4. which shall go before us e To guide us through this vast wilderness to the land of promise where they longed to be For as the cloud which hitherto had guided them that seemed now to be fixed upon the mount and they thought both that and Moses had deserted them The Iewish Doctors note that he doth not say Make us Gods whom we may worship but which shall go before us which as they truly say shews that they wanted not a God whom they knew by infallible evidences they had but a visible guide who might supply the want of Moses as the next words shew for as for this Moses f An expression of contempt towards their great deliverer the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt we wot not what is become of him g Whether he be not consumed by the fire in the cloud or taken up to heaven or conveyed away by God to some other place 2 And Aaron said unto them Break off the golden ear-rings h Which were of good value and common use among the Eastern people who seem to have used them superstitiously Gen. 35. 4. Iudg. 8. 24. and therefore Aaron demands these partly that he might take away one vice or occasion of vice whilest the people were intent upon another and partly that the proposed loss of their precious ear-rings might cool their idolatrous desires which are in the ears of your wives i Whom he thought most fond of their jewels and most unlikely to part with them of your sons and of your daughters and bring them unto me 3 And all the people brake off the golden ear-rings k Whereby they shew both their madness upon their Idols and their base ingratitude to their God who had transferred these jewels from the Egyptians to them Exod. 12. 35 36. which therefore God upbraids them with Ezek. 16. 11 c. which were in their ears l i. e. The mens ears for the affix is of the masculine gender whereby it seems the men were more set upon Idolatry than the women parting with their ear-rings for it which the women would not do and brought them unto Aaron 4 * 1 King 12. 28. Ps. 1â—…6 19. And he received them at their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool after he had made it a molten calf m The meaning of this Translation is That Aaron to wit by Artificers did first melt the gold into one mass and then by the graving tool form it into the shape of a calf and polish it or as others render the words he formed it in a type or mould made in the shape of a calf into which he cast the molten gold and so made it a molten calf But the words may be translated thus he put it or them into a purse for so the Hebrew verb and noun both are used 2 King 5. 23. and in like manner Gideon disposed the ear-rings given him for like use Iudg. 8. 24. and afterwards he made of them a molten calf Now the people desired and Aaron in compliance with them made this in the form of a calf or an ox for the word signifies both in imitation of the Egyptians as Philo the Iew expressely affirms and the learned generally agree and it may thus appear 1. the great idols of the Egyptians Apis Serapis and Isis were oxen and cows as is confessed 2. the Egyptians besides those creatures which they adored as Gods did also make and keep and worship their images as even the heathen writers Mela and Strabo affirm 3. the Israelites whilest they were in Egypt were many of them infected with the Egyptian Idolatry as it appears from Ios. 24. 14. Ezik. 20. 7 8. and 23. 3. Act. 7. 39. And it is not unlikely divers of them hanker'd no less after the Idols than after the garlick and onions of Egypt And being now as they thought forsaken by Moses they might think of returning to Egypt as afterwards they did and therefore chose a God of the Egyptian mode that they might more willingly receive them again and they said These be thy gods n i. e. This is thy God the plural number being put for the singular as it is usual in this case The meaning is this is the sign or symbol or image of thy God for such expressions are very frequent thus this image of a calf is called a calf frequently and the images of the temple of Diana are called shrines or little temples Act. 19. So they intended to worship the true God by this image as afterwards Ieroboam did by the same image as we shall plainly see when we come to that place of Scripture And it is absolutely incredible that the generality of the Israelites should be so void of all sence and reason as to think that this new-made calf did bring them out of Egypt before its own creation and that this was the same Jehovah who had even now spoken to them from heaven with an audible voice saying I am the Lord thy God who brought thee out of the land of Egypt O Israel which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt 5 And when Aaron saw o i. e. Observed with what applause they received it and with what fury and resolution they prosecuted their former desire he was born down with the stream and as it is probable by the peoples instigation built an altar to it it he built an altar before it and Aaron made proclamation and said To morrow is a feast to the LORD p Heb. to Iehovah Which title being peculiar to the true God and being here given by Aaron to the calf with the approbation of the people makes it more than probable that the people designed to worship the true God in this calf which they made onely as a visible token of Gods presence with them and an image by which they might convey their worship to God 6 And they rose up early on the morrow and offered burnt-offerings and brought peace-offerings q But no sin-offerings which they most needed and the * 1 Cor. 10. â—… people sat down to eat and to drink r For the sacrifices were accompanied with feasting both among the worshippers of the true God and among Idolaters See Exod. 18. 12. and 24. 11. and rose up to play s By shouting and singing and dancing as it appears from ver 17 18. 19. 7 And the LORD said unto Moses * Deut. 9. 1â—… Go get thee down for thy people t No longer my people as God had called them hitherto Exod. 3. 7. and 5. 1 c. they have forsaken me and I do hereby renounce them which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves 8 They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them they have made them a molten calf and have worshipped it and have sacrificed thereunto and said * 1 Kin. 12. 2â—…
20. 12. or out of the Catalogue or number of those that shall be saved I suppose Moses doth not in this case wish his eternal damnation because that slate implies both wickedness in himself and the dishonour of God but his annihilation or the utter loss of this life and of that to come and of all the happiness of both of them Nor doth Moses simply desire this but onely comparatively expresseth his singular zeal for Gods glory and charity to his people signifying that the very thoughts of the destruction of Gods people and of the reproach and blasphemy which would be cast upon God by means thereof were so grievous and intolerable to him that he rather wisheth if it were possible that God would accept of him as a sacrifice in their stead and by his utter destruction prevent so great a mischief And it is to be considered that Moses speaks this as also many other things as the Mediatour between God and Israel and as the type of the true Mediatour Jesus Christ who was in effect to suffer this which Moses was content to suffer which thou hast wrttien 33 And the LORD said unto Moses * Ezek. 18. 4. Whosoever hath sinned ‖ Or doth sin to wit presumptuously obstinately and impenitently against me him will I blot out of my book g Him will I cut off out of the land of the living and eternally deprive of my favour and glory and not thee who art innocent and righteous 34 Therefore now go lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee * chap. 33. â—… Behold mine angel h Noâ—… Christ the Angel of the covenant who had hitherto gone before them but a created Angel as appears by comparing this with Exod. 33. 2 3 12. Though Moses obtained the revocation of this threatning Exod. 33. 14 17. shall go before thee Nevertheless * Deut. 32. 35. in the day when I visit I will visit their sin upon them i When I shall punish them for their other sins which I foresee they will commit I will remember and punish this also 35 And the LORD plagued the people k This relates either to the destruction of 3000 of them by the Levites or rather to the future plagues in which God also reckoned with them for this sin because they made the calf which Aaron made l They made it because they urged Aaron to make it as Iudâ—…s is said to purchasethe field Act. 1. 18. which was purchased by his mony and Aaron made it by giving command to make it The Chaldee Syriack Arabick and Samaritan render the words thus they worshipped or sacrificed to the calf which Aaron made And the word which signifies to make is oft used for worshipping or sacrificing as Exod. 10. 25. Iudg. 13. 15 1 King 18. 26. CHAP. XXXIII 1 AND the LORD said unto Moses Depart and go up hence thou and the people which thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt unto the land which I sware unto Abraham to Isaac and to Jacob saying * Gen. 12. â—… Unto thy seed will I give it 2 * chap. 32. 3 Deut. 7. 22. Josh. 24. 11 And I will send an Angel before thee and I will drive out the Canaanite the Amorite and the Hittite and the Perizzite the Hivite and the Jebusite 3 Unto a land flowing with milk and honey for I will not go up in the midst of thee a By my own special and gracious presence as hitherto I have done but I will depart from thee In pursuance hereof God removes his tabernacle without the camp ver 7. I will onely make good my promise to thy fathers and send an Angel to accomplish it but I will shew no peculiar and further kindness to thee for thou art a * chap. 32. Deut. 9. 13. stiff-necked people lest I consume thee in the way b Lest thy sins should be aggravated by my presence and favour and thereby I should be provoked utterly to destroy thee So he shews that their perverseness makes this severity necessary for them and that God even in his judgement remembers mercy to them 4 And when the people heard these evil tidings they mourned and no man did put on him his ornaments c Their precious garments or jewels which the women reserved as we saw ver 3. This was a visible sign and profession of their inward humiliation and repentance for their sin and of their deep sence of Gods displeasure 5 For the LORD had said unto Moses Say unto the children of Israel Ye are a stiff-necked people I will come up into the midst of thee d To wit in anger not in favour ver 3. where the words are the same but the sence differing in a moment and consume thee e Obj. But God had promised he would not do so ver 14. Ans. That was signifyed to Moses not to the people to whom the threatning was most proper and profitable and this threatning hath a condition implied to wit except they repent as the next words plainly shew therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee that I may know what to do unto thee f That I may either inflict my judgments or suspend them as thou art penitent or impenitent 6 And the children of Israel stript themselves of their ornaments by the mount Horeb. 7 And Moses took the tabernacle g A tent set up by Moses for the people to meet in for sacrifice and seeking of God and other parts of Gods Worship untill the great Tabernacle should be finished for such a place was necessary or highly expedient for that use and therefore it is not probable they would be without it for a years space and pitched it without the camp afar off from the camp h In testimony of Gods alienation from them and displeasure against them this being a kind of eâ—…communication and all was too little to bring them to a thorough repentance and called it the tabernacle of the congregation i It was so before but he called it so now to shew that God had not wholly forsaken them and that if they truly repented he still permitted them to come into his presence and to seek the Lord. and it came to pass that every one which sought the LORD k Either for his favour or for counsel and direction See Exod. 18. 1â—… 19 20. went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation which was without the camp 8 And it came to pass when Moses went out unto the tabernacle that all the people rose up and stood every man at his tent door and looked after Moses l Testifying their grief for Gods departure their respect to Moses whom they had lately despised their earnest desire of his intercession for them their longing for Gods favour and their humble expectation of a gracious return from God by the hands of Moses until he
Come in thou wife of Jeroboam i By which discovery he both reproves their folly who thought to conceal themselves or their designs from that God from whom they expected and desired the discovery of the most secret things and withal gives her assurance of the truth and certainty of that message which he was to deliver why feignest thou thy self to be another for I am sent to thee with ‡ Heb. 〈◊〉 heavy tidings 7 Go tell Jeroboam Thus saith the LORD God of Israel Forasmuch as I exalted thee from among the people and made thee prince over my people k For so they were when Ieroboam was first set over them Israel 8 And rent the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it thee and yet thou hast not been as my servant David l Who though he fell into some sins yet first he constantly persevered in the True Worship of God from which thou art revolted Secondly He heartily repented of and turned from all his sins whereas thou art obstinate and incorrigible who kept my commandments and who followed me with all his heart to do that onely which was right in mine eyes 9 But hast done evil above all that were before thee m Above all the former Kings of my People as Saul and Solomon and Rehoboam for thou hast gone and made thee other gods and molten images n Or other Gods to wit for so and oft signifies among the Hebrews as hath been formerly noted molten images namely the Golden Calves which he calls other gods not as if the Israelites esteemed the Calves made of their own Gold to be gods indeed which it is incredible should find belief with any man in his wits especially with the whole Body of the Israelites who knew that the Ark and Cherubims though made by Gods special direction were not Gods but onely Pledges of Gods presence c. Nor as if they thought them to be other gods in a strict and proper sense for it is apparent that they still pretended to Worship the God of their Fathers as the Iews at Ierusalem did though in a differing manner but onely because God rejected their whole Worship and howsoever they called or accounted it he reckoned it a manifest defection from him and a betaking of themselves to other gods or devils as they are called 2 Chron. 11. 15. by whose instigation they were led to such Idolatrous practises and whom alone they served and worshipped therein whatsoever pretences they had to the contrary to provoke me to anger o i. e. Whereby thou didst provoke me For otherwise this was not Ieroboam's design in it but onely to Establish himself in the Throne and hast cast me behind thy back p Despised and disregarded and forsaken me and my Commands and my Worship as we do things which we cast behind our backs 10 Therefore behold I * Chap. 15. 29. will bring evil upon the house of Jeroboam and will cut off from Jeroboam * Chap. 21. 21. 2 King 9. 8. him that pisseth against the wall q Either so much as a Dog or any male Children Of which Phrase see the Notes on 1 Sam. 25. 