is expressely noted that he began to prophecy in the thirteenth yeare of Josiahs reigne Jerem. 1.1 2. The words of Jeremiah to whom the word of the Lord came in the dayes of Josiah the sonne of Amon king of Judah in the thirteenth yeare of his reigne and this was that Josiah who was by name mentioned by the Prophet that foretold the polluting of Jeroboams altar about three hundred years before he was borne 1. Kings 13.2 And he cryed against the altar in the word of the Lord and said O altar altar thus saith the Lord Behold a child shall be born unto the house of David Josiah by name and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places c. Vers 3 And it came to passe in the eighteenth yeare of king Josiah that the king sent Shaphan c. That is in the eighteenth yeare not of his age but of his reigne for so it is expressed 2. Chron. 34.8 Now in the eighteenth yeare of his reigne when he had purged the land and the house he sent Shaphan the sonne of Azaliah c. Nor may we think that this was the first act of his piety and that till he had reigned eighteen years he did nothing this way for in the Chronicles we see where his acts are related according to the order of time wherein they were done first that in the eighth yeare of his reigne being then sixteen years old he began to bend himself to seek information how he might serve God as David had done secondly that in the twelfth yeare of his reigne he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of all their idolatry which he did also with a great deale of zeal 2. Chron. 34.3 For in the eight yeare of his reigne while he was yet young he began to seek after the God of David his father and in the twelfth yeare he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places and the groves c. and then thirdly that in the eighteenth yeare of his reigne when he was twenty six years old he set upon the work of repairing the temple as is here also related Vers 4. Go up to Hilkiah the high priest that he may summe the silver c. The prophet Jeremiah was the sonne of Hilkiah a priest Jer. 1.1 but whether he were the sonne of this Hilkiah the priest it is uncertain Vers 5. And let them deliver it into the hand of the doers of the work c. That is into the hand of the overseers of the work who were Levites 2. Chron. 34.12 And the men did the work of the Lord faithfully and the overseers of them were Jahath and Obadiah c. Vers 8. And Hilkiah the high priest said unto Shaphan the Scribe I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord. That is the authentick and originall copy of it written by Moses and delivered by him to the Levites to be laid up in the side of the ark Deut. 31.24 25 26. and thus did the Lord abundantly recompence their zeal for the repair of his Temple by bringing to their hands this precious jewell though it be most probable which the Hebrew writers say that Manasseh and Amon had endeavoured to burn up all the books of the law and so this book was hid in some secret place in the Temple by some faithfull priests that it might be preserved for future times yet it is not likely but that there were some transcripts of this sacred volume preserved amongst the people at least some parcels of it and that Josiah amongst others had not been a mere stranger to the book of the law for strange it were that he should live till the eighteenth yeare of his reigne and so piously reform what was amisse and never see the law of God till now rather because this was the originall book of the law which Moses himself had written there was great joy at the finding of it and to the king it was brought as a rare jewell indeed Josiahs astonishment vers 11. And it came to passe when the king had heard the words of the book of the law that he rent his clothes makes it clear that he had not formerly read or heard read those dreadfull threats of judgements against idolatry Levit. 26. or Deut. 28. which now were read to him out of this book but that might be though he had before seen many copies of the law his respect to this originall of Moses writing might make him desirous to heare it all read and so he might heare those terrible passages now which he had not read or heard before Vers 12. Achbor the sonne of Michaiah c. Or Abdon the sonne of Micah 2. Chron. 34.20 Vers 14. Now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the colledge Or as it is in the margin in the second part now if we read it so by the second part we must understand the second citie or the suburbs of Jerusalem which was encompassed with walls and gates severall from the citie but however it may well be that the reason why this clause is added is to intimate the reason why Hilkiah and those that were sent with him to enquire of the Lord went to Huldah the prophetesse rather then to Jeremiah or Zephaniah who at this time prophecyed in the land of Judah it was because she dwelt in Jerusalem and so was near at hand whereas they were at present in other parts of the kingdome and indeed we read that Anathoth was the place of Jeremiahs usuall dwelling Jer. 29.27 Vers 20. Thou shalt be gathered into thy grave in peace c. That is before these troubles and miseries fall upon this place and the inhabitants thereof whilest the kingdome doth yet flourish in prosperity and peace for though Josiah was slain by Pharaoh Necho chap. 23.29 yet because he died before that desolation came upon the land whereof Huldah had spoken and died in the love and favour of God also therefore she said that he should be gathered to his grave in peace CHAP. XXIII Vers 2. ANd the king went up into the house of the Lord and all the men of Judah c. To wit to renew solemnly their covenant with God that if it were possible the wrath of the Lord might be appeased and those judgements prevented which the prophetesse Huldah had told him were to come upon the land and because all were concerned in the danger all were called to this assembly the priests and the prophets and all the people where by the prophets may be meant not onely the prophets that at this time prophecyed in the land as Jeremiah Zephaniah and Urijah but likewise also those that lived in the schools of the prophets whereof there is often mention made in the Scripture Vers 3. And the king stood by a pillar c. That is on the brazen scaffold erected by Solomon which was made with pillars or on a throne which was according to the custome erected by
might better make bold with their husbands that were meaner men and not be so strictly tyed to obey their commands Vers 18. Likewise shall the ladies of Persia and Media say this day unto all the kings princes c. The drift of these words is that the ladies would learn of the queen to despise their husbands and then the meaner sort of wives would learn of them and so this would go through the whole kindgdome Thus shall there arise too much contempt and wrath That is wives shall be emboldened to contemn their husbands and by this means great wrath and discord shall grow betwixt husbands and wives Vers 19. Let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes that it be not altered c. It was the custome of the Medes and Persians that a law once signed by the king and registred among their statutes could not be altered no not by the king himself Daniel 6.8 15 16. and therefore they desire that it might be written among the laws of the Persians and Medes that it be not altered That Vashti come no more before king Ahasuerus that is that she be divorced and cast off from being his wife and queen Vers 22. For he sent letters into all the kings provinces into every province accordâ—ng to the writing thereof c. That is according to their severall characters and formes of writing and the drift of the letter was to enjoyn that every man should beare rule in his own house to wit upon the same penalty on the wives part if they did not obey that Vashti the queen had undergone namely that they should be divorced from their husbands CHAP. II. Vers 1. AFter these things when the wrath of king Ahasuerus was appeased he remembered Vashti c. Vashti was put away from the king towards the latter end of the third yeare of his reigne chap. 1.3 and Esther was married to him in the seventh yeare of his reigne vers 16. after two or