaenician Theology those People only own'd two Gods to be eternal and held that the rest were generated for after that manner does he explain their Doctrine in Eusebius Dem. Evang. l. 1. c. 10. He teaches that the first Principle of all things was a dark dusky Air full of Wind or the breath of a dusky Air and a turbid Chaos encompassed with Darkness That these were eternal and had not an end in many Ages And afterwards relates the Generations of the Gods who alone were worshipt The Grecians believed that the Nymphs were born with Oaks and that they died along with them and perhaps they borrowed this Opinion from the Oriental Nations as they did several more Thus we find in Plutarch de Oracul Defectu that Cleombrotus supposes those Deities that had been the Presidents of Oracles formerly to be dead upon which follows the famous Story of the Death of Pan the Great and other Relations of that nature by which it appears that the Nymphs and Daemons or their Gods of the lower rank was commonly believed to be mortal altho' they were long-lived Therefore Abraham seems to have opposed the everlasting God who had no beginning and who is capable of no end to some such sort of an Opinion received by the Eastern People And there was set Meat before him to eat but he said I will not eat till I have told my Errand In the ancient times it was usual to receive Strangers and entertain them with a Repast before they asked them any Questions Thus after Nestor had given a plentiful Meal to Telemachus Odysses l 3. and the other had eaten as much as was sufficient then at last the old Gentleman thought it high time to examine him 'T is best to ask News of Strangers says he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. after they have filled their Bellies Nay sometimes several days pass'd over their Heads before they thought fit to lay down the occasion of their coming Thus Esdras and his Companions who brought the Vessels belonging to the Temple staid three days in Jerusalem before they restored them to the Priests Thus Iliad 8. Homer tells us that the King of Lycia entertained Bellerophon for nine days successively and that when the tenth Morning appear'd he began to ask him Questions Dares Phrygius speaking of Antenon who was sent Ambassador to Peleus tells us that the latter well-comed him for the space of three days but on the fourth enquired upon what Message he came Die quarto rogat eum quid venerit After the same manner Laban here took Abraham's Servant within doors and set some Meat before him though he had no Acquaintance with him and asked him no Questions but the other finding that God had directly sent him to Abraham's Relations was in pain till he had delivered his Errand Tell me I pray thee thy name ch 32.22 Some Interpreters suspect that Jacob knew his Antagonist with whom he wrestled to be an Angel because he desired him to bless him but then this Passage makes them at a stand for how cou'd he imagine to be a jot the better after he knew the Angel's name We are desirous to know the names of those with whom we have any dealing because when we once know that we may find out who and what manner of Men they are by enquiring of those that are better acquainted with them But since there is no Correspondence between us and the Angels after we know the names of two or three of them we know them no more than we did before Thus Manoah who took the Angel that appear'd to him for a Prophet desires him to tell him his name and subjoins this reason for it that when thy Sayings are come to pass we may do thee honour that is give thee all the respect that is usually paid to a Prophet 'T is true indeed that the Jews and the other Eastern People talked much of the names of Angels in the following times but 't is scarce credible that in Jacob's days such Notions were current nor do we find the least footstep of them in the Bible before Daniel Ask me never so much Dowry and Gift ch 34.12 It was the Fashion of that Age for the Suitor to offer Presents to the young Woman's Parents as appears plainly by this Passage Thus also in the Heroical
times quorum mores says our Author multa Orientalibus habent similia among the Greeks the Son-in-law that was to be paid his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the Father of the Girl which we learn from several places of Homer collected by Feithius in his Antiquitates Homericae l. 2. c. II. As for instance in the Odysses where Vulcan is said to find Mars in very scurvy Circumstances with his Wife and to chain them both to their good Behaviour he protests he will not release them till her Father returns every farthing of the Portion he gave him for his Harlot of a Daughter because she was handsom Hence Aristotle Polit. l 2. c. 8. relating the most ancient Manners of the Greeks tells us among other things that they purchased their Wives of one another At this day the same is practised by the Turks and Persians See Thevenot's Travels l. 1. c. 41. And they gave unto Jacob all the strange Gods and all their Ear-rings c. 35.4 There were two sorts of Ear-rings one of which were chiefly worn by the Women for Ornament sake but are not meant in this place the other were esteemed sacred and the Men used to wear them as an Amulet to preserve them from all harm Perhaps too some figures were ingraved upon them under a certain Constellation after the manner of Talismans which the Idolatrous People fondly imagined to have great Efficacy in them Among the Carthaginians not only the free men but their very Slaves had their Ears loaded with Rings Plautus in Paenulo Acts 5. sc 2. speaking of the Punic Slaves introduces Milphio thus discoursing with Agorastocles I suppose these Fellows are troubled with no such things as Fingers AG. Why so MC Because they carry their Rings in their