22. and him that is shut up and left r Those who had escaped the fury of their Enemies invading them either because they were shut up in Caves or Castles or strong Towns or because they were left over-looked or neglected by them or spared as poor impotent helpless Creatures But now saith he They shall be all searched out and brought to destruction See more on Deut. 32. 36. in Israel and will take away the remnant of the house of Jeroboam as a man taketh away dung s Which they remove as a loathsom thing out of their Houses and that thoroughly and universally till it be all gone 11 Him that dieth of Jeroboam in the city shall the dogs eat and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat t So both sorts shall die unburied for the LORD hath spoken it 12 Arise thou therefore get thee to thinâ—… own house and when thy feet enter into the city u Presently upon thy entrance into the City when thou art gone but a little way in it even as far as to the threshold of the Kings door v. 17. which possibly was near the Gates of the City And by the event of this branch judge of the Truth of the rest of my Prophecy the child shall die 13 And all Israel shall mourn for him x Either First For the loss of so worthy and hopeful a Person Or Secondly For the sad calamities which should follow his death which possibly his moderation and wisdom and vertue might have prevented whereof his death was a certain presage and evidence So they should mourn not simply for him but for their own loss in him and bury him for he only of Jeroboam shall come to the grave y Shall have the honour of Burial denied to the rest v. 11. because in him 2 Chr. 12. 12. and 19. 3. there is found some good thing toward the LORD God of Israel z Some Pâ—…ous inclinations and intentions of taking away the Calves or of permitting or obliging his People to go up to Ierusalem to Worship if God gave him Life and Authority to do it and of trusting God with his Kingdom in that case in the house of Jeroboam a Which is added for his greater commendation he was good in the midst of so many temptations and wicked examples a good branch of a bad stock 14 Moreover the LORD shall raise him up a king b Baasha chap. 15. 28. over Israel who shall cut off the house of Jeroboam that day c When he is so raised in the very beginning of his Reign chap. 15. 29. but what d But what do I say he shall raise as it were a thing to be done at a great distance of time he hath already raised him in some sort the man is now in being if not in power who shall do this this Judgment shall be shortly executed even now 15 For the LORD shall smite Israel e Because they obeyed Ieroboam's wicked command of Worshipping the Calves and that willingly Hos. 5. 11. as a reed is shaken in the water f Easily and variously hither and thither with every wind So shall the Kingdom and People of Israel be always in an unquiet and unsettled posture tossed to and fro by Foreign Invasions and Civil Wars by opposite Kings and Factions and by the dissentions of the People See 2 King 17. 18. and he shall * 2 Kin. 17. 23. root up Israel out of this good land which he gave to their fathers and shall scatter them beyond the river g To wit Euphrates oft so called by way of eminency as Gen. 15. 18. and 31. 21. 1 King 4. 21 24. This was accomplished in part 2 King
where few or none dwell beside the Watchmen who are left there in Towers to preserve the Cattel and Fruits of the Earth or to give notice of the approach of Enemies 10 And they set them up ‡ Heb. statues images and * Exod. 34. 13. Deut. 16. 21. groves in every * Deut. 12 2. high hill and under every green tree 11 And there they burnt incense in all the high places as did the heathen n Not onely to the Lord which was practised and tolerated sometimes in the Kingdom of Iudah but also to the Idols or Baals of the Heathen whom the LORD carried away before them o For the same sins by whose Example they should have taken warning and wrought wicked things to provoke the LORD to anger p i. e. In despight and contempt of God and his Authority and Command as the next Verse shews 12 For they served idols * Exod. 20. 3 4. Deut. 5. 7 8. whereof the LORD had said unto them * Deut. 4. 19. Ye shall not do this thing 13 Yet the LORD testified against Israel q Disowned and gave testimony against their false Worship which they would fasten upon him and against all their impieties and against Judah ‡ Heb. by the hand of all by all the prophets and by all * 1 Sam. 9. 9. the seers r To whom he declared his mind by extraordinary Revelations and Visions and by whom he published it to you bearing witness from Heaven to their Doctrine by eminent and glorious miracles saying * Jer. 18. 11. and 25. 5. and 35. 15. Turn ye from your evil ways and keep my commandments and my statutes according to all the law which I commanded your fathers s Whereby he accuseth them of partiality that they observed onely those laws of God which they might safely keep and lived in the constant breach of others which their Kings forbad them to observe and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets 14 Notwithstanding they would not hear but * Deut. 31. 27. hardened their necks t i. e. Refused to submit their neck to the Yoke of Gods Precepts A Metaphor from stubborn Oxen that make their hearts hard or stiff and will not bow to the Yoke see on Deut. 31. 27. like to the neck of their fathers that did not believe in the LORD their God 15 And they rejected his statutes and his covenant that he made with their fathers and his testimonies which he testified against them and they followed vanity u i. e. Idols oft so called because of their nothingness impotency and unprofitableness and to shew the folly and madness of Idolaters and became vain x By the long worship of Idols they were made like them vain sottish and senseless Creatures and went after the heathen that were round about them concerning whom the LORD had charged them that they should not do like them 16 And they left all the commandments of the LORD y They grew worse and worse from a partial disobedience to some of Gods Laws they fell by degrees to a total Apostacy from all of them their God and * Exod. 32. 8. 1 Kings 12. 28. made them molten images even two calves and made a * 1 Kings 14. 15 23. and 15. 13. and 16. 33. grove and worshipped all the host of heaven z The Stars as Saturn Iupiter Mars Venus c. See Deut. 4. 19. and served * 1 Kings 16. 31. and 22. 53. Chap. 11. 18. Baal 17 And they * Lev. 18. 21. Chap. 16. 3. caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire and used divination and inchantments and sold themselves to do evil a Of which Phrase see on 1 Kings 21. 21. in the sight of the LORD to provoke him to anger 18 Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel and removed them out of his sight b i. e. Out of Canaan the onely place of God's solemn worship and gracious presence or out of his Church there was none left * 1 King 11. 13. but the tribe of Judah onely c And the greatest part of the Tribe of Benjamin and those of the Tribes of Simeon and Levi who adhered to them and were incorporated with them and therefore very fitly denominated from them See of this Phrase on 1 Kings 11. 13. 19 Also Judah kept not the commandments of the LORD their God but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made d Iudah's idolatry and wickedness is here remembred as an aggravation of the sin of the Israelites which was not onely evil in it self but scandalous and mischievous to their Neighbour who by their examples were instructed in their wicked arts and provoked to an imitation of them See Hosea 4. 15. and compare Matth. 18. 7. 20 And the LORD rejected all the seed of Israel e i. e. All the Kingdom or Tribes of Israel first one part of them chap. 15. 29. and now the rest But this extends not to every individual person of these Tribes for many of them removed into the Kingdom of Iudah and were associated with them as appears from 2 Chron. 11. 16. and many other places and afflicted them and delivered them into the hand of spoilers until he had cast them out of his sight 21 For * 1 Kings 11. 11 31. he rent Israel from the house of David and * 1 Kings 12. 20 28. they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king f Which action is here ascribed to the people because they would not tarry till God by his providence had invested Ieroboam with the Kingdom which he had promised him but rashly and unthankfully and rebelliously rose up against the house of David to which they had such great Obligations and set him upon the Throne without God's leave or advice and Jeroboam drave Israel from following the LORD g He not onely disswaded but kept them by force from God's Worship at Ierusalem the onely place appointed for it and made them sin a great sin h So the worship of the Calves is called to meet with that idle conceit of the Israelites who esteemed it a small sin especially when they were forced to it by severe penalties which yet he shews did not excuse it from being a sin and a great sin too 22 For the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did they departed not from them i But willingly and resolutely followed the wicked Examples and Commands of their Kings though contrary to God's express commands 23 Until the LORD removed Israel out of his sight k They continued to the last obstinate and incorrigible under all the instructions and corrections which God sent to them and therefore were most justly given up by God into this dreadful captivity which all this foregoing discourse was designed to prove as he
unto Abraham unto Isaac and unto Jacob by the Name of * Gen. 17. 1. and 48. 3. God Almighty but by my Name * chap. 3. 14. JEHOVAH was I not known to them * Quest. How is this true when God was known to them and called by the name Iehovah Gen. 15. 7. and 26. 24. c. Ans. 1. He speaks not of the letters or syllables but of the thing signified by that name For that denotes all his perfections and amongst others the eternity constancy and immutability of his nature and will and the infallible certainty of his word and promises And this saith he though it was believed by Abraham Isaac and Iacob yet it was not experimentally known to them for they onely saw the promises afar off Heb. 11. 13. Ans. 2. This negative expression may be understood comparatively as many others are as Gen. 32. 29. Mat. 9. 13. 1 Cor. 1. 17. q. d. They knew this but darkly and imperfectly which will now be made known more clearly and fully 4 And I have also established my covenant with them * Gen. 17. 8. and 28. 4. to give them the land of Canaan the land of their pilgrimage wherein they were strangers 5 And * chap. 2. 24. I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel whom the Egyptians keep in bondage and I have remembred my Covenant 6 Wherefore say unto the children of Israel I am the LORD and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians and I will rid you out of their bondage and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm b i. e. My almighty power A metaphor from a man that stretcheth out his arm and puts forth all his strength to give the greater blow and with great judgments c i. e. Punishments justly inflicted upon them as the word judging and judgments is oft used as Gen. 15. 14. 2 Chron. 20. 12. Prov. 19. 29. 7 And I will take you to me for a people d i. e. For my people you shall no longer be the people and slaves of the King of Egypt but my people and servants whom I will bless and preserve and I will be to you a God e To judge and deliver you and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians 8 And I will bring you in unto the land concerning the which I did †Heb. list up my hand See Gen. 14. 22. Deut. 32. 40. swear * Gen. 15. 14. 26. 3. 35. 12. to give it to Abraham to Isaac and to Jacob and I will give it you for an heritage I am the LORD f And therefore have authority and power to dispose of lands and kingdoms as I please and faithful to give you what I have promised 9 And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel but they hearkened not unto Moses for †Heb. shortness or straitness anguish of spirit g Their minds were so oppressed with their present burdens and future expectations that they could not believe nor hope for any deliverance but deemed it impossible and having been once deceived in their hopes they now quite despaired and thought their entertainment of new hopes or use of further endeavours would make their condition worse as it had done and for cruel bondage 10 And the LORD spake unto Moses saying 11 Go in speak unto Pharaoh King of Egypt that he let the children of Israel go out of his land 12 And Moses spake before the LORD saying Behold the children of Israel have not hearkened unto me how then shall Pharaoh hear me * chap. 4. 10. who am of uncircumcised lips h i. e. Of polluted lips Uncircumcision being a great defect and blemish whereby men were rendred profane contemptible and unfit for many services and priviledges may note any defect whether moral and of the spirit or natural and of the body So here it notes Moses his inability to cloath Gods commands in such words as might prevail with Pharaoh But this was a great weakness of faith as if God could not effect his purpose because the instrument was unfit 13 And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron and gave them a charge unto the children of Israel and unto Pharaoh King of Egypt to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt 14 These be the heads of their fathers houses i This genealogy he describes here to shew the linage of Moses and Aaron by whom this great work was to be effected Onely he premiseth in brief the genealogy of his two elder brethren Reuben and Simeon to make way for the third which he intended more largely to insist upon And he mentions them rather than any other either to advance the favour of God in preferring that tribe before the descendants of their elder brethren or to shew that although the parents were sharply censured and rather cursed then blessed by Iacob Gen. 49. yet their posterity was not rejected by God but received to mercy and admitted to the same priviledge with their brethren * Gen. 46. 9. 1 Chron. 5. 3. The sons of Reuben the first-born of Israel Hanoch and Pallu Hezron and Carmi these be the families of Reuben 15 * 1 Chro. 4. 24. And the sons of Simeon Jemuel and Jamin and Ohad and Jachin and Zohar and Shaul the son of a Canaanitish woman these are the families of Simeon 16 And these are the names of the * Numb 3. 17. 1 Chron. 6. 1. sons of Levi according to their generations k From each of which proceeded a distinct generation or family called by their fathers name Gershon and Kohath and Merari and the years of the life of Levi were an hundred thirty and seven years 17 The * 1 Chro. 6. 17. and 23. 7. sons of Gershon Libni and Shimi according to their families 18 And * Numb 26. 57. 1 Chron. 6. 2. the sons of Kohath Amram and Izhar and Hebron and Uzziel And the years of the life of Kohath were an hundred thirty and three years 19 And the sons of Merari Mahali and Mushi these are the families of Levi according to their generations 20 And * chap. 2. 1. Numb 26. 59. Amram took him Jochebed his fathers sister l Or rather kinswoman or coâ—…sin or neece for so this Hebrew word is sometimes used as appears from Ier. 32. 8 9 12. Obj. She is called the daughter of Levi Exod. 2. 1. Ans. Even Neeces are oft called daughters as we have shewed See Luk. 1. 5. and the notes on Exod. 2. 1. to wife and she bare him Aaron and Moses and the years of the life of Amram were an hundred and thirty and seven years 21 And * 1 Chro. 6. 37 38. the sons of Izhar Korah and Nepheg and Zichri 22 And * Levit. 10. 4. Num. 3. 30.