happely three years had been spent in gathering together young virgins for the king in purifying them a twelve moneth together and in bringing them to the king one after another in their severall turns that he might choose which he liked best to be his queen so that it seems it was not long after that Vashti was put away that is in some part of the fourth yeare of his reigne when these things were done which are here next related when the wrath of the king Ahasuerus was appeased he remembred Vashti that is he bethought himself what wrong he had done her how farre that which she had done was from deserving so heavy a punishment as was inflicted on her and into what straits he had brought himself by making a decree which could not be reversed and all this no doubt he remembred with much grief and anguish being inwardly vexed for what he had done but not knowing how to help himself Vers 2. Then said the kings servants that ministred unto him Let their be fair young virgins sought for the king c. To drive these melancholy and sad thoughts out of his mind and to make him forget his forsaken Vashti and withall lest in further discontent he should fall foul upon those that had given him that counsel they advised him to give order that out of the severall provinces of his kingdome there should be gathered a company of the most beautifull virgins they should meet with out of whom he might choose one whom he liked best and make her his queen Vers 3. Gather together all the fair young virgins unto Shushan the palace to the house of the women unto the custodie of Hege the kings chamberlain keeper of the women The house of the women was it seems divided into two parts in the one were the virgins kept which was therefore called the house under the custody of Hege vers 18. in the other were the concubines kept under the custody of Shaashgaz another of the kings chamberlains for after they had once lain with the king they went no more to the house of the virgins but were carried to the house of the concubines which was therefore called the second house vers 14. In the evening she went and on the morrow she returned into the second house of the women but yet it seems this Hege who had the speciall custodie of the virgins had also the supreme government of the whole house and Shaashbaz was as it were under him and therefore is he called as here in generall the keeper of the women Vers 6 Who had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captivitie which had been carried away with Jeconiah c. This must be understood of Kish Mordecaies great grandfather for it cannot well be understood of Mordecai himself because the captivitie lasted seventy years ere Zerubbabel returned in the first yeare of Cyrus and from Cyrus to Artaxerxes Longimanus if he it be that is called Ahasuerus is accounted by the best Chronologers above seventy years so that by this computation Mordecai must needs be one hundred and fifty yeare old at least and how then was Esther his uncles daughter a young beautifull virgin and therefore chosen by the king to be his wife Vers 7. And he brought up Hadassah that is Esther his uncles daughter Hadassah was her own Hebrew name and after she was married to the king she was called Esther and she was Mordecaies cousin german to wit his uncles daughter whose name was Abihail vers 15. Vers 8. Esther was brought also unto the kings house Such was the tyrannous government of these Persian kings that whom his instruments would take away for the king neither their parents nor friends might or could withstand it and so was Esther among others carried away See the note vers 15. Vers 9. And the maiden pleased him c. That is Hegai that had the keeping of her and therefore it follows that out of respect to her to the end she might the sooner be prepared for the king he speedily gave her her things for purification with such things as belonged to her to wit both for her diet and apparell Vers 10. Esther had not shewed her people nor her kindred for Mordecai had charged her c. To wit because the Jews were in those times a despised people and therefore Mordecai feared she might some way fare the worse for that if it were known of what nation she was Vers 13. Whatever she desired was given her to go with her out of the house of the women unto the kings house That is whatever any maiden that went to the king desired for the better adorning and tricking up of her self that she might please the king when she came to him the order was that it must be given her whether it were rich garments jewells chains or any other ornaments Vers 14. In the evening she went and on the morrow she returned into the second house of the women c. See the
which is ordinarily found in other men for the defence of their countrey against an enemie CHAP. IV. Vers 2. TAke ye twelve men out of the people out of every tribe a man c. being passed over Jordan the Lord repeats the charge given them before chap. 1. vers 12. And indeed therefore was it there onely briefly touched because it was to be here again more largely expressed Vers 3. Take you hence out of the midst of Jordan out of the place where the Priests feet stood firm twelve stones c. In the seventh verse the reason is expressed why these twelve stones were to be taken up out of Jordan about the place where the Priests had stood with the ark and to be carried to the place where they were to lodge that night which was Gilgal vers 19. namely that they might there stand as a memoriall to succeeding generations of this miraculous work when the Lord was pleased to divide Jordan before the ark that the twelve tribes might passe over to take possession of the land which he had given them for an inheritance But may some say seeing the tribes of Reuben and Gad and one half of the tribe of Manasseh had already their inheritance assigned them without Jordan yea and were already in possession of it why were these tribes with the rest to testifie their thankfulnesse by setting up this memoriall of Gods miraculous dividing of Jordan before them Now for the answer of this it is not enough to say that about fourtie thousand of these tribes went over Jordan at this time with the rest of their brethren to assist them in their warres and that because these stones were set up in the name of the whole tribes and therefore the question still remains why these tribes were to come in for a share in erecting this monument of Gods praise that had for their particular no share in the mercie The truer answer therefore I conceive to be this That these tribes were to joyn with the rest herein first Because the whole people of Israel though consisting of twelve severall tribes were yet all one body and therefore no good could be done to any of the tribes but the whole body must needs have an interest in it and ought to be thankfull for it and secondly Because hereby they might shew that the land which was allotted them without Jordan was a part of that land of promise the possession whereof was thankfully acknowledged in those twelve stones which were now set up in Gilgal Vers 9. And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of Jordan c. even this also no doubt the Lord had given in charge to Joshua though it be not expressed and that for the same end that the other were set in Gilgal For though they were hid under water yet the report of their being there set might be a memoriall of that great work and besides at a low ebbe they might happely be seen at least the dashing of the waters against them might be perceived And they are there unto this day This clause could not be written by Joshua and yet that proves not that Joshua wrote not this book since many such passages we find here and there even in the books of Moses Vers 10. For the Priests that bare the ark stood in the midst of Jordan untill every thing was finished that the Lord commanded Joshua to speak unto the people according to all that Moses commanded Joshua This clause according to all that Moses commanded Joshua cannot be so understood as if Moses had particularly commanded Joshua that which was now done by the Priests and people in their passage over Jordan For Moses had never spoken of any such thing to Joshua but Joshua had received these