Ears These Rings hung down from the top of the Ear as appears from St. Austin in whose time this Superstition still continued among some African Chrstians These are his words in Epist 73. Execranda autem superstitio ligaturarum in quibus etiam inaures virorum in summis ex unâ parte auriculis suspensae deputantur sed ad serviendum Daemonibus adhibetur These Rings in his Questions upon this place he calls the Phylacteries of Idols Jacob's Servants here seem to have carried such sort of Rings in their Ears which he commanded them to lay aside as being consecrated to strange Gods And they sate down to eat ch 37. v. 25. After the manner of the Oriental People who used to lay a Carpet upon the Floor and so sate down to eat which Custom still continues and when they were in the Country either sate upon the green Grass or upon the Skin of some Beast Among the ancient Persians their Kings seem to have observed the same Posture as appears by Darius's Table which was so low that when Alexander sate upon Cyrus's Throne it served him for a Footstool For thus Curtius l. 5. c. 2. tells us that afterwards he sate in the Royal Throne which was much too high for him and as his Feet did not touch the lowest Step one of the King's Pages put a Table under them which a little below is said to be the same where Darius dined Homer's Heroes too sate at their Meat but upon Seats I will go down into the Grave to my Son ch 37. v. 35. In the Hebrew 't is Scholah The LXX have rendred it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Vulgar in infernum This word and the ancient Translations of it have not a little employ'd the Interpreters of the Old and New Testament We shall set down the undoubted Significations of it as briefly as we can and then enquire in what Sense it is here to be taken In the first place it signifies any place below the Superficies of the Earth whether made hollow by Art or Nature Hence Isaiah metaphorically uses it to denote a low and mean Condition ch 14.11 and for the same reason Jonas calls the Fish's Belly by the same name Secondly it is taken for a Grave or Sepulchre Is 14.15 where the King of Babylon is said to be brought down to Hell to the sides of the Pit which words are there set down as Synonimes See likewise Psalm 141.7 In the third place it does not so much seem to signify the Grave as the State of the Dead or the Place where they are poetically feign'd to rest and discourse together Thus in the 14th Chapter of Isaiah the King of Babylon who is expresly said v. 19 20. to be cast out of the Grave and to be denied a Burial is yet in the ninth Verse supposed to go Scholah to Hell where the Dead come to meet him Hell Schol from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming it stirreth up the Dead for thee even all the chief ones of the Earth it has raised up from their Thrones all the Kings of the Nations All they shall speak c. see Ezekiel ch 32. And by this word is meant not the Mansions of the happy such as the Elysian Fields or the fortunate Islands were among the Grecians but the common Receptacle of the Dead in general as appears not only by the above-mentioned places but Job c. 2.17 ch 10.21 and several other Passages of the Old Testament Now 't is past dispute that it is not here to be taken in the first Signification so that the Question is Whether Jacob meant the Grave or else the Place and State of the Dead It cannot be pretended that he meant the former for how cou'd he say I will go down into the Grave to my Son since he did not believe him to be buried but to be torn to pieces by a wild Beast Therefore we must understand it of the Place or State of the Dead as the LXX Interpreters have done who have rendred it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Vulgar Descendam ad filium meum lugens in infernum But what Sentiments Jacob had of that State or Receptacle of the Deceased no Circumstances out of History inform us nor can we safely judge of his by our own Opinion upon that matter You are Spies to see the Nakedness of the Land are you come ch 42.9 This Suspicion of Joseph was so much the more plausible because his Brothers came from those parts by which alone Aegypt is accessible on the side of Asia This is the only place says Herodotus l. 3. c. 5. where Aegypt can be openly enter'd where he relates at large how Cambyses invaded it and marched with his Army this way Consult but Ptolomy's Tables and the matter appears plain enough It was on all sides secured from the hostile Incursions of the Africans if we may believe Diodorus Siculus lib. 1. Bibl. by large unpassable Deserts The Sea which lies to the Northwards of it is shallow and destitute of Harbours so that it did not fear an Invasion from that quarter Only on the Eastern Frontier it lay open and unguarded For this reason Sesostris to secure
his Pass against the Irruptions of the Syrians and Arabians fortified it with a Wall fifteen hundred furlongs in length which reached from Pelusium to Heliopolis Diod. lib. 1. p. 52. and upon the same account perhaps it was that Nero the Son of Psammetichus King of Aegypt drew a Trench from the Pelusiac Arm of the Nile to the Gulf of Arabia and endeavoured to joyn the Mediterranean to the Southern Sea They knew not that Joseph understood them for he spoke unto them by an Interpreter ch 42.23 Although the Aegyptian and Hebrew Language nearly resembled one another yet there might be that difference between them as the Canaanites and the Aegyptians cou'd not understand one another in ordinary Discourse Thus we see the French don't understand the Italians or Spaniards although these three Languages are derived from the Latin and thus in the time of the Kings the Jews did not commonly understand the Chaldean Tongue as appears from 2 Kings ch 18. v. 26. Now 't