the sons of Uzziel Mishael and Elzaphan and Zithri 23 And Aaron took him Elisheâ—…a daughter * Ruth 4. 19 20. 1 Chro. 2. 10 of Aminadab m A Prince of the Tribe of 〈◊〉 Numb 1. 7. and â—… 3. Marriages were not yet confined to their own Tribes and when they were the Levites seem to have had this priviledge thâ—… they might marry a daughter of any other tribe because indeed the reason of that law did not concern them there being no danger of confusion or loss of inheritance on their part And especially there were many marriages made between the Tribes of Iudah and Levi to signifie that both were united in Christ who was to be both King and Priest It is observable that Moses is here silent in his own progeny but gives a particular account of his brothers not onely from his great humility and modesty which shines forth in many other passages but because it was of more concernment and the honour of Priesthood given to Aaron was to be hereditary and peculiar to his seed and therefore it was necessary they should be exactly known whereas Moses his honour and government was onely personal and did not pass to his children Sister of Naashon to wife and she bare him * Num. 3. 2. 26. 60. 1 Chron. 6. 3. and 24. 1. Nadab and Abihu Eleazar and Ithamar 24 And the sons of Korah Assir and Elkanah and Abiasaph these are the families of the Korhites 25 And Eleazar Aarons son took him one of the daughters of Putiel to wife and * Numb 25. 11. she bare him Phinehas these are the heads of the fathers of the Levites according to their families 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 n i. e. According to their numerous families which were equal to great Armies and which went out of Egypt like several Armies in military order and with great power See Exod. 12. 41 51. and 13. 18. and 14. 8. 27 These are they which spake to Pharaoh king of Egypt to bring out the children of Israel from Egypt These are that Aaron and Moses 28 And it came to pass on the day when the LORD spake unto Moses in the land of Egypt 29 That the LORD spake unto Moses saying I am the LORD speak thou unto Pharaoh King of Egypt all that I say unto thee 30 And Moses said before the LORD Behold I am of uncircumcised lips and how shall Pharaoh hearken unto me CHAP. VII 1 AND the LORD said unto Moses See I have made thee a god to Pharaoh a To represent my person to act like God by requiring his obedience to thy commands and by punishing his disobedience with such punishments as none but God can inflict to which end thou shalt have my omnipotent assistance and Aaron thy brother shall be thy Prophet b i. e. Thy Interpreter or spokesman as chap. 4. 16. to deliver thy commands to Pharaoh 2 Thou shalt speak all that I command thee and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh that he send c Heb. and he will send or dismiss to wit at last being forced to it Success shall attend your endeavours the children out of his land 3 And I will harden Pharaohs heart and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt 4 But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you that I may lay my hand upon Egypt and bring forth mine armies and my people the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt * chap. 6. â—… by great judgments 5 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt and bring out the children of Israel from among them 6 And Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded them so did they d An emphatical repetition to shew their courage in attempting to say and do such things to so great a Monarch in his own dominions and their fidelity in the execution of all Gods commands 7 And Moses was fourscore years old and Aaron fourscore and three years old when they spoke unto Pharaoh e The ages of Moses and Aaron here as of Levi and Kohath chap. 6. 16 18. and before them of Iacob and Ioseph are so exactly set down that thence we may understand the accomplishment of Gods prediction Gen. 15. 13. and the time of Israels being in Egypt 8 And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron saying 9 When Pharaoh shall speak unto you saying Shew a miracle for you then thou shalt say unto Aaron f By whose hands this and other miracles were to be done and not by Moses immediately partly to take off the suspition that these miracles were wrought by some magical artifice of Moses and partly for the greater honour of Moses that he might be what God had said ver 1. a God to Pharaoh who not onely could work wonders himself but also give power to others to do so * chap. 4. 2 17. Take thy rod g The same rod is called the rod of God and of Moses and of Aaron here and ver 12. because it was appointed and as it were consecrated by God and used both by Moses and Aaron in their great works And this rod Moses ordinarily held in his hand and delivered it to Aaron upon occasion for the execution of his commands and cast it before Pharaoh and it shall become a serpent h Heb. A dragon which is a great serpent Others a Crocodile to whose jaws he had exposed the Israelitish Infants 10 And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh and they did so as the LORD had commanded and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants and it became a serpent 11 Then Pharaoh also called the wisemen * Under which general title he seems to comprehend all who were most eminent in any sort of wisdom either natural or civil or divine who were all called to give their opinion and advice in these matters and the sorcerers now the Magicians i The same now called sorcerers who acted by the power of the Devil whom by certain rites and ceremonies they engaged to their assistance Of these the two chief were Iannes and Iambres 2 Tim. 3. 8. of Egypt they also did in like manner k In shew and appearance which was not difficult for the devil to do either by altering the air and the spectatours sight and by causing their rods both to look and move like serpents or by a sudden and secret conveyance of real serpents thither and removing the rods Nor is it strange that God permitted those delusions partly because it was a just punishment upon the Egyptians for their horrid and manifold Idolatry and barbarous cruelty towards the Israelites and their other wickedness and partly because there was a sufficient difference made between their
provision being wasted they might be obliged to the more entire dependence upon God And this is here mentioned as a reason why they gathered it in the morning 22 And it came to pass that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread e Considering Gods present providence in causing it to fall in double proportion and remembring that the next day was the Sabbath day which God had blessed and sanctified to his own immediate service Gen. 2. 3. and therefore was not to be employed in servile works such as the gathering of Manna was they rightly concluded that Gods commands delivered ver 16. 19. reached onely to ordinary dayes and must in all reason give place to the more antient and necessary Law of the Sabbath two Omers for one man and all the rulers of the Congregation came and told Moses f Either to acquaint him with this increase of the miracle or to take his direction for their practise because they found two commands seemingly clashing together and therefore needed and desired his advice 23 And he said unto them This is that which the LORD hath said g Either to Moses by inspiration or to the former Patriarks upon like occasions this practise is agreeable to the former word and law of God concerning the Sabbath as it follows to morrow is the rest of the holy Sabbath unto the LORD bake h The Manna was dressed these two ways Numb 11. 8. that which you will bake to day i These words to day are not in the original and possibly are better left out than taken in or if they be taken in they do not seem to me as they do to many others to prove that they were commanded to bake or seethe on the sixth day all that they were to eat both that day and upon the following Sabbath or that they were forbidden to bake or seethe it upon the Sabbath day for there is not a word here to that purpose and it is apparent from the whole context that the rest of the Sabbath is not opposed to their baking or seething of it but to their going out into the field to gather it Nay the contrary is here implyed because after they had baken and sodden what they intended to bake or seethe part of the Manna did as is here expresly added remain over and was reserved for the Sabbath days provision and that unbaken and unsodden otherwise it would not have been noted as a miraculous thing that it did not stink nor breed worms ver 24. and seethe k that ye will seethe and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning ‖ What you do not eat this day keep for the next days provision 24 And they laid it up till the morning as Moses bade and it did not stink neither was there any worm therein k As there was before ver 20. So great a difference there is between the doing of a thing upon Gods command and with his blessing and the doing of the same thing against his will and with his curse 25 And Moses said Eat that to day l These words were spoken upon the morning of the Sabbath day as appears from the foregoing verse for to day is a Sabbath unto the LORD m i. e. Wholly consecrated to his service and therefore not to be employed in servile works to day ye shall not find it in the field 26 Six dayes ye shall gather it but on the seventh day which is the Sabbath in it there shall be none 27 And it came to pass that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather and they found none 28 And the LORD said unto Moses n That he might speak it to the people How long o He signifies that this was an old disease in them to disobey Gods precepts and to pollute his Sabbaths refuse ye to keep my Commandments and my laws 29 See for that the LORD hath given you the Sabbath p Hath given to you and to your fathers that great command and priviledge of the Sabbath therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two dayes abide ye every man in his place let no man go out of his place q Out of his house or tent into the field to gather Manna as appears from the occasion and reason of the law here before mentioned For otherwise they might and ought to go out of their houses to the publick assemblies as appears from Lev. 23. 3. Act. 15. 21. and to lead their cattle to watering Luk. 13. 15. or to help them out of a pit Mat. 12. 11. And a Sabbath-days journey was permitted Act. 1. 12. on the seventh day 30 So the people rested r Or ceased to wit from gathering Manna by comparing this with ver 27. and consequently from all works of that nature on the seventh day 31 And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna and * Numb 11. 7. it was like Coriander seed s In shape and figure but not in colour for that is dark-coloured but this white as it follows here like Bdellium c. Numb 11. 7. white and the tast of it t When it was raw but when it was drest it was like fresh oil Numb 11. 8. was like wafers made with honey 32 And Moses said This is the thing which the LORD commandeth Fill an Omer of it to be kept for your generations that they may see the bread wherewith I have fed you in the wilderness when I brought you forth from the land of Egypt 33 And Moses said unto Aaron * 1 King 8. 9. Heb. 9. 4. Take a pot and put an Omer full of Manna therein and lay it up before the LORD u In the tabernacle and by the ark when they shall be built and at present in the place where you meet for the solemn worship of God to be kept for your generations 34 As the LORD commanded Moses so Aaron laid it up before the Testimony x i. e. Before the ark which is called the ark of the testimony Exod. 25. 16. and here by way of abbreviation the testimony or witness because in it were the tables of the covenant or the law of God which was a testimony of Gods authority and will and of mans subjection and duty or of the covenant made between God and man See Deut. 10. 5. and 31. 26. Quest. How could this be laid up before the Ark when the Ark was not yet built Ans. This text onely tells us that Aaron did lay it up but it doth not determine the time nor affirm that it was done at this instant but rather intimates the contrary and that it was done afterwards when the testimony i. e. the ark was built As the next verse also speaks of what was done in ' the following forty years to be kept 35 And the children of Israel