directions immediately from God But the meaning of these words is onely this that all was done as God commanded Joshua which was according to what Moses had given Joshua in charge Moses had commanded Joshua to see that all things were done according to the word of the Lord and so it was in this particular of their passage over Jordan according to the charge he had received from Moses all things were done as the Lord commanded And the people hasted and passed over This haste which they made in passing over was not so much because a multitude of people were to passe over in a few houres and were afterwards to go as farre as Gilgal that day as from their fear and weaknesse of faith the sight of that mountain of waters which seemed ready to overwhelm them could not but scare them and hence it was that every man made all the speed he could out of that vale of the shadow of death Now this is the rather added in this place the more hereby to extoll the faith of the priests who stood still without moving in the midst of Jordan till the whole camp of Israel were gotten over into the land of Canaan and all other things were done concerning the stones set up in Gilgal and in the midst of Jordan as God had appointed Vers 13. About fourty thousand prepared for warre passed over c. To wit of Ruben Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh the rest being left in garrison for the defence of the land their wives children and cattell for at the last numbring of the people there was of the Reubenites fourty three thousand seven hundred and thirty and of the Gadites fourty thousand five hundred Numb 26.7 18. besides the half of Manassehs tribe who were in all fifty two thousand seven hundred Numb 26.34 Vers 19. And the people came up out of Jordan on the tenth day of the first moneth Which was the very day whereon by the Law the lambe for the Passeover was to be set apart Exod. 12.3 And hereby it is clear that it was full fourty years within foure or five dayes from the coming of the Israelites out of Egypt to their entrance into the land of promise for they came out of Egypt on the fifteenth day of the first moneth and now on the tenth day of the first moneth they entred the land of Canaan Vers 23. For the Lord your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you untill ye were passed over c. The Israelites are appointed thus to answer their children for many generations after when they should inquire concerning those stones that were set up in Gilgal even as if that miracle had been wrought for them in their own persons the Lord your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you c. and that because in that the Lord did this for their Ancestours he did it for them who were then in the loyns of their Ancestours and that in regard of the profession of the same faith they might look upon that which was done for their Ancestours as a pledge of his fatherly love to them also and his care of their welfare CHAP. V. Vers 2. AT that
for the providing of sharp knives and for the circumcising those of the Israelites that were as yet uncircumcised and that was all that were under fourty years old all that were born since their coming out of Egypt And indeed considering how many thousand there were of these and how speedily this work was to be done for it was begun on the eleventh day of the moneth and was to be so speedily dispatched that they might be able to eat the Passeover on the fourteenth day of the moneth at even it was not possible that this could be done by Joshua himself but we may rather well think that all that were before circumcised were imployed in this service As for the place where this was done it was called upon this occasion Gibeah-haazaloth that is the hill of foreskins to wit because there they did cast away or bury the foreskins of those that were circumcised Vers 4. All the people that came out of Egypt that were males even all the men of warre died in the wildernesse c. That is all the people that were twenty years old and upward Numb 14.29 Your carcases shall fall in the wildernesse and all that were numbred of you according to your whole number from twenty years old and upward which have murmured against me Vers 5. But all the people that were born in the wildernesse by the way as they came forth out of Egypt them they had not circumcised To wit because they were upon the way travelling towards the land of Canaan as the words here seem to imply and so could not conveniently circumcise their children For after they were newly circumcised rest was requisite and it must needs be very dangerous to remove them whilst they yet lay sore of their circumcision though they stayed long in some places yet they knew not beforehand of their stay but were continually in expectation to remove upon the removing of the cloud that went before them Had the Israelites sinned in this it is not likely that either God who severely punished them for other breaches of his Law would have passed by this so many years together unpunished yea unreproved or that Moses who smarted for the neglect of circumcision in his own familie Exod. 4.24 would have suffered the people to runne on without check in so grosse a contempt of Gods ordinance And therefore either God gave them a speciall dispensation for this time of their travell or else they knew that the rite of being circumcised the eighth day was not so enjoyned that upon no occasion it might be differred for what if at that time the child were sick and weak therefore having so just a cause they did now intermit this duty of circumcision till they could come into the promised land Vers 7. And their children whom he raised up in their stead them Joshua circumcised That is those that were born in their travels For those that were under twenty years at their coming out of Egypt being now living were already circumcised so that Joshua brought into the land of Canaan Israelites both circumcised and uncircumcised being herein a type of Christ who hath made both one Eph. 2.14 In whom there is no difference between Jew and Gentile circumcision and uncircumcision Col. 3.11 Vers 8. They abode in their places in the camp till they were whole To wit no enemy attempting any thing against them or once offering to molest them in this their weaknesse no not so much as to scare them or put them in any fright To try their faith and obedience God enjoyns not circumcision on the other side of Jordan where they might have done it more safely and securely without fear of their enemies taking advantage against them but here in the very face of their enemies now they found that there was no danger in trusting God and doing what he enjoyned them Vers 9. And the Lord said unto Joshua This day have I rolled away the reproch of Egypt from off you In this word rolled the Lord seems to allude to the manner of circumcision to wit because when they were circumcised their foreskinnes being slit up were rolled upward and then cut off and cast away But the greatest difficulty in these words is to know why it is said that in their circumcision the reproch of Egypt was rolled away from off them and of this there are two reasons given both which are very probable For first some by the reproch of Egypt understand the reproches which the Egyptians did usually cast upon the Israelites that they were fugitives and rebels and had under a pretence of being Gods people cast off the yoke of their lawfull Sovereigne and these reproches of the Egyptians they say were now confuted by the circumcision of the Israelites because it was the seal and mark of the choice that God had made of them to be his peculiar people and that before they went down into Egypt out of Canaan the land of promise to which now they were returned Had they continued still in their uncircumcision wanting this badge of the speciall interest which God had in them they might have seemed lyable to those reproches which the Egyptians cast upon them but now by renewing this seal of the ancient covenant which God had made with them it was again made manifest that they had not revolted from their lawfull governours but had onely embraced that libertie to which the Lord had restored them who had long since taken them to be his peculiar people But then secondly others again by the reproch of Egypt understand the uncircumcision of their flesh and that because as circumcision was the glory of the Israelites as being the outward badge of the covenant betwixt God and them to wit that he would be their God and they should be his peculiar people whence it is that Saint Paul reckons this amongst those things whereof he might glory in regard of the flesh that he was circumcised the eighth day Phil. 3.4 5. so uncircumcision was the reproch of other nations in that it was the signe of their being aliens from the common-wealth of Israel and strangers from the Covenant of promise Eph. 2.11 12. And thence we see with what contempt the Israelites were wont to speak of other nations in regard of their uncircumcision Who is this uncircumcised Philistim saith David that he should defie the armies of the living God 1. Sam. 17.26 We dare not do this thing say the sonnes of Jacob to Hamor and Shechem to give our sister to one that is uncircumcised for that were a reproch unto us Now say they however uncircumcision was the common reproch of all nations yet it is here called particularly the reproch of Egypt because the Israelites lived amongst them and were best acquainted with this reproch amongst them Jn regard that they came out of Egypt and were no doubt attired like the Egyptians had they continued in their uncircumcision they would have rather seemed to be
33.27 Our hand is high and the Lord hath not done all this or the Lord was not able to give them the land which he had promised them and so will preferre their idol-gods before the Lord God of Israel Vers 11. For they have taken of the accursed thing and have also stollen c. Here the Lord sets forth the severall degrees of the hainousnesse of that sinne of Achans wherewith all Israel was involved for first saith the Lord they have taken of the accursed thing that is they have reserved to themselves some part of that which as an accursed thing should have been burnt to wit the Babylonish garment secondly they have also stollen that is they have taken of that also which I reserved for my self to wit the gold and silver thirdly and dissembled also that is they have done this closely and cunningly the party offending carrying the matter so as if he had done no such thing which indeed must needs be a great aggravation of his sin this being no lesse implicitly but a deniall of Gods omniscience or a bold contempt of his wrath against those that transgresse his Laws and then fourthly they have put it even amongst their own stuffe which is added as the last and highest aggravation of this wickednesse because this argued a remorselesse resolution to hold what he had so wickedly gotten and that he was farre from being smitten in conscience for what he had done Vers 13. Vp sanctifie the people c. See the note upon Exod. 19.10 Vers 14. And it shall be that the tribe which the Lord taketh shall come according to the families thereof c. That is the tribe upon which that lot falleth shall bring all their severall families that so by casting of lots it may also be discovered which is the guilty familie for that the guilty tribe and then the guiltie familie then the houshold were taken by lots is evident by comparing this place with that in the 1. Sam. 14.41 42. where the same phrase is used Saul said unto the Lord God of Israel give a perfect lot and Saul and Jonathan were taken And Saul said Cast lots between me and Jonathan my sonne and Jonathan was taken But why did not the Lord tell Joshua that Achan was the partie that had sinned but cause him thus to be discovered by casting of lots I answer first because by this means the Lord tried Achan whether he would come in voluntarily and confesse his sinne and indeed by Achans holding out so long even till the lot fell upon his own person there was a notable discovery made how hardly men are brought to confesse their secret sinnes and how prone they are to flatter themselves with a vain hope that their secret sinnes shall never be discovered and secondly because hereby the Lord made known that even the most casuall things to wit the casting of lots are certainly governed by the providence of God according to that of Solomon Prov. 16.33 The lot is cast into the lap but the whole disposing thereof is of God a truth the fitter to be cleared to this people because the land was within a short time to be divided amongst them by lot Vers 15. And it shall be that he that is taken with the accursed thing shall be burnt with fire he and all that he hath c. That is after he hath undergone the punishment due to him by the Law as a presumptuous transgressour of Gods command which was that he should be stoned Numb 15.30 35. let him be also burnt with fire according as the things anathematized or accursed were to be consumed See vers 25. And all Israel stoned him with stones and burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones Vers 17. And he brought the familie of Judah c. That is the families which were foure or five Numb 26.20 21. And he brought the familie of the Zarhites man by man That is the heads of that familie one after another to wit those five mentioned 1. Chron. 2.6 The sonnes of Zerah Zimri and Ethan and Heman and Calcol Dara five of them in all and so Zabdi was taken that is the lot fell upon his posterity and household who were brought man by man Vers 18. And he brought his houshold man by man c. That is Joshua as above vers 16. So Joshua rose up early in the morning c. Vers 21. And behold they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent and the silver under it That is and the silver you shall find under the garment or rather as the originall may be understood wrapt up within the garment to wit because it consisted of so many severall peices of coyn and this he expresseth that by this particular relating how they were hid it might be the more evident that he spake truly Vers 22. So Joshua sent messengers and they ran unto the tent c. This running of the messengers to Achans tent to fetch the things stollen which he had confessed were hidden there might well proceed from their eager and earnest desire to clear themselves from the accursed thing which had kindled Gods anger against them for they were fetched not onely to discover the truth of what Achan confessed but also that they might be burnt as God had commanded vers 15. yet it may be also that God commanded them to runne lest any upon Achans confession should get thither and remove them elsewhere Vers 24. And Joshua and all Israel took Achan c. Here the story relates how Joshua and the Israelites took Achan with the things he had stollen his children and all that he had and carried them down to the valley called afterwards upon this occasion the valley of Achar that they might be there burnt as God had commanded Now amongst other things there being here particular mention made of his oxen and his asses and his sheep c. it may be gathered from thence that he had before a competent estate and did not therefore steal those things for want which he took out of the spoyl of Jericho but out of mere covetousnesse for the further inriching of himself which was doubtlesse a great aggravation of his sinne Vers 25. And all Israel stoned them with stones and burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones So that both Achan and his sonnes and daughters were stoned Now though this Joshua might not have done by the ordinary Law Deut. 24.16 The father shall not be put to death for the children neither shall the children be put to death for the father yet here it was just because God commanded it yea though they were no way consenting to their fathers sinne for first God might have respect if they were of grown years to the punishment of other sinnes whereof he knew them guilty or might take them away in mercy but however though they were infants at least some of them to take away the