is evident from this place that Jacob's Sons spoke in the Canaanitish Language unless we wou'd rather suppose them to speak Chaldee and not a Tongue which was only peculiar to one Family as the Rabbines pretend for then how had it been possible to have procured an Interpreter unless we suppose that one of Jacob's Servants had run away from his Master and fled into Aegypt of which we don't find the least mention They sate before him the first-born according to his Birth-right and the youngest according to his Youth and he took and sent Messes unto them but Benjamin 's Mess was five times so much as any of the rest ch 43. v. 33. Though we have no account in any Profane Authors of the Customs used by the Ancients at their Feasts which equal this in Antiquity yet it may receive some Illustration from what we find in Homer In the first place Homer's Heroes did not sit down promiscuously as we do about our round Tables but every Man according to his Quality or the Respect which the Master of the Feast was minded to show him Thus Hector upbraids Diomede when he run away that the Grecians honour'd him with a Seat and Flesh and full Cups 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here seems to be the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Eustathius has remarked upon this place that is the chief Seat at Table Secondly 't is evident that in the Heroical times they used long Tables or perpetuae mensae as Virgil calls them So that the most honourable Seat was consequently at the upper end where we may suppose Reuben sate and his other Brethren below him according to their Age. Thirdly as here in Moses so we find in Homer that each of the Guests had his equal Dividend of Meat unless a greater Portion was bestowed upon any one of them to show him more Honour For this reason as Athenaeus informs us l. 11. Homer calls them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or equal Feasts In short as it appears from the above-mentioned place in Homer where mention is made of Diomede that he had a larger share of Victual allow'd him upon the score of his Valour so Joseph ordered Benjamin to be treated after this manner honoris causâ The Cup whereby my Lord divineth chap. 44.5 The sacred Volumes no where take notice of any Divination perform'd by a Cup and what several Learned Men have told us of the Effusion of Wine in the Jewish Sacrifices out of a Cup is nothing to the purpose since it does not at all appear that they gathered any Auguries that way The ancient Grecians indeed made a Judgement of future Events by the noise of the Wine poured out in honour of the Divinity and before their Libations pray'd to the Gods to send them some auspicious Signs Sometimes too they threw this Wine into the Fire and the greater the Flame was so much the better was the Omen We find in 2 Samuel 23.16 that Water was sometimes poured out unto the Lord but the Scripture in no place informs us that the Jews gather'd any Omens from thence And therefore as the Greeks borrow'd great part of their Religious Rites from the Aegyptians 't is probable that the latter observed the same Method in their Libations and that Joseph had a respect to them here That you may dwell in the Land of Goshen ch 46.34 'T is unquestionable that the Land of Goshen ' was situate in the Lower Aegypt as also that it was the first Province or Nomus which a Traveller coming out Syria enters since Jacob so soon as he came thither sent to acquaint Joseph with the news of his Arrival By this place it appears that it was famous for rich Pastures otherwise it wou'd ne're have been offer'd to a Company of Shepherds as the most convenient place in the Kingdom for them 'T is likewise certain that this Tract of Land was appropriated to the Aegyptian Shepherds who lived separate from the rest of their Country-men For otherwise how cou'd Joseph conclude that this Province wou'd be assigned to his Brethren immediately upon their discovering what Occupation they followed unless it was the Custom of that Nation so to do As will plainly appear by the following words For every Shepherd is an Abomination to the Aegyptians ch 46.34 Learned Men are used to enquire upon this place the first whether it appears by any Testimony out of Prophane Authors that the Aegyptians avoided the Company of Shepherds The second for what reason they hated them As for what regards the former we don't here mean all Shepherds in general but only such as fed Sheep or Goats According to Herodotus l. 2. c. 164. the Aegyptians were divided into seven Classes Priests Soldiers Cow-herds Hog-herds Merchants Interpreters and Sea-men As for the Cowherds we no where find that the Aegyptians despised them but the above-cited Historian expresly affirms so much of the Hog-herds ch 47. where he tells us that the rest of the Aegyptians refused to have any Alliances with them Among the Mendesians if we may believe him Goat-herds lived in great reputation because they worshipped Goats But these same People that looked upon it to be a hainous Sin to sacrifice Goats thought it no Crime to serve Sheep after that manner The contrary to which was observed by the Thebans as we find in the same Author So far Herodotus who is more particular in this Affair than any one else however he does not seem to consist with himself for since he makes two different Ranks of his Hog-herds and Cow-herds why does he not farther branch them out into Goat-herds and Shep-herds c. with much more reason on his side Diodorus comprehends them all under the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Pastors but does not acquaint us in what Credit they lived with the other Aegyptians Now with Submission to Persons of greater Learning I am of Opinion that as the Aegyptian Superstition varied with respect to Time