contented with multitudes of partners So this is properly said to be the name of God whereby he is known and distinguished from all other Gods is a * chap. 20. 5. jealous God 15 Lest thou make a covenant r For cohabitation or to suffer them quietly to live among you whom you should drive out with the inhabitants of the land and they go a whoring s i. e. Commit Idolatry which is oft called and compared to spiritual whoredom See Ier. 2. and 3. and Ezek. 16. after their gods and do facrifice unto their gods and one call thee and thou eat of his sacrifice t To wit of the parts or remainders of his sacrifices whereby thou wilt partake with him in an idolatrous worship because such feasts were a part of the Worship offered to the Idol and were accompanied with solemn benedictions and thanksgivings to the Idol See Numb 25. 2. Psal. 106. 28. Ezek. 18. 6. and 22. 9. 1 Cor. 10. 20. Rev. 2. 20. 16 And thou take of * 1 King 11. 2. their daughters unto thy sons and their daughters * Num. 25. 1 2. go a whoring after their gods and make thy sons go a whoring after their gods 17 Thou shalt make thee no molten gods u Nor graven nor any other as it plainly appears both from the nature of the things and from many parallel Scriptures But he mentions molten because their late Idol was of that kind 18 The feast of * chap. 12. 15. c. 23. 15. unleavened bread shalt thou keep seven days shalt thou eat unleavened bread as I commanded thee in the time of the month Abib for in the * chap. 13. 4. month Abib thou camest out from Egypt 19 * chap. 22. 29. Ezek. 44. 30. Luk. 2. 23. All that openeth the matrix is mine and every firstling amongst thy cattle whether oxe or sheep that is male x Heb. And for That is as the particle and is oft used the words following here and verse 20. being a particular explication of the general sentence in the beginning of this verse all thy cattle which a particle oft understood shall be born male as it is also explained Exod. 13. 12. the opening or whatsoever to wit of the male-kind openeth the matrix which word is fitly understood cut of the former member which is very usual of Ox or and put for or as it is oft done Sheep 20 But the * chap. 13. 13. firstling of an ass thou shait redeem with a ‖ Oâ—… â—…id lamb and if thou redeem him not then shalt thou break his neck All the first-born of thy sons thou shalt redeem and none shall appear before me * chap. 23. 15. 1 Sam. 9. 7 8. 2 Sam. 24. 24. empty y Either without a gift to me so it is a precept or without benefit to himself so it is a promise See Exod. 23. 15. 21 * chap. 23. 1â—… Deut. 5. 12. Luk. 13. 14. Six dayes thou shalt work but on the seventh day thou shalt rest in earing-time and in harvest thou shalt rest z Which times are expressed because the great profit and seeming necessity of working at that time was likely to be a powerful temptation to make men break the Sabbath 22 * chap. 23. 16. And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks a i. e. Which is numbred by weeks being just seven weeks after the Passe-over whence it is called Pentecost i. e. the fiftieth day to wit after the passe-over See Levit. 23. 15. and 25. 8. of the first-fruits of wheat-harvest b So this is a designation of the time and business of the feast of weeks and the feast of in-gathering c To wit of the fruits of the Earth at the †Heb. revolution of the year years end d So it was in regard of the jubilee and civil contracts 23 * chap. 23. 14 17. Deut. 16. 16. Thrice in the year shall all your men-children appear before the LORD God the God of Israel 24 For I will cast out the nations e So thou shalt have no intestine enemy to do thee or thine mischief This God promised to do but upon condition of Israels discharge of their duty in following God in this work of driving them out which they neglecting it was not fully done before thee and enlarge thy borders * Gen. 35. 5. Act. 18. 10. neither shall any man desire thy land f I will not onely tye their hands that they shall make no invasion upon you but I will take off their thoughts and affections from such an enterprize which it was very easie for God to effect many ways when thou shalt go up to appear before the LORD thy God thrice in the year 25 * chap. 23. 18 Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leaven neither shall the sacrifice of the feast of passeover be left unto the morning 26 * Deut. 26. 2. The first of the first-fruits of thy land g Thou shalt not delay to do this but shalt bring the very first of them Or the first-fruits even the first-fruits of thy land Which limitation seems here conveniently added because they were not bound to bring thither all their first-fruits to wit those of their own bodies their children thou shalt bring unto the house of the LORD thy God Thou shalt not seethe a * chap. 23. 19. Deut. 14. 21. kid in his mothers milk 27 And the LORD said unto Moses Write thou these words h Object God saith I will write verse 1. Answ 1. Moses was to write the ritual precepts mentioned here above God wrote the Moral Law 2. Moses wrote what he wrote in a book See Exod. 24. 7. but what was written upon the Tables of stone was written by God himself not by Moses who had no graving instruments with him in the Mount and could not without them writeupon the stone for after the tenour of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel 28 And he was there with the LORD fourty days and forty nights i As he had been before being now to renew the broken covenant This forty dayes fast of his is mentioned four times Exod. 24. 18. and here and Deut. 9. 18. and 10. 10. but it is evident it was performed but twice as the occasion of it happened onely twice he did neither eat bread nor drink water and he * chap. 31. 18. and 34. 1. Deut. 4. 13. wrote k Not Moses but the Lord as appears from verse 1. and from Deut. 10 the relative pronoun being here referred to the remoter antecedent of which there are many instances as Gen. 10. 12. 1 Sam. 21. 14. and 27. 8. Psal. 99. 6. upon the tables the words of the covenants the Ten †Heb. words Commandments 29 And it came to pass when Moses came down from mount Sinai with
devoted which shall be devoted of men y Not by men as some would elude it but of men for it iâ—… manifest both from this and the foregoing verses that men here are not the persons devoting but devoted Quest. Was it then lawful for any man or men thus to devote another person to the Lord and in pursuance of such vow to put him to death Ans. This was unquestionably lawful and a duty in some cases when persons have been devoted to destruction either by Gods sentence as Idolaters Exod. 22. 20. Deut. 23. 15. the Canaanites Deut. 20. 1â—… the Amalekites Deut. 25. 19. 1 Sam. 15. 3 26. Benhadad 1 King 20. 42. or by men in pursuance of such a sentence of God as Numb 21. 2 3. and 31. 17. or for any crime of an high nature as Iudg. 21. 5. Ios. 7. 15. But this is not to be generally understood as some have taken it as if a Iew might by vertue of this Text devote his child or his servant to the Lord and thereby oblige himself to put them to death which peradventure was Iepthe's errour For this is expresly limited to all that a man hath or which is his i. e. which he hath a power over But the Iews had no power over the lives of their children or servants but were directly forbidden to take them away by that great command thou shalt do no murder And seeing he that killed his servant casually by a blow with a rod was surely to be punished as is said Exod. 21. 20. it could not be lawful wilfully and intentionally to take away his life upon pretence of any such vow as this But for the Canaanites Amalekites c. God the undoubted Lord of all mens lives gave to the Israelites a power over their persons and lives and a command to put them to death And this verse may have a special respect to them or such as them And although the general subject of this and the former verse be one and the same yet there are two remarkable differences to this purpose The verb is active ver 28. and the agent there expressed that a man shall devote but it is passive ver 29 and the agent undetermined which shall be devoted to wit by God or men in conformity to Gods revealed will 2. The devored person or thing is onely to be sold or redeemed and said to be most holy ver 28. but here it is to be put to death and this belongs onely to men and those such as either were or should be devoted in manner now expressed shall be redeemed but shall surely be put to death 30 And * Gen. 28. 22. Num. 18. 21 24. Mal. 3. 8. 10. all the tithe of the land z There are divers sorts of Tithes but this seems to be understood onely of the ordinary and yearly tithes belonging to the Levites c. as the very expression intimates and the addition of the fifth part in case of redemption thereof implies whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree is the LORDS it is holy unto the LORD 31 And if a man will at all redeem ought of his tithes he shall add thereto the fifth part thereof 32 And concerning the tithe of the herd or of the flock even of whatsoever passeth under the rod ‖ Either 1. the tithers rod it being the manner of the Iews in tithing to cause all their cattel to pass through some gate or narrow passage where the tenth was marked by a person appointed for that purpose and reserved for the Priest Or 2. the shepherds rod under which the herds and flocks passed and by which they were governed and numbred See Ier. 33. 13. Ezek. 20. 37. the tenth shall be holy unto the LORD 33 He shall not search whether it be good or bad neither shall he change it and if he change it at all then both it and the change thereof shall be holy it shall not be redeemed 34 These are the commandments which the LORD commanded Moses for the children of Israel in Mount Sinai ANNOTATIONS ON NUMBERS The ARGUMENT THis Book giveth us an History of almost forty years travel of the children of Israel through the Wilderness where we have an account of their journeys and what happened to them therein with their Government and how they were managed thereby Called Numbers by reason of the several Numbrings of the people as at the offerings of the Princes and at their several journeys c. But especially two One Chap. 1. Out of which the Priests and Levites were excepted but numbred by themselves viz. in the second year after they were come out of Egypt in the first month whereof the Passeover was instituted with the order about the Tabernacle both of the Levites and People and their several marches encampings and manner of pitching their Tents the Priest's maintenance and establishment by the miraculous budding of Aarons rod with the several impediments in their marches both among themselves by several murmurings seditions and conspiracies and from their enemies viz. the Edomites Canaanites over whom having obtained a victory and afterwards murmuring they were stung with fiery Serpents and cured by the brazen one Amorites whose Kings Sihon and Og they overcame and slew and Moabites where by the allurements of Balaam who was hired by Balak to curse Israel they joyned themselves to Baal-peor and are plagued for it that openly opposed them The other chief numbring is in Chap. 26. where they are found almost as many as the first though among them were none of the first numbring according to what God had threatned Chap. 14. save Moses Joshua and Caleb by reason of their desire to return back into Egypt upon the discouraging report of ten of those twelve that Moses sent to spy out the Land whereupon they were forced to wander above 38 years in the wilderness where he gave them several Laws Civil Ecclesiastical and Military as also particular directions about women's inheriting occasioned by the case of Zelophehad's daughters and concerning vows And then brings them back to the borders of Canaan where after divers victories obtained against their enemies they were directed how the Land of Canaan was to be divided among the Tribes and what portion the Levites were to have among them together with six cities of Refuge set apart for the Man-slayer At length Aaron being dead and Eleazar placed in his stead and Moses also having received the sentence of Death doth by God's appointment deliver up the people unto the charge and conduct of Joshua CHAP. I. 1 AND the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai a Where now they had been a full year or near it as may be gathered by comparing this place with Exod. 19. 1. and 40. 17. and other places in the tabernacle b From the mercy-seat of the congregation on the first day of the second month in the second year after they
rams-skins and badgers-skins See Numb 4. 25. and the * Exod. 26. 36. hanging for the door of the tabernacle of the congregation 26 And the * Exod. 27. 9. hangings of the court and the * Exod. 27. 16. curtain for the door of the court which is by the tabernacle and by the altar round about and the cords of it t By which the Tabernacle was fastened to the pins and stretched out Exod. 35. 18. for all the service thereof 27 And of Kohath u This Family had many priviledges above the others Of that were Moses and Aaron and all the Priests They had the chief place about the Tabernacle and the care of the most holy things here below ver 31. and in the Land of Canaan they had twenty three Citieâ—… which were almost as many as both their brethren received See Ios. 21. was the family of the Amramite and the family of the Izharite and the family of the Hebronite and the family of the Uzzielite these are the families of the Kohathite 28 In the number of all the males from a month old and upward were eight thousand and six hundred keeping x Or keepers c. i. e. appointed for that work as soon as they were capable of it the charge of the sanctuary y i. e. Of those holy things contained in or nearly belonging to the sanctuary expressed verse 31. 29 The families of the sons of Kohath shall pitch on the side of the tabernacle southward 30 And the chief of the house of the father of the families of the Kohathite shall be Elizaphan the son of Uzziel 31 And their charge shall be the * Exod. 25. 1â—… ark and the * Exod. 25. 2â—… table and the * Exod. 25. 3â—… candlestick and * Exod. 27. 1. and 30. 1. the altars and the vessels of the sanctuary wherewith they minister and * Exod. 26. 3â—… the hanging z Which covered the most holy place for all other hangings belonging to the Gershonites and all the service thereof a i. e. All the other furniture belonging to it of which see Numb 4. 7 9 14. 32 And Eleazar the son of Aaron the Priest shall be chief b Next under the High-priest whence he is called the second Priest 2 King 25. 18. and in case of the High-Priests absence by sickness or other necessary occasions he was to perform his work 1 King 4. 4. and he had a superiority over all the rest of the Priests and Levites over the chief of the Levites c i. e. Over those three persons who were each the chief of their several families of whom see here ver 24 31 35. and have the oversight of them that keep the charge of the sanctuary 33 Of Merari was the family of the Mahlite and the family of the Mushite these are the families of Merari 34 And those that were numbred of them according to the number of all the males from a month old and upward were six thousand and two hundred 35 And the chief of the house of the father of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail these shall pitch on the side of the tabernacle northward 36 And †Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 under the custody and charge of the sons of Merari shall be the boards of the tabernacle and the bars thereof and the pillars thereof and the sockets thereof and all the vessels thereof and all that serveth thereto 37 And the pillars of the court round about and their sockets and their pins and their cords d Therefore these were for another use than those mentioned verse 26. 38 But those that encamp before the tabernacle toward the east even before the tabernacle of the congregation eastward shall be Moses and Aaron and his sons keeping the charge of the sanctuary for the charge of the children of Israel e Either in their stead that charge which they were obliged to keep either by themselves or by others appointed by them if God had not committed it to those or for their good and service and benefit for their preservation as the word may be rendred and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death 39 * See chap 62. All that were numbred of the Levites which Moses and Aaron numbred at the commandment of the LORD throughout their families all the males from a month old and upward were twenty and two thousand f Obj. But if the partial numbers mentioned ver 22 28 34. be put together they make exactly 22300. Answ. The odd 300 are omitted here either according to the use of the Holy Scripture where in so great numbers small summes are commonly neglected or because they were the first-born of the Levites and therefore belonged to God already and so could not be given to him again instead of the other first-born See Levit. 27. 29. If this number of first-born seem very small to come from 22000 Levites it must be considered That onely such first-born are here named as were males and such as continued in their parents Families not such as had erected new families of their own Adde to this that God so ordered things by his wiâ—…e providence for divers weighty reasons that this Tribe should be much the least of all the Tribes as is evident by comparing the numbers of the other Tribes from twenty years old Numb 1. with the number of this from a moneth old and therefore it is not strange if the number of their first-born be less than in other Tribes Although if the other Tribes had been computed from a moneth old as this was their number of 600000 had probably been double or treble to that and consequently the number of their first-born being 22273 verse 43. would have been as unproportionable to their whole summe as this of 300 first-born Levites seems to their whole number And some adde that onely those first-born are numbred both in this and in the other Tribes which were born since they came out of Egypt when God challenged all the first-born to be his 40 And the LORD said unto Moses number all the first-born of the males of the children of Israel g That they may be compared with the number of the Levites for the reason here following from a month old and upward and take the number of their names 41 And thou shalt take the Levites for me I am the LORD in stead of all the first-born among the children of Israel h To wit such as are now alive of them but those which should be born of them hereafter are otherwise disposed and the cattle of the Levites i Not that they were to be taken from the Levites or to be sacrificed to God any more than the Levites themselves were but that they together with the Levites were to be presented before the Lord by way of acknowledgment that the Levites might be set apart for
is a difference among Prophets nor do I put the equal authority and honour upon all of them I the LORD will make my self known unto him in a vision k Whereby God represents things to the mind of a Prophet when he is awake as Gen. 15. 1. and 46. 2. Dan. 8. 18. and 10. 8. and will speak unto him in a dream l By which God manifests his mind to them in a dream as Gen. 20. 3. and 28. 12. 7 My servant Moses is not so * Heb. 3. 2. who is faithful in all mine house m i. e. Whom I have set over all my house i. e. my Church and people and therefore over you and who hath discharged his office faithfully and not partially and self-seekingly as you falsly accuse him 8 With him will I speak * Exod. 33. 11. mouth to mouth n i. e. Distinctly by an articulate voice immediately not by an interpreter nor by shadows and representations in his fancy as it is in visions and dreams and familiarly This is called speaking face to face 2 Epist. of Iohn ver 12. and 3 Epist. ver 14. even apparently o Plainly and certainly and not in dark speeches p Not in parables similitudes riddles dark resemblances as by shewing a boyling pot an Almond Tree c. to Ieremy a chariot with wheels c. to Ezekiel and the similitude of the LORD q Not the face or essence of God which no man can see and live Exod. 33. 20. it being invisible Col. 1. 15. and never seen by man Iohn 1. 18 but some singular manifestation of his glorious presence as Exod. 33. 11 20 c. and 34. 5 c. Deut. 34. 10. Yea the Son of God appeared to him in an humane shape which he took up for a time that he might give him a forecast of his future incarnation shall he behold wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant r Who is so in such an eminent and extraordinary manner Moses 9 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against them and he departed s From the door of the Tabernacle in token of his great displeasure not waiting for their answer and judging them unworthy of any further discourse 10 And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle t Not from the whole Tabernacle for then they must have removed but from that part of the Tabernacle whither it was come to that part which was directly over the Mercy-seat where it constantly abode and * Deut. 24. 9. behold Miriam became leprous u She and not Aaron either because she was first or chief in the transgression or because God would not have his worship either interrupted or dishonoured which it must have been if Aaron had been leprous white as snow x This kind of leprosie was the most virulent and incurable of all See Exod. 4. 6. 2 King 5. 27. It is true when the leprosie began in a particular part and thence spread it self over all the flesh by degrees and at last made it all white that was an evidence of the cure of the leprosie Levit. 13. 12 13. but it was otherwise when one was suddenly and extraordinarily smitten with this universal whiteness which shewed the great corruption of the whole mass of blood as it was here and Aaron looked upon Miriam and behold she was leprous 11 And Aaron said unto Moses Alas my lord I beseech thee lay not the sin upon us y Let not the guilt and punishment of this sin rest upon us upon her in this kind upon me in any other kind but pray to God for the pardon and removal of it wherein we have done foolishly and wherein we have sinned 12 Let her not be as one dead z Either naturally because part of her flesh was putrefied and dead and not to be restored but by the mighty power of God Or morally because she was cut off from all converse with others Levit. 13. 46. of whom the flesh is half consumed when he cometh out of his mothers womb a Like an untimely birth without due shape and proportion or like a still born child that hath been for some time dead in the womb which when it comes forth is white and putrefied and part of it consumed 13 And Moses cryed unto the LORD saying Heal her now O God I beseech thee 14 And the LORD said unto Moses * See Heb. 12. 9. If her father had but spit in her face b i. e. Expressed some eminent token of indignation and contempt which this was Iob 30. 10. Isa. 50. 6. should she not be ashamed c And withdraw her self from her fathers presence as Ionathan did upon a like occasion 1 Sam. 20. 34. So though God healed her according to Moses his request yet he would have her publickly bear the shame of her sin and be a warning to others to keep them from the same transgression seven dayes let her be * Lev. 13. 46. shut out from the camp seven dayes d The time appointed for cleansing the unclean See Numb 6. 9. and 31. 19. and after that let her be received in again 15 And Miriam was shut out from the camp seven dayes and the people journeyed not till Miriam was brought in again e Which was a testimony of respect to her both from God and from the people God so ordering it partly least she should be overwhelmed by such a publick rebuke from God and partly least she being a Prophetess together with her person the gift of Prophesie should come into contempt 16 And afterward the people removed from Hazeroth f Where they abode as is said Numb 11. 35. for Miriams sake and pitched in the wilderness of Paran g i. e. In another part of the same wilderness as may be gathered from Numb 10. 12. See also Deut. 33. 2. It is possible they might have removed out of one part of that wilderness into another wilderness and then returned again into another part of it as we know the Israelites had many strange windings and turnings in their Wilderness travels And this part was more especially called Rithmah Numb 33. 18. and Kadesh-barnea Numb 13. 26. Deut. 1. 19. which were two noted places in that part both which seem to be comprehended within their camp or near adjoyning to it CHAP. XIII 1 AND the LORD spake unto Moses a In answer to the peoples petition about it as is evident from Deut. 1. 22. And it is probable from the following story that the people desired it out of diffidence of Gods promise and providence though Moses liked of it as a prudent course to learn where or how to make the first invasion And God granted their desire for their trial and punishment as well knowing from what root it came saying 2 * chap. 32. 8. Deut. 1. 22. Send thou men b Do as
†Heb. found us befallen us u All the wandrings and afflictions of our parents and of us their children which doubtless have come to thine ears 15 How our fathers went down into Egypt and we have dwelt in Egypt a long time and the Egyptians vexed us and our fathers 16 And * Exod. 3. 7. when we cryed unto the LORD he heard our voice and sent an angel x To wit the Angel of the covenant Christ Jesus who first appeared to Moses in the bush Exod. 3. 2. and afterward in the cloudy pillar who conducted Moses and the people out of Egypt and thorough the wilderness as appears from Exod. 14. 19. and 23. 20. and 33. 14. 1 Cor. 10. 4. For though Moses may be called an Angel or messenger a title given to Phinehas Iudg. 2. 1. and to the Prophets 2 Chrâ—…n 36. 16. and to Haggai Hag. 1. 13. yet it is not probable that he is meant partly because Moses was the person that sent this message partly because there was no reason why he should express himself by such a dark and doubtful title to them and partly because another angel besides and above Moses did conduct them and the mention hereof to the Edomites was likely to give more authority and efficacy to their present message and hath brought us forth out of Egypt and behold we are in Kadesh y i. e. Near the city Kadâ—…sh the particle in being oft so used as we have shewed a city in the uttermost of thy border 17 Let us pass I pray thee through thy coâ—…ntrey we will not pass through the fields or through the vineyards neither will we drink of the water of the wells z Or pits which any of you have digged for your private use to wit without paying for it ver 19. Deut. 2. 6. but onely of the waters of common rivers which are free to all passengers and will not be prejudicial to thee we will go by the kings high-way we will not turn to the right hand nor to the left until we have passed thy borders 18 And Edom said unto him Thou shalt not pass by me a i. e. Through my country as thou desirest I will not suffer thee to do so which was an act of common policy to secure themselves from so numerous an host lest I come out against thee with the sword 19 And the children of Israel said unto him b i. e. Their messengers replyed unto them what here follows We will go by the high-way and if I and my cattel drink of thy water then I will pay for it c For water was a scarce commodity in those parts I will onely without doing any thing else go through on my feet 20 And he said Thou shalt not go through And Edom came out against him with much people and with a strong hand 21 Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border d But permitted them to go by their border Deut. 2. 4 8. Iudg. 11. 18. and furnished them with victuals for their money Deut. 2. 29. wherefore Israel turned away from him e According to Gods command Deut. 2. 5. 22 And the children of Israel even the whole congregation journeyed from * chap. 33. 37. Kadesh and came unto mount Hor f Whose inhabitants were thence called Horims Deut. 2. 12. and Esau the Horite Gen. 36. 20. 23 And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in mount Hor by the coast of the land of Edom saying 24 Aaron shall be gathered unto his people for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel because ye rebelled against my †Heb. mouth word g This was one but not the onely reason God would not have Moses and Aaron to carry the people into Canaan for this reason also to signifie the insufficiency of the Mosaical law and Aaronical Priesthood to make them perfectly happy and the necessity of a better and so to keep the Israelites from resting in them so as to be taken off from their expectation of Christ and from the entertainment of him when he should come at the water of Meribah 25 * chap. 33. 38. Deut. 32. 50. Take Aaron and Eleazar his son and bring them up unto mount Hor 26 And strip Aaron of his garments h To wit of his Priestly garments Exod. 28. 2. Levit. 8. 7 8 9. in token of his resignation of his office See the like Isa. 22. 15 19 20 21. and put them upon Eleazar his son i By way of admission and inauguration of him to his office and Aaron shall be gathered unto his people and shall die there 27 And Moses did as the LORD commanded and they went up into mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation k That their hearts might be more affected with their loss of so great a pillar and that they all might be witnesses of the translation of the Priesthood from Aaron to Eleazar and therefore might give him the honour due to him 28 And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments and put them upon Eleazar his son and * Deut. 10. 6. 32. 50. Aaron died there l To wit in mount Hor. Obj. He died in Mosera Deut. 10. 6. Ans. Mosera was the general name of the place where that station was and mount Hor is a particular place in it where he died and was buried also Deut. 10. 6. in the top of the mount and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mount 29 And when all the congregation saw m i. e. Understood by the relation of Moses and Eleazar and by other signs So seeing is used Gen. 42. 1. Act. 7. 12. that Aaron was dead they mourned for Aaron thirty dayes n The time of publick and solemn mourning for great persons See Deut. 34. 8. even all the house of Israel CHAP. XXI 1 AND when * chap. 33. 40. †Heb. the Canaanite king of Arad Josh. 12. 14. Judg. 1. 16. King Arad the Canaanite a Or rather the Canaanite King of Arad for Arad is not the name of a man but of a city or territory as may seem from Ios. 12. 14. Iudg. 1. 16. if at least this was the same place with that And he seems to be called a Canaanite in a general sence as the Amorites and others sometimes are which dwelt in the south b To wit of Canaan as appears from Numb 33. 40. towards the east and near the dead Sea heard tell that Israel came by the way of the spies c Not of those spies which Moses sent to spie the land Numb 13. 17. for that was done 38 years before this and they went so privately that the Canaanites took no notice of them nor knew which way they came or went but of the spies which he himself sent out to observe the marches and motions of the Israelites But the words
And they removed from Tarah and pitched in Mithcah 29 And they went from Mithchah and pitched in Hashmonah 30 And they departed from Hashmonah and * Deut 1. â—… encamped at Moseroth 31 And they departed from Moseroth and pitched in Bene-jaakan h Called more 〈◊〉 meroth-bene-jaacan Deut. 10. â—… 32 And they removed from * See Gen. 36. 27. Deut. 10. 6. 1 Chro. 1. 42. Bene-jaakan and encamped at * Deut. 10. 7. Hor-hagidgad i Called Gudgodah as Iotbathah is called Iotbath Deut. 10. 7. 33 And they went from Hor-hagidgad and pitched in Jotbathah 34 And they removed from Jotbathah and encamped at Ebronah 35 And they departed from Ebronah and encamped at Ezion-gaber k A place upon the Red-sea as appears from 1 King 9. 26. and 22. 48. 36 And they removed from Ezion-gaber and pitched in the * chap. 20. 1. wilderness of Zin which is Kadesh 37 And they removed from * chap. 20. 22. Kadesh and pitched in mount Hor in the edge of the land of Edom. 38 And * chap. 20. 25. Deut. 32. 50. Aaron the priest went up into mount Hor at the commandment of the LORD and died there in the fortieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt in the first day of the fifth month 39 And Aaron was an hundred and twenty and three years old when he died in mount Hor. 40 And * chap. 21. 1. c. king Arad the Canaanite which dwelt in the south in the land of Canaan heard of the coming of the children of Israel 41 And they departed from mount * chap. 21. 4. Hor and pitched in Zalmonah 42 And they departed from Zalmonah and pitched in Punon 43 And they departed from Punon and * chap. 21. 10 pitched in Oboth 44 And they departed from Oboth and pitched in ‖ Or heaps of Abarim Ije-abarim in the border of Moab 45 And they departed from Iim l Rather Ijim i. e. the heaps as the word signifies even the heaps of Abarim last mentioned the Hebrew word is the same with Ije ver 44. onely there it is in the construed and here in the absolute form and pitched chap. 21. 11. in Dibon-gad m So called partly by way of distinction of this from another Dibon in the portion of Reuben Ios. 13. 17. and partly because it was rebuilt by the tribe of Gad. 46 And they removed from Dibon-gad and encamped in Almon * Ezek. 6. 14. diblathaim 47 And they removed from Almon-diblathaim and pitched in the mountains of Abarim before Nebo n Of which see Numb 27. 12. Deut. 32. 49 50. and 34. 1. 48 And they departed from the mountains of Abarim and * chap. 22. 1. pitched in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho 49 And they pitched by Jordan from Beth-jesimoth even unto ‖ Or the plain of Shittim * chap. 25. 1. Abel-Shittim o Called Sittim Numb 25. 1. and here Abel-sittim for the grievous mourning which there was both for the hainous crimes committed and horrible judgments their inflicted in the plains of Moab 50 And the LORD spake unto Moses in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho saying 51 Speak unto the children of Israel and say unto them When ye are passed over Jordan into the land of Canaan 52 * Deut. 7. 2. Josh. 11. 12. Then ye shall drive out p Not by banishing but by destroying them as it is explained Deut. 7. 1 2. and elsewhere all the inhabitants of the land from before you and destroy all their pictures * Exod. 34. 13. q Which seem to have been stones curiously ingraven and set up for worship See Deut. 16. 22. and destroy all their molten images r See Exod. 23. 24 32. Deut. 7. 5. and quite pluck down all their high places s i. e. by a Metonymy the Chappâ—… Altars Groves or other means of worâ—…hip there set up â—…or 〈◊〉 â—…ills themselves could not be destroyed by them See on Deut. â—…2 2. 53 And ye shall disposses the inhabitants of the land and dwell therein for I have given you the land to possess it 54 And * chap. 26. 53. ye shall divide the land by lot for an inheritance among your families and to the moe ye shall †Heb. multiply his inheritance give the more inheritance and to the fewer ye shall †Heb. diminish his inheritance give the less inheritance every mans inheritance shall be in the place where his lot falleth according to the tribes of your fathers ye shall inherit 55 But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you then it shall come to pass that those which ye let remain of them shall be * Josh. 23. 13. Judg. 2. 3. pricks in your eyes t and thorns in your sides and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell s i. e. Both vexatious and pernicious for the eye is a tender part and a wound there is very mischievous 56 Moreover it shall come to pass that I shall do unto you as I thought to do unto them CHAP. XXXIV 1 AND the LORD spake unto Moses saying 2 Command the children of Israel and say unto them When ye come into the land of Canaan this is the land that shall fall unto you for an inheritance even the land of Canaan with the coasts a Or limits or bounds to wit of the land beyond Iordan Which are here particularly described 1. to direct and bound them in their wars and conquests that they might not seek the enlargement of their empire after the manner of other nations but be contented with their own portion 2. To encourage them in their attempt upon Canâ—…an and assure them of their success 3. to guide them in the approaching distribution of the land thereof 3 Then * Josh. 15. 1. your south-quarter b Which is here described from East to West by divers windings and turnings by reason of the mountains rivers c. shall be from the wilderness of Zin along by the coast of Edom c Bordering all along upon the Edomites and your south-border shall be the outmost coast of * Gen. 14. 3. the salt sea d So called from the salt and sulphureous tast of its waters eastward e i. e. At the eastern part of that sea where the Eastern and Southern borders meet 4 And your border shall turn from the south to the ascent of Akrabbim f Called Maaleh-akrabbim Ios. 15. 3. which was at the south end of the salt or dead sea and pass unto Zin and the going forth thereof shall be from the south g Or on the south i. e. proceeding onward towards the South to Kadesh-Barnea h Which was on the Southern part of Canaan Numb 13. 17. and shall go on to Hazar-addar i Which
defending themselves and annoying their Enemies and set their battel again in aray in the place where they put themselves in aray the first day i Hereby shewing their freedom from that Heathenish Superstition whereby they might have been apt to have rejected that as an unlucky place Compare 1 King 20. 23 28. 23 And the children of Israel went up and wept k Not so much for their Sins as for their Defeat and Loss as appears by the Sequel before the LORD until even and asked counsel of the LORD saying Shall I go up to battel against the children of Benjamin my brother l They impute their ill Success not to their own Sins as they had great reason to do but to their taking up Arms against their Brethren the Lawfulness whereof they now begin to doubt of But still they persist in their former neglect of seeking Gods assistance in the way which he had appointed as they themselves acknowledge presently by doing those very things which now they Sinfully neglected v. 26. and therefore are again justly punished l God answers to their question but as they did not desire his assistance and success so he doth not promise it And the LORD said Go up against him 24 And the children of Israel came near against the children of Benjamin the second day 25 And Benjamin went forth against them out of Gibeah the second day and destroyed down to the ground of the children of Israel again eighteen thousand men all these drew the sword 26 ¶ Then all the children of Israel and all the people went up and came unto the house of God and wept and sat there before the LORD and fasted m Being now sensible of their former slightness and not being truly humbled for their Sins which now they discover to be the true Cause of their ill success that day until even and offered burnt-offerings n To make atonement to God for their own Sins and peace-offerings o Partly to bless God for sparing so many of them whereas he might justly have cut off all of them when their Brethren were slain and partly to Implore his assistance for the future and to give him Thanks for the Victory which now they were confident he would give them before the LORD 27 And the children of Israel enquired of the LORD p To wit by Urim and Thummim Numb 27. 21. for the ark of the covenant of God was there q In Shiloh where they were now assembled in those days 28 And Phineas the son of Eleazar r This is added to give us some light about the time of this History and to shew it was not done in the order in which it is here placed after Sampson's Death but long before the son of Aaron stood s i. e. Ministred as the word stand oft signifies as Deut. 10. 8. and 18. 7. Prov. 22. 29. Ier. 52. 12. compare with 2 King 25. 8. because standing is the usual posture of Servants before it t i. e. Before the Ark or before his i. e. the Lord's face or presence which shews that he was the high-priest for none else might appear there in those days saying Shall I yet again go out to battel against the children of Benjamin my brother or shall I cease u Which if thou requirest we are willing to do notwithstanding the provocation they have given us and our own Inclination to revenge And the LORD said Go up for to morrow I will deliver them into thine hand Now when they had sought God after the due order and truly humbled themselves for their Sins he gives them a full and satisfactory Answer to their Desires 29 And Israel set liers in wait x Though they were assured of the Success by a particular and absolute promise yet they do not neglect the use of means as well knowing that the certainty of Gods purposes or promises doth not excuse but rather require Mans diligent use of all fit means for the accomplishment of them round about Gibeah y i. e. On several sides of it as may be gathered from the following Verses 30 And the children of Israel z i. e. A considerable part of them who were ordered to give the first onset and then to counterfeit flight to draw the Benjamites forth of their strong hold See v. 32. went up against the children of Benjamin on the third day a To wit after the second Battel for the first day after it they spent in perplexing thoughts and going up to the House of the Lord the second in Fasting and Prayer there and this third in the Fight Or this is so called with respect unto the two several foregoing days of Battel and so this was the third day of Battel and put themselves in aray against Gibeah as at other times 31 And the children of Benjamin went out against the people and were drawn away from the city b By the dissembled Flight of the Israelites and they began ‡ 〈◊〉 to sinite of the people wounded as at c. to smite of the people and kill as at other times c With the same kind though not the same degree of Success in the high-ways of which one goeth up to ‖ Oâ—… Bethel the house of God and the other to Gibeah in the field d So called to difference it from this Gibeah which was upon an Hill wherefore they are constantly said to ascend or go up against it as v. 23 30. See Ios. 18. 24 28. about thirty men of Israel 32 And the children of Benjamin said They are smitten down before us as at the first But the children of Israel said Let us flee and draw them from the city unto the high-ways 33 And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place e Where they had disposed themselves that they might fall upon the Benjamites when they were drawn forth to a sufficient distance from their City and when they were pursuing that Party mentioned v. 30. and put themselves in aray at Baal-Tamar and the lyers in wait of Israel came forth out of their places f To execute what was agreed upon even to take Gibeah and burn it as they actually did v. 37. even out of the meadows of Gibeah 34 And there came against Gibeah ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel g Selected out of the main Body which was at Baal-Tamar and these were to march directly to Gibeah on the one side whilst the liers in wait stormed it on the other side and whilst the great Body of the Army laboured to intercept these Benjamites who having pursued the Israelites that pretended to flee now endeavoured to retreat to Gibeah and the battel was sore but they knew not that evil was near them h They were so puffed up with their former Successes that they were insensible of their danger 35 And the
of Cubits the one common the other Sacred and the Sacred held half as much more as the common or rather he here speaks of what it did actually and usually contain to wit 200 Baths which was sufficient for use and in 2 Chron. 4. 5. he speaks of what it could contain if it were filled to the brim as it is implied in the Hebrew words which differ from these and properly sound thus strengthning it self to wit to receive and hold as much as it could or being filled to its utmost capacity it contained or could contain 3000 Baths 27 ¶ And he made ten bases o Upon which stood the ten Lavers mentioned below v. 38. in which they washed the parts of the Sacrifices 2 Chr. 4. 6. of brass four cubits was the length of one base and four cubits the breadth thereof and three cubits the height of it 28 And the work of the bases was on this manner they had borders p Broad brims possibly for the more secure holding of the Lavers and the borders were between the ledges q 29 And on the borders that were between the ledges were lions oxen and cherubims and upon the ledges there was a base r So he calls the uppermost part of the Base for though it was above yet it was a Base to the Laver which stood upon it above beneath the lions and oxen were certain additions s Either as Bases for the Feet of the said Lions and Oxen or onely as further Ornaments made of thin work 30 ¶ And every base had four brazen wheels t Whereby the Bases and Lavers might be carried from place to place as need required and plates of brass and the four corners thereof had under-setters u Heb. Shoulders fitly so called because they strongly supported the Lavers that they should not fall from their Bases when the Bases were removed together with the Lavers under the laver were undersetters molten at the side of every addition 31 And the mouth of it x So he calls that part in the top of the Base which was left hollow that the Foot of the Laver might be let into it and fastned in it within the chapiter y i. e. Within the little Base which he calls the chapiter because it rose up from and stood above the great Base as the Head doth above the rest of the Body and above z Above the Chapiter for the Mouth went up and grew wider like a Funnel was a cubit a Either in breadth or rather in height v. 35. whereof half a Cubit was above the Chapiter or little Base as is said ver 35. and the other half is here implied to be within it and below it but the mouth thereof was round after the work of the base a cubit and an half b To wit in compass and also upon the mouth of it were gravings with their borders four-square not round c So the innermost part called the Mouth was round but the outward part was square as when a Circle is made within a Quadrangle 32 And under the borders were four wheels and the axle-trees of the wheels were ‡ Heb. in the base joyned to the base and the height of a wheel was a cubit and half a cubit 33 And the work of the wheels was like the work of a charet-wheel their axle-trees and their naves and their felloes and their spokes were all molten d And cast together with the Bases 34 And there were four under-setters to the four corners of one base and the under-setters were of the very base it self e Not onely of the same matter but of the same piece being cast with it 35 And in the top of the base was there a round compass of half a cubit high and on the top of the base the ledges thereof and the borders thereof were of the same 36 For on the plates of the ledges thereof and on the borders thereof he graved cherubims lions and palm-trees according to the ‡ Heb. nakedness proportion f Or empty place i. e. according to the bigness of the spaces which were left empty for them implying that they were smaller than those above-mentioned of every one and additions round about 37 After this manner he made the ten bases all of them had one casting one measure and one cise 38 ¶ Then made he ten lavers of brass one laver contained forty baths g Ten Barrels of which see above on ver 26. and every laver was four cubits and upon every one of the ten bases one laver 39 And he put five bases on the right ‡ Heb. shoulder side h i. e. In the South-side as is expressed in the end of the Verse and as the right side is used above 1 King 6. 8. and Psal. 89. 12. of the house i Not within the House but in the Priests Court where they washed either their Hands or Feet or the parts of the Sacrifices and five on the left side of the house k i. e. On the North-side for this is here opposed to the right or South side and he set the sea on the right side of the house eastward over against the south l i. e. In the South-East part where the Offerings were prepared 40 ¶ And Hiram made the lavers and the shovels and the basons So Hiram made an end of doing all the work that he made king Solomon for the house of the LORD 41 The two pillars and the two bowls of the chapiters that were on the top of the two pillars and the two net-works to cover the two bowls of the chapiters which were upon the top of the pillars 42 And four hundred pomegranates for the two net-works even two rows of pomegranates for one net-work to cover the two bowls of the chapiters that were ‡ Heb. upon the face of the pillars upon the pillars 43 And the ten bases and ten lavers on the bases 44 And one sea and twelve oxen under the sea 45 And the pots m To seethe those parts of the Sacrifices which the Priests or Officers were to eat To these flesh-hooks are added 2 Chron. 4. 16. and the shovels and the basons and all these vessels which Hiram made to king Solomon for the house of the LORD were of ‡ Heb. made bright or scoured bright brass 46 In the plain of Jordan did the king cast them ‡ Heb. in the thickness of the ground in the clay ground n Or in thick clay fat and tough and tenacious and therefore fittest to make Moulds of all sorts into which the melted Brass was to be poured between Succoth and Zarthan 47 And Solomon left all the vessels unweighed ‡ Heb. for the exceeding multitude o Because the weighing of them was very troublesome and to no purpose because they were exceeding many neither was the weight of the brass ‡ Heb.
as it follows but by vehement perswasions and denunciations of Gods further Judgments upon him if he did not depart Some suppose that the Earthquake mentioned Amos 1. 1. Zech. 14. 5. happened upon this occasion as another token of Gods displeasure against this unparallel'd arrogancy yea himself * 〈◊〉 6. 12 hasted also to go out because the LORD had smitten him 21 * 〈◊〉 15. 5. 〈◊〉 13. 26 〈◊〉 And Uzziah the king was a leper unto the day of his death r God would have this Leprosy to be incurable as a lasting monument of his Anger against such presumptuous Invaders of the Priests office and dwelt in a * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †several house being a leper s As he was obliged to do by Law Levit. 13. 46. which he durst not now resist being under the hand and stroke of God and under the fear of further and worse plagues if he did so for t So the following words are a reason of the former he dwelt in a several house because he might not come into the Temple or Courts nor consequently into any publick Assembly or the society of others Or and therefore as the Hebrew Chi oft signifies and the Particle and is oft understood So it is an inference from the next foregoing words He was a Leper and therefore he was cut off c. He who could not content himself with Gods allowance but usurped the Priests place and office is now deprived of the priviledge of the meanest of his People A just and most suitable Judgment he was cut off from the house of the LORD and Jotham his son was over the kings house judging the people of the land 22 Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah first and last did Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz write 23 So Uzziah slept with his fathers and they buried him with his fathers in the field of the burial which belonged to the kings for they said He is a leper and Jotham his son reigned in his stead CHAP. XXVII 1 JOtham * 2 Kin 15 32 c. was twenty and five years old when he began to reign and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem his mothers name also was Jerushah the daughter of Zadok 2 And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD according to all that his father Uzziah did howbeit he entred not into the temple of the LORD a To wit to offer Incense But seeing this was commendable how is this mentioned as an exception from the foregoing Character that he did as his Father did in that which was right c. Answ. It is an exception onely from the last clause where also one word may be supplied out of the foregoing words as is most usual in Scripture thus He did according to all that his father Uzziah did then it fitly follows howbeit c. i. e. except in his miscarriages And the people did yet corruptly 3 He built b i. e. Repaired it for it was built before ch 11. 5. the high-gate c 〈◊〉 wise called the New gate Jer. 36. 10. of the house of the LORD and on the wall of ‖ Or the 〈◊〉 â—…r Ophel d A Tower upon 〈◊〉 the wall of Jerusalem which probably he fortified as his Father 〈◊〉 done other Towers ch 2. 6. 9. he built much 5 He fought also with the king of the Ammonites e Who it seems endeavoured to shake off the yoke which from Davids time had been put upon them and prevailed against them And the children of Ammon gave him the same year an hundred talents of silver and ten thousand measures of wheat and ten thousand of barley †Heb. this So much did the children of Ammon pay unto him both the second year and the third 6 So Jotham became mighty because he ‖ Or established prepared his ways d Or directed his ways i. e. his counsels and actions by the rule of Gods Law before the LORD his God 7 Now the rest of the acts of Jotham and all his wars and his ways lo they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah 8 He was five and twenty years old when he began to reign and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem 9 And Jotham slept with his fathers and they buried him in the city of David and Ahaz his son reigned in his stead CHAP. XXVIII 1 AHaz * 2 Kin. 16. 〈◊〉 was twenty years old when he began to reign and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem but he did not that which was right in the sight of the LORD like David his father 2 For he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel and made also molten images for Baalim a To worship his Baalim or false gods in and by them 3 Moreover he ‖ Or offered sacrifice burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom and burnt * Lâ—…v 18. 21. his children in the fire after the abominations of the heathen whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel 4 He sacrificed also and burnt incense in the high places and on the hills and under every green tree 5 Wherefore the LORD his God b God was his God though not by Covenant and Grace and special Relation which Ahaz had renounced yet by his Soveraign Dominion over him For God did not forfeit his Right by Ahaz his denying it delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria and they smote him and carried away a great multitude of them captives and brought them to †Heb. Darmesek Damascus and he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel who smote him with a great slaughter 6 For * 2 Kin. 15. 2â—… Isa. â—… â—… Pekah the son of Remaliah slew in Judah an hundred and twenty thousand in one day which were all †Heb. sons of valour valiant men because they had forsaken the LORD God of their fathers 7 And Zichri a mighty man of Ephraim slew Maasejah the kings son and Azrikam the governour of the house and Elkanah that was †Heb. the second to the king next to the king 8 And the children of Israel carried away captive of their brethren two hundred thousand women sons and daughters and took also away much spoil from them and brought the spoil to Samaria 9 But a prophet of the LORD was there whose name was Oded and he went out before the host that came to Samaria and said unto them Behold * Psal. 69. 26. Isa. 10. 5. 47. 6. Ezek. 2. 12 15. 26. 2. Obad. 10. c. Zech. 1. 15. because the LORD God of your fathers was wroth with Judah he hath delivered them into your hand and ye have slain them in a rage that reacheth up unto heaven c i. e. In a most high and fierce manner An usual Hyperbole withal signifying that their Rage did cry aloud and
them to fit themselves for so great and solemn a Work that they may do according to the word of the LORD by the hand of Moses 7 And Josiah †〈…〉 gave to the people of the stock lambs and kids h For either of these might be used for the Paschal-offering Exod. 12. 5. all for the passover offerings for all that were present to the number of thirty thousand and three thousand bullocks i Which were to be offered after the Lambs upon the several days of the Feast of Unleavened Bread these were of the kings substance 8 And his princes k Not the Political but Ecclesiastical Princes or the Chief of the Priests and Levites whose Names here follow †〈…〉 gave willingly unto the people to the priests and to the Levites l For the use of any of the Families of any of them as need should be For they supposed the 30000 which the King had given were not sufficient for all the Families Or the King gave his Cattel to the People onely or principally for they onely are mentioned for that Gift v. 7. And therefore these persons here named give their Cattel not onely to the People but also to the Priests and to the Levites as it is here expressed And the Levites being not yet sufficiently provided for some of their Brethren named v. 9. gave 5000 more peculiarly unto the Levites as is there said Hilkiah and Zechariah and Jehiel rulers of the house of God m For so they were Hilkiah being the High-priest and the other the two Chief Priests of the two Lines of Eleazar and Ithamar who many times were to officiate in the High-priests stead and were in Power and Dignity next to him and were in some sort joynt-commissioners with him in ruling the Affairs of the Temple gave unto the priests for the passoverofferings two thousand and six hundred small cattel and five hundred oxen 9 Conaniah also and Shemajah and Nethaneel his brethren and Hashabiah and Jehiel and Jozabad chief of the Levites †〈…〉 gave unto the Levites for passover offerings five thousand small cattel and five hundred oxen 10 So the service was prepared and the priests stood in their place and the Levites in their courses according to the kings commandment 11 And they killed the passover and the priests sprinkled the blood from their hand and the Levites * 〈◊〉 â—…9 flayed them n Which they did though properly it belonged to the Priests because the Priests who were sanctified were not sufficient for that Work there being so many thousands of the Cattel and they were fully employed in the killing of the Sacrifices and the sprinkling of the Blood which was more properly the Priests work than the other 12 And they removed the burnt-offerings o i. e. Those Cattel which were to be offered for Burnt-offerings to wit some of the lesser Cattel for these also might be offered as burnt-offerings Levit. 1. 10. And hence it may seem that all these small Cattel were not given to the People to be eaten by them for their Paschal-lambs but that some of them were to be offered as burnt-offerings for the People And these they put apart by themselves partly lest they should be confounded with them which were for another use and partly that they might not be hindred from that which was their present and more immediate work as it follows that they might give To wit the Paschal-lambs or Kids that they might give according to the divisions of the families of the people to offer unto the LORD p These words may belong either 1. to the more remote words the burnt-offerings the other words being to be put within a Parenthesis or there being a trajection in the words which is frequent in Scripture and which is here observed by some learned Interpreters Or 2. to the last words and to the Paschal-lambs which they were first to be offered to the Lord by Killing them and sprinkling the Blood as was noted before and then to be given to the People though the giving be here mentioned before the offering such transpositions being usual in Scripture and other Authors as it is written * Lev. 3. 3. in the book of Moses and so did they with the oxen q To wit as they did with the lesser Cattel of which see the first Note on this Verse They removed those Oxen which were to be offered as Burnt-offerings from those which were to be offered as Peace offerings 13 And they * Exod. 12. 8 9. rosted the passover with fire according to the ordinance but the other holy offerings r Those from which the Burnt-offerings were removed v. 12. to wit the Peace-offerings part of which fell to the share of the Offerer who was Josiah and by his Gift to the People sod they in pots and in caldrons and in pans and †Heb. made them run divided them speedily among all the people 14 And afterward they made ready s To wit the Paschal-lambs and their part of the Peace-offerings for themselves and for the priests because the priests the sons of Aaron were busied in offering of burnt-offerings and the fat until night therefore the Levites prepared for themselves and for the priests the sons of Aaron 15 And the singers the sons of Asaph were in their †Heb. station place according to the * 1 Chr. 25. 1â—… c. commandment of David and Asaph and Heman and Jeduthun the kings seer and the porters * 1 Chr. 9. 17 18. 26. 14 c. waited at every gate they might not depart from their service for their brethren the Levites prepared for them 16 So all the service of the LORD was prepared the same day to keep the passover and to offer burnt-offerings upon the altar of the LORD according to the commandment of king Josiah 17 And the children of Israel that were †Heb. found present kept the passover at that time and the feast of unleavened bread seven days 18 And * 2 Kin. 23. 22. there was no passover like to that kept in Israel from the days of Samuel the prophet neither did all the kings of Israel keep such a passover as Josiah kept and the priests and the Levites and all Judah and Israel that were present and the inhabitants of Jerusalem 19 In the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah was this passover kept 20 * 2 Kin. 23. 2â—… Jer. 46. 2. After all this when Josiah had prepared the †Heb. house temple t When he and his People hoped that God was reconciled and the Foundation of a solid and lasting Happiness was laid their Hopes were quickly blasted So much are men oft mistaken in their Judgments about the Designs of Gods Counsel and Providence Necho king of Egypt came up to fight against Carchemish u Which the Assyrian had lately taken from the King of
of Abishua the son of Phinehas the son of Eleazar the son of Aaron the chief priest 6 This Ezra went up from Babylon c With the Kings consent and Commission and he was a ready scribe d i. e. A learned and expert Doctor for in that sense the word Scribe is oft used as Ier. 8. 8. Mat. 7. 29. 17. 10. 23. 2 13. Mark 12. 28. compare with Mat. 22. 35 36. in the law of Moses which the LORD God of Israel had given and the King granted him all his request according to the hand of the LORD his God upon him e i. e. By the Grace and Favour of God so disposing the heart of the King 7 And there went up some of the children of Israel and of the priests and the Levites and the singers and the porters and * Ch. 2. 43. the Nethinims unto Jerusalem f This is here related in the general but how he procured this is particularly related hereafter in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king 8 And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month which was in the seventh year of the king 9 For upon the first day of the first month †Heb. was the foundation of the going up began he to go up from Babylon and on the first day of the fifth month came he to Jerusalem according to the good hand of his God upon him 10 For Ezra had prepared his heart g Or directed c. i. e. He had set his mind and affections upon it and made it his chief design and business to seek h i. e. To search and find out the true sense and meaning of it and thence to learn what sins or errours were to be reformed and what duties were to be performed the law of the LORD and to do it and to teach in Israel i The order of things in this verse is very observable first he endeavours to understand Gods Law and Word and that not for curiosity oâ—… ostentation but in order to practice next he conscientiously practiseth what he did understand which made his Doctrine much more effectual and then he earnestly desires and labours to instruct and edifie others that they also might know and do it statutes and judgments 11 Now this is the copy of the letter that the king Artaxerxes gave unto Ezra the priest the scribe even a scribe of the words of the commandments k The Phrase seems emphatical noting that he explained both the words and the things For the Jews in the Land of their Captivity had in a great measure lost both their Language and the Knowledge of Gods Commands and therefore Ezra and his Companions instruct them in both of which see more on Nehem. 8. 8. of the LORD and of his statutes to Israel 12 Artaxerxes king of kings ‖ Or to Ezra the priest a perfect scribe of the law of the God of 〈◊〉 peace c. unto Ezra the priest a scribe of the law of the God of heaven perfect peace and at such a time 13 I make a decree that all they of the people of Israel and of his priests and Levites in my realm which are minded of their own free will to go up to Jerusalem go with thee 14 Forasmuch as thou art sent †Chal. from before the king of the king and of his * Esth. 1. 14. seven counsellors l His chief Nobles and Officers of State of whom see also Esth. 1. 10 14. to enquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem according to the law of thy God m i. e. To make enquiry into all abuses and deviations from your Law and to redress them which is in thine hand n Which is now and always in thy hand being the matter of thy daily study and exercise which thou now carriest along with thee the Interpretation whereof belongeth unto thee 15 And to carry the silver and the gold which the king and his counsellors have freely offered unto the God of Israel whose habitation is in Jerusalem 16 * Ch. 8. 25. And all the silver and gold that thou canst find o i. e. Procure as that word is used Gen. 6. 8. 26. 12. Psal. 84. 3. 119. 162. Prov. 1. 13. 2. 5. 3. 13. Whatsoever thou canst get of my Subjects by way of free gift in all the province of Babylon with the free-will-offering of the people p To wit of Israel and of the priests offering willingly for the house of their God which is in Jerusalem 17 That thou maist buy speedily with this money bullocks rams lambs with their meat-offerings and their drink offerings and offer them upon the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem 18 And whatsoever shall seem good to thee and to thy brethren to do with the rest of the silver and gold that do after the will of your God 19 The vessels also that are given thee for the service of the house of thy God those deliver thou before the God of Jerusalem 20 And whatsoever more shall be needful for the house of thy God q Towards the Reparation or adorning or compleating of it See the notes on ch 6. 14. which thou shalt have occasion to bestow bestow it out of the kings treasure house 21 And I even I Artaxerxes the king do make a decree to all the treasurers which are beyond the river that whatsoever Ezra the priest the scribe of the law of the God of heaven shall require of you it be done speedily 22 Unto an hundred talents of silver and to an hundred measures of wheat and to an hundred baths †Chal. cors of wine and to an hundred baths of oil and salt without prescribing how much r Because it was but of mean price and of very common and necessary use in all their Sacrifices Lev. 2. 13. Mark 9. 49. 23 †Heb. whatsoever is of the decree Whatsoever is commanded by the God of heaven let it be diligently done for the house of the God of heaven for why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons s For the omission of any part of his Worship occasioned by my neglect This danger and duty he discerned partly by natural light and principally by the Information of Ezra ch 8. 22. who had the Kings Ear and Heart 24 Also we certifie unto you that touching any of the priests and Levites singers porters Nethinims or ministers of this house of God it shall not be lawful to impose toll tribute or custom upon them 25 And thou Ezra after the wisdom of thy God that is in thine hand t i. e. Which God hath put into thy Heart and which appears in the works of thy hand Wisdom is sometimes ascribed to the Hands as Psal. 78. 72. See my Latin Synopsis on Gen. 48. 14. Or by the Wisdom of God he means the Law of God
that time when multitudes were made Christs willing people by the preaching of the Apostles as we read Acts 2. 3. 4. 5 c. And for the second clause it is to be understood thus thou hast or as it is in the Hebrew to thee is the dew of thy youth or of thy childhood for the word jeled from which this is derived signifies sometimes a young man and sometimes a child or infant By youth or childhood he here seems to understand those young men or children which shall be born to the Messias who are called his children Heb. 2. 13. and his seed Isa. 53. 10. wherein possibly there might be an allusion to this dew Thus the abstract is here put for the concrete which is very frequent in the Hebrew Tongue as Circumcision and Uncircumcision are put for the circumcised and the uncircumcised c. And even in the Latine Tongue this very word youth is oft used for a young man or for a company of young men By the dew of youth he means youth or young men like dew the note of similitude being oft understood And this progeny of Christ is compared to the dew partly because of their great multitude being like drops of dew innumerable and covering the whole face of the earth see 2 Sam. 17. 12. and partly because of the strange manner of their generation which like that of the dew is done suddenly and secretly and not perceived till it be accomplished and to the admiration of those that behold it of which see Isa. 49. 21. Or 2. joyntly as one entire sentence The dew of thy youth i. e. Thy posterity which is like the dew as was noted and explained before is as the dew which may very well be understood out of the foregoing clause as the word feet is understood in like manner Psal. 18. 33. He maketh my feet like hinds feet of or from the womb of the morning it is like the morning dew as it is called both in Scripture as Hos. 6. 4. and in other Authors Not is it strange that a womb is ascribed to the morning seeing we read of the womb of the Sea and of the womb of the â—…oe and frost Job 38. 8 28 29. 4 The LORD hath sworn t Which he did not in the Aaronical Priesthood Heb. 7. 21. but did it here partly because the thing was new and strange and might seem incredible because God had already erected another and that an everlasting Priesthood Numb 25. 13. and given it to Aaron and his posterity for ever and therefore this needed all possible assurance and partly that this Priesthood might be established upon better promises as is said Heb. 8. 6. and made sure and irrevocable and such that God neither could nor would repent of it as it follows and therefore will not repent * Heb. 5. 6. 7. 17 21. Thou art u To wit by my order and constitution thou shalt be so and I do hereby make thee so a priest x As well as a King Those Offices which were divided before between two families are both united and invested in thee both being absolutely necessary for the discharge of thine Office and for the establishment of thy Kingdom which is of another kind than the Kingdoms of the World spiritual and heavenly and therefore needs such a King as is also a Minister of holy things This word plainly discovers that this Psalm cannot be understood of David as some of the Jews would have it but onely of the Messias And although this word Cohen be sometimes used of a Prince or great Person in the State as the Jews object yet it cannot be so understood here partly because it signifies a Priest in Gen. 14. 18. from whence this expression is borrowed partly because that word is never used of a Soveraign Prince or King such as the Jews confess the Messias to be but onely of inferiour Princes or Ministers of State as Gen. 41. 45. 2 Sam. 8. ult partly because such an inconsiderable assertion would never have been ushered in by so solemn an oath especially after far greater things had been said of him in the same kind v. 1 2 3. and partly because the Messias is called a Priest Zach. 6. 13. compare Ier. 20. 21. 35. 15 18. for ever y Not to be interrupted or translated to another person as the Priesthood of Aaron was upon the death of the Priest but to be continued to thee for ever after the order of Melchizedek z Or after the manner c. so as he was a Priest and also a King and both without any successor and without end in the sence intended Heb. 7. 3. 5 The Lord a Either 1. God the Father whose words and oath he last mentioned v. 4. So this is an Apostrophe of the Psalmist to Christ Thy God and Father is at thy right hand to wit to defend and assist thee as that phrase is used Psal. 16. 8. 109. 31. and elsewhere See the Notes on v. 1. And he to wit God the Father shall strike c. as it follows Although this latter clause may belong to the Messias and as in the former he spake to him so in this he speaketh of him such changes of persons being very frequent in this Book Or 2. God the Son or the Lord who is at thy right hand as was said before v. 1. shall strike c. So this is an Apostrophe to God the Father concerning his Son This seems best to agree with the following verses for it is evident that it is the same person who strikes thorow Kings and judgeth among the heathen and filleth c. And so this whole verse and those which follow speak of one person which seems most probable at thy right hand shall strike thorow kings b Shall mortally wound and destroy all those Kings and Potentates who are obstinate enemies to him and to his Church in the day of his wrath c In the day of battel when he shall contend with them and pour forth the flouds of his wrath upon them 6 He shall judge d Either 1. conquer and govern them or rather 2. condemn and punish them as it is explained in the following clauses and as this word is used Gen. 15. 14. Rom. 2. 1 2. 1 Pet. 4. 6. and elsewhere among the heathen he shall fill the places d Or the place of battel which is necessarily supposed in the fight and therefore may very well be understood with the dead bodies e Of his enemies slain by his hand and lying in the field in great numbers and heaps and that unburied to their greater infamy he shall wound the heads f Heb. the head Which may be understood either 1. of some one person and eminent adversary of Christ and of his Kingdom either the Devil by comparing this with Gen. 3. 15. Heb. 2. 14. who was indeed the Head or