what if a dog or a swine had met him yea what if his wife or any of his married servants had met him that could not have been devoted to perpetuall virginity for to avoid this it cannot be reasonably answered that such might have been redeemed for if they speak of redemtion in these cases then we reply why might not his daughter have been redeemed too that being also allowed by the Law Levit. 27.5 And if it be from five years old even to twenty years old then thy estimation shall be of the male twenty shekels and for the female ten shekels and thirdly the bitter lamentation of Jephthah vers 35. Alas my daughter thou hast brought me very low and thou art one of them that trouble me shews that there was something more in his vow then the consecrating of his daughter to perpetuall virginity Vers 39. She returned unto her father who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed That is he sacrificed her it is indeed strange that having two moneths liberty to deliberate about it he was not all that time either by the priests or some other resolved both how unlawfull his vow was and how lawfully he might now break it But much must be ascribed to the ignorance corruption and confusion of these times And she knew no man These words are added to imply that this did much aggravate Jephthahs losse that his daughter died childlesse And it was a custome in Israel c. To wit that foure dayes every year the daughters of Israel went into the mountains to bewail Jephthahs daughter as it follows vers 40. at first happely they met onely that were her companions but at last it grew to be an anniversary custome and it may be was the rather taken up and continued that it might be a memoriall to warn men to take heed of all such rash and unlawfull vowes CHAP. XII Vers 1. ANd the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together and went north-ward That is having passed over Jordan they then turned north-ward into the land of Gilead Wherefore passedst thou over to fight against the children of Ammon and didst not call us to go with thee c. Upon the same ground they quarrelled before with Gideon chap. 8. vers 1. Jephthah as is evident by his answer vers 2. had sent unto them to desire them to come and expell the Ammonites out of their coasts and could not perswade them to undertake it yet now himself had done it they envy his victory and quarrell with him because he did not call them to go with him to wit as pretending that though he called them to expell the Ammonites out of their coasts yet he did not make known to them his own resolution to go against them nor did desire them to joyn with him and so made this the ground of their quarrell and withall gave the Gileadites many opprobrious and reviling speeches vers 4. And the men of Gilead smote Ephraim because they said ye Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim c. Vers 3. And when I saw that ye delivered me not I put my life in my hands and passed over against the children of Ammon c. All expositours agree that by this phrase I put my life in my hands Jephthah meant that he exposed his life to manifest danger to wit because he went against the children of Ammon with forces no way answerable to theirs and that thereby Jephthah intended to intimate to the men of Ephraim that he would have been glad of their assistance that he might not have gone out upon so much hazard of his life as he did But whence was that phrase that when a man exposed his life to manifest perill he was said to put his life in his hands I answer the reason of this phrase some conceive to be this that when a man carries any precious thing that is brittle in his hands it is in danger to fall or to be snatched away suddenly from him But I rather conceive the ground of it to be because when a man intends to lay down or deliver up any thing to another he takes it into his hands that he may deliver it up and therefore he that exposeth his life to manifest perill for any cause is said to take his life into his hands because for that cause he is ready to lay down his life according to that 1. John 3.16 Hereby perceive we the love of God because he laid down his life for us and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren And indeed it may well be which a learned divine hath observed that they were wont in former times to picture the Martyrs of the Primitive Church with their heads in their hands onely to expresse this by way of Hieroglyphick that they laid down their lives for the cause of Christ which the ignorant people not understanding in the succeeding dark times of Popery they thence raised those absurd and ridiculous tales and legends of divers Martyrs that when their heads were cut off did notwithstanding walk a certain way with their heads in their hands Wherefore then are ye come up unto we this day to fight against me As if he should say Do you thus reward me for the good service I have done to the whole land of Israel Vers 4 And the men of Gilead smote Ephraim because they said Ye Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites and among the Manassites These were the reviling speeches wherewith the Ephraimites had enraged the Gileadites and provoked them to deal so rigourously with them for the understanding whereof we must note that Jephthah and the Gileadites with whom the Ephramites did now contend were of that half of the tribe of Manasseh that were planted in the utmost coasts northward of the land without Jordan Now the Ephraimites and the other half of Manasseh which were seated within Jordan and that next to the tribe of Ephraim they lived lovingly together and kept good correspondence the one with the other as being both descended of Joseph and having continually commerce together by reason of their neighbourhood but having no commerce with the other half tribe of Manasseh without Jordan because they dwelt so farre off from them even their brethren the Manassites within Jordan began to grow strange to them and at last to despise and scorn them as if they had been no better then fugitives that were runne away from them the very scumme and refuse of their tribe cast out into the utmost bounds of that land without Jordan as unworthy to live with the rest of their brethren in the heart of the land of Canaan and this is that which in their fury these Ephraimites do with scorn cast into the teeth of the Gileadites that both themselves and their brethren of Manasseh did esteem the Gileadites no better then fugitives of Ephraim c. Vers 6. Then said they unto him Say now Shibboleth c. Which signifies
that a motion of marriage made to him by Ruth would be the more readily accepted secondly because their thresh-floors in those times where they winnowed their corn and where happely also they kept this their feast were usually in the open fields and therefore there she might have the more easie and private accesse to him thirdly because the chief time of winnowing in those hot countreys was toward the evening when the wind usually begins to rise called therefore Gen. 3.8 the wind or cool of the day the fittest time for this project which Ruth was now to be put upon and fourthly because Boaz it seems was wont to lodge all night in this time of winnowing in the threshing floore partly in regard of the late working of his servants to take the advantage of the evening wind and partly to secure his corn whilst it lay in so open a place Vers 3. Wash thy self therefore and anoint thee and put thy raiment upon thee c. That is dresse thy self handsomely in thy best attire all which she doubtlesse directed her to do that she might be the more pleasing in his eyes Vers 4. And thou shalt go in and uncover his feet and lay thee down Doubtlesse Naomies aim and intention in this advice she gives her daughter in law was lawfull and honest for her aim was onely to procure that Boaz being as she conceived the next of kinne to her deceased sonne might be brought to take Ruth to wife that he might raise up feed unto the dead as by the law of God he was enjoyned And what fault was it in Ruth to challenge that from him to wit marriage which by the Law of God was due to her yea and much might be said both in regard of the age and gravitie and pietie of Boaz and the experience she had many years had of Ruths modestie and chastitie to justifie or excuse the way she took for effecting her aims But yet I conceive the way she took in regard of some circumstances was unwarrantable and savoured much of womanish weaknesse first because there was an appearance of evil in it which is to be avoided 1. Thess 5.22 Abstain from all appearance of evil secondly because it was not a matter of good report and therefore was Boaz loth to have it known vers 14. And he said Let it not be known that a woman came into the floore thirdly because it might have been an occasion of sinne and fourthly because it stood not with the modestie of a good woman thus in the night to cast her self down at a mans feet in his bed And indeed besides this it might have been the means of alienating Boaz his affection from Ruth by raising some suspition in him of her immodestie and unchast life had not God that over-ruled all and had a secret guiding hand in this businesse turned it to good And he will tell thee what thou shalt do Hereby she intimates how confident she was that Boaz would not refuse the motion that was made to him according to the Law of God and therefore referres Ruth to the counsell he should give her for any thing that was further herein to be done Vers 7. And when Boaz had eaten and drunk and his heart was merry c. See the note above vers 2. Vers 9. Spread forth thy skirt over thy handmaid for thou art a near kinsman That is accept of me for thy wife that thou mayest do the duty of a kinsman in raising up seed to my deceased husband And the ground of this phrase as some conceive was a custome amongst the Israelites in those times that in their contracts the man did throw over the woman the lap or wing of his garment in token that he took her into his protection whence is that expression also Ezek. 16.8 When I passed by thee and looked upon thee behold the time was the time of love and I spread my skirt over thee and covered thy nakednesse yea I sware unto thee and â—â—tred into a covenant with thee saith the Lord God and thou becamest mine Vers 10. For thou hast shewed more kindnesse in the latter end then in the beginning c. That is thou shewedst much kindnesse to thy husband deceased in leaving thine own countrey and people and coming along with his mother for his sake though she lived in a poore estate but now to seek to match thy self with an old man and that for the dead sake to revive his name amongst the people of God this is a kindnesse surpassing that Vers 16. And when she came to her mother in law she said Who art thou my daughter By her voice her mother might know her to be a woman but being not yet light she could not discern her and therefore she asked who she was Vers 18. Then said she Sit still my daughter c. That is stirre thou no further about the businesse but now wait for the issue of it or stirre not abroad that thou mayest be in a readinesse whenever he shall send for thee CHAP. IIII. Vers 1. THen went Boaz up to the gate and sate him down c. Waiting there both for his kinsmans passing by who was like to go forth into the field or to return home from his businesse abroad and also for such elders of the citie as might be called in to sit in that place of judgement for the hearing determining and witnessing that great and weightie businesse which he had in hand and indeed accordingly it came to passe as is expressed in the following words And behold the kinsman of whom Boaz spake came by where this word behold calleth the Reader to observe the providence of God herein to wit that immediately even as Boaz expected this kinsman came by not being yet called or sent for and so was presently brought to give his answer in this businesse Vnto whom he said Ho such a one turn aside sit down here That is calling him by his name he desired him to sit down in the gate that he might heare what he had to say to him but the penman of the Spirit here leaves out his name and supplies it with this indefinite clause such a one either because it is not materiall that his name should be expressed or purposely because he deserved to have his name forgotten that took no care to raise up the name of his deceased kinsman as God in his law had enjoyned him Vers 3. And he said unto the kinsman Naomi that is come again out of the countrey of Moab selleth a parcell of land c. It may be that this sale was merely pretended by Boaz for the triall of this their kinsman that if he should be forward to accept of this purchase upon the right of being the next kinsman he might thence the better be convinced how just it was that he should perform the duty of a kinsman in one thing as well as in another Yet the povertie of Naomi was not
not bound thereto by the Law And the two sonnes of Eli Hophni and Phinehas the Priests of the Lord were there This Eli was at this time Judge of Israel the next after Samson chap. 4.18 He had judged Israel fourtie years and withall as it is generally thought by all Expositours he was high Priest too Indeed how he should come to be high Priest we cannot say For Aaron leaving two sonnes behind him Eleazar and Ithamar the high Priesthood was to have descended successively to the posteritie of Eleazar Aarons eldest sonne and accordingly we reade that Eleazar was high Priest after Aaron died Deut. 10.6 and after Eleazar died Phinehas Judg. 20.28 Now it is evident that Eli was of the posteritie of Ithamar Aarons second sonne because it appears that Abiathar who was deposed from being high Priest by Solomon was of the posteritie of Eli 1. Kings 2.27 and of Ahimelech who was the sonne of Abiathar it is expressely said 1. Chron. 24.3 that he was of the sonnes of Ithamar and how therefore the high Priesthood came to be transferred from the posteritie of Eleazar to Eli that was of the house of Ithamar cannot be cleared by any place of Scripture onely because it is said chap. 2.30 that God had promised Eli that his house and the house of his father should walk before him for ever thence some conclude that it was not without Gods appointment that the high Priesthood was removed to the house of Ithamar and that because the high Priests of Eleazars familie had some way provoked God by their evil wayes in the dayes of the former Judges As for Elies two sonnes Hophni and Phinenas it is expressely inserted here that they were then in Shiloh when Elkanah used yearly to go up thither to sacrifice to intimate thereby the wisdome and pietie of Elkanah who would not neglect his dutie in going up thither with his sacrifices according to the rule of Gods Law because of the horrible wickednesse of these wretches who were of chief sway amongst the Priests that attended the service of the Tabernacle no though others stumbled so at their lewdnesse that chap. 2.17 they abhorred the offering of the Lord yet Elkanah would not do so but went up yearly at the appointed feasts to the house of God though Hophni and Phinehas were there Vers 4. He gave to Peninnah his wife and to all her sonnes and daughters portions That is portions of the peace offerings which he offered to the Lord the fat onely of the peace-offerings was burnt upon the altar the right shoulder and the breast was given to the Priest and the remainder of the sacrifices were for the offerer to eat and those that belonged to him of this therefore Elkanah gave portions to Peninnah and her children according to the ancient manner of feasts of which see Gen. 43.34 Vers 5. But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion for he loved Hannah c. Peninnah had a great share as having many children for she and her sonnes and her daughters had each of them severall portions whereas Hannah being but one was to have but a single portion But her husband therefore because he loved her dearly as being a gracious woman and withall of a meek and quiet melting disposition that she might not be discouraged took care that her one portion should be the larger and better a double portion as some read it and happely of the choice and best of the sacrifices Vers 6. And her adversary also provoked her sore c. This her adversary was Peninnah as indeed where one man contrary to the Ordinance of God hath two wives they must needs be adversaries as being corrivalls in his love and live in continuall variance one with the other and she provoked her sore to make her to fret because the Lord had shut up her wombe That is she provoked her purposely to make her vex and disquiet her self and that by upbraiding her with her barrennesse as an effect of the Lords displeasure Now this is added here as a second reason why Elkanah gave Hannah such a worthy portion It was not onely because of the singular love he bare to her but also because he saw that Peninnah vexed her and so he was the more carefull to comfort her and chear her up Vers 7. And as he did so yeare by yeare when she went up to the house of the Lord so she provoked her c. That is whereas Elkanah did this yearly to chear Hannah Peninnah was hereby rendred the more ready to vex her Now this petulancy of Peninnah in provoking Hannah by upbraiding her with her barrennes is hereby much aggravated that she did not forbear at those times when they went up to pray and offer sacrifices to the Lord. See Mat. 5. And withall it implies that she upbraided her with the fruitlessenes of her seeking to God so earnestly at those times for a child Vers 9. So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh and after they had drunk That is after Elkanah and his family had eaten and drunk together with whom Hannah sat It may be indeed that Hannah upon her husbands words vers 8. did eat a little yet it is most probable that she did neither eat nor drink for besides what she said afterward to Eli vers 15. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink it seems to have been against the expresse letter of the Law for any body to partake of these holy feasts whilst they were in sadnesse and heavinesse of spirit Deut. 12.7 And there you shall eat before the Lord your God and ye shall rejoyce in all that ye put your hand unto ye and your housholds Levit. 10.19 And Aaron said unto Moses Behold this day have they offered their sinne offerings and their burnt offerings before the Lord and such things have befallen me and if I had eaten the sinne offering to day should it have been accepted in the sight of the Lord Now Eli the Priest sat upon a seat by a post of the Temple of the Lord. That is of the Tabernacle for as Solomons Temple is sometimes called a Tabernacle Jer. 10.20 My Tabernacle is spoyled and all my cords are broken so the Tabernacle is here called the Temple of the Lord. But yet it seems too that the Tabernacle was at this time within some house built for that purpose in Shiloh and hence there is mention here of a seat by a post where Eli sat and afterwards of doores chap. 3.15 And Samuel lay untill the morning and opened the doores of the house of the Lord whereas the Tabernacle had neither gates nor posts nor seats before it but onely a vail that was hung up at the entring into it Exod. 26.36 Vers 11. And she vowed a vow and said c. To wit as it followeth afterwards that if the Lord would give her a man-child she would give him unto the Lord all the dayes of his life and that he should be
and his vow That is some sacrifice which he had vowed to the Lord and what can we rather think this to have been then a vow of peace-offerings which he had vowed to give unto the Lord by way of thankfulnesse for this sonne which by his beloved Hannah the Lord had now given him Vers 22. She said unto her husband I will not go up untill the child be weaned c. Hereby it appears that Hannah had acquainted her husband with her vow and that he had consented to it Some Expositours question whether Hannahs keeping the child at home till he was weaned was not a transgression of the law but causelessely for first for that Law concerning the presenting the first born before the Lord which the Virgin Mary observed Luke 2.22 And when the dayes of her purification were accomplished they brought him to Jerusalem to present him before the Lord this concerned not the Levites but onely those first born that were to be redeemed and secondly for that Law concerning the appearing of all the males thrice a yeare before the Lord Exod. 23.17 three times in a yeare all thy males shall appear before the Lord God it was meant onely of those that were capable in some measure of joyning in the worship and service of God Hannah therefore was not bound to go up with her young child immediately and being not bound she chooseth rather to stay till he was weaned because it went against her to think of bringing away a child vowed to God after she had once brought him to the Tabernacle of the Lord resolving that after he was weaned she would then carry him and leave him there that he might continue in the service of the Lord for ever Concerning which see the foregoing note upon verse 11. Vers 23. Tarrie untill thou have weaned him onely the Lord establish his word This word of the Lord which Elkanah speaks of must either be the gracious answer which Eli returned to Hannah vers 17. Then Eli answered and said Go in peace and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition which thou hast asked of him which she took as a kind of promise sent her from heaven or rather the answer which God returned to her prayers by giving her a sonne which was all one at if a voice had come from heaven Hannah thy desire is granted and this word it is which he desires the Lord would establish she had not onely craved a sonne but also with this condition by way of vow annexed that he might live a perpetuall Nazarite consecrated to the service of God and in this he prayes that the Lord would perfect what he had begun or else it must be understood generally that God would perform what he had determined concerning this his sonne as taking it for granted that surely a child so miraculously given was determined for some great service Vers 24. She took him up with her with three bullocks and one ephah of floure There is mention afterwards of the sacrificing of one of these bullocks onely vers 25 And they slew a bullock and brought the child to Eli but it cannot be thence gathered that one onely was intended for sacrifices the other for other uses that one might be offered when they presented the child and delivered him up to the service of God which is therefore onely mentioned the other afterwards in other oblations or the one might be offered as a burnt offering the other for a peace offering As for the Ephah of floure which he carried also an ephah contained ten omers or tenth deales now the Law perscribing three tenth deales to be offered with a bullock Num. 15.9 Then shall he bring with a bullock a meat offering of three tenth-deales of floure mingled with half an hin of oyle nine tenth-deales of this ephah were for the three bullocks and the other tenth deale which was overplus might be intended for a voluntary meat-offering Vers 28. And he worshipped the Lord there This may be meâ—â—t of Eli that he blessed God for hearing both his and her prayer and for Hannah her voluntary consecrating her child to be a perpetuall Nazarite unto God but I rather conceive that it is meant of Elkanah he with Hannah brought the child to Eli vers 25. And they slew a bullock and brought the child to Eli. Hannah made known their errand to him and now it is added that he that is Elkanah worshiped the Lord implying thereby his assenting to that which Hannah had said and that he besought the Lord to accept the child and blesse him c. And Hannah prayed and said c. It is not improbable that Hannah joyned petitions at this time with her thanksgiving though the gratulatory part be expressed onely but however it is not improper to say she prayed when she praised God for this is a part of prayer Prayer being if generally defined a holy expression of our minds to God either by way of desiring any thing from him or by returning him thanks and giving him the glory of what he hath done 1. Tim. 2.1 I exhort therefore that first of all supplication prayers intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men Col. 4.2 Continue in prayer and watch in the same with thanksgiving CHAP. II. Vers 1. MY heart rejoyceth in the Lord mine horn is exalted in the Lord c. In this song of Hannahs her drift is to set forth the praises of God by way of testifying her thankfulnesse for the great mercy he had shown to her in her sonne Samuel yet she doth not onely insist upon this particular but takes occasion from thence to set forth his infinite holinesse and wisdome and power and speaks of the marvellous works of his providence which he dayly doth in the world and of the manifold benefits both temporall and spirituall and eternall which he is alwayes ready to impart to his Church and people Indeed in the first words of the song she begins with that which God at present had done for her wherein we must note first that though she did doubtlesse rejoyce much in the child that God had given her yet the chief thing that cheared her heart was that the Lord by granting her request in giving her a sonne had discovered his love to her and the precious account that he made of her and therefore when she comes to set forth the ground of her joy she insists altogether upon her interest in God and his favour to her My heart rejoyceth in the Lord mine horn is exalted in the Lord secondly that by exalting her horn is meant the advancing of her power and glorie and the cheerfulnesse and joy of her spirit the metaphor is taken either from horn beasts whose power and beautie is chiefly in their horns and who being lustie and full of spirit do the more advance and lift up their horns as they go up and down or else from captains and souldiers who were wont in those times
this dignity that God had conferred upon him but of a modest and humble spirit and therefore not prone to boast and brag of it as others would have been Secondly because he feared to provoke his uncle and others of his family and kindred to envy him for this honour to which God had designed him And thirdly because he remembred how carefull Samuel had been to anoint him in secret where no body should be present chap. 9.25 26 27. which was intimation enough to Saul not to discover this secret till God should himself openly make known his will herein Notwithstanding this prudence of Saul in concealing what had passed betwixt Samuel and him yet when he was publickly chosen certain sonnes of Belial did openly despise him vers 27. and what then would they have done had it been known that Samuel had beforehand anointed him would not this have been a fair pretence for them to have said that this had been plotted beforehand betwixt Samuel and him Vers 17. And Samuel called the people together unto the Lord to Mizpeh See the note upon Judges 20.1 Vers 18. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel I brought up Israel out of Egypt c. This recitall of the mercies which God had afforded the Israelites is premised for the aggravation of their present sinne in rejecting the government which God had established amongst them Vers 19. And ye have this day rejected your God c. That is by your desiring a king the businesse which this day you are come about And herein doth Samuel covertly strike at their willfull persisting in this their requiring a king Samuel had done what he could to beat them from it but they continued resolved that so they would have it whereupon it was that he had now called them together to discover by lots who it was that God had chosen and therefore Samuel useth these words Ye have this day rejected your God c. See the notes chap. 8.7 Now therefore present your selves before the Lord by your tribes and by your thousands That is your families Mich. 5.2 But thou Beth-leem Ephratah though thou be little among the thousands of Judah yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel and this was done that by casting lots it might be discovered whom God had chosen to be their king Vers 22. Therefore they enquired of the Lord further if the man should yet come thither To wit either by Urim and Thummim in the high Preist or by desiring Samuel as a Prophet to enquire of the Lord for them And the Lord answered Behold he hath hid himself among the stuff That is among the publick carriages of the camp or among the baggage and implements of his own tent and this he did out of modesty as not deeming himself fit for so high an advancement or able to bear so great a burden especially the common-wealth of Israel being in such an unsettled and perillous condition as now it was Vers 25. Then Samuel told the people the manner of the kingdome c. That is both the duty of the king towards his subjects and the subjects toward their king and these were the fundamentall laws of the kingdome all which he wrote in a book as it follows in the next words and laid it up before the Lord that is before the Ark or in the Tabernacle and the reasons why this book vvas thus carefully laid up before the Lord we may well conceive were these First for the sure preservation of it Secondly to signifie that even these civill laws were the ordinance of God which men were bound to obey not onely for wrath but for conscience sake Rom. 13.2 5. And thirdly to intimate that God would take care of those laws to uphold and maintain them and to punish those that should vilifie and break them Vers 26. And there went with him a band of men whose hearts God had touched Though he was but a mean man to speak of and onely yet chosen and designed to the kingdome not inthroned for afterward he was solemnly confirmed and settled in the kingdome yet some were moved of God to think that it was fit they should attend upon him in his return home and accordingly there was a band of men who did voluntarily yeild him this service going along with him as a royall guard to attend and conduct him on the way Vers 27. But the children of Belial said How shall this man save us and they despised him and brought him no presents Because Saul was but a mean man to speak of therefore there was a company of proud dissolute lawlesse wretches that despised him as one altogether unfit to be king and unlikely to govern them and defend them from their enemies as a king should do and hence it was that they brought him no presents as it seems the rest of the people did to wit as a signe of their subjection and their acknowledging him to be their king for that was the custome of those times as is noted concerning Jehoshaphat 2. Chron. 17.5 The Lord established the kingdome in his hand and all Judah brought to Jehoshaphat presents whence it was also that when the wise men had found out Christ to whom they were directed by a starre as the king of the Jews they fell down and worshiped him Matt. 2.11 And when they had opened their treasures they presented unto him gifts gold and frankincense and myrrhe And indeed observable it is that though the Lord was highly displeased with the Israelites for desiring a king yet when he had once chosen Saul to be their king and conferred the royall dignity upon him those that despised him and would not submit to his government are for that branded to be children of Belial concerning which expression see the note Deut. 13.13 But he held his peace To avoid sedition and to winne them by lenity as considering that it was no wisdome to use severity being not yet settled in the kingdome CHAP. XI Vers 1. THen Nahash the Ammonite came up and encamped against Jabesh-Gilead A city without Jordan nigh unto the Ammonites This invasion was brewing against the Israelites before they desired a king and was in part the occasion of that their desire chap. 12.12 And when ye saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you ye said unto me Nay but a king shall reigne over us when the Lord your God was your king But now happely it was the more hastened by Nahash the Ammonite because of the report which might be brought to him of the Israelites shaking off the government of Samuel and desiring a king to reigne over them and the division newly begun amongst them by reason of the discontent of some who would not acknowledge their new chosen king What they made the ground of their quarrell it is not expressed Like enough it was that old pretence which they stood upon Judg. 11.13 when
Vers 1. ANd the Lord sent Nathan unto David c. It was now about three quarters of a yeare since David committed that foul sinne with the wife of Uriah for the child she then conceived was now born vers 14. in all which time though doubtlesse his conscience did often gall him yet he strived to harden himself against such fears and onely took care to conceal his sinne that it might not be known which yet he could not do for however he did it secretly and had done what he could to keep it close yet by reason of his marriage with the wife of Uriah c. it began now to be by some suspected and blazoned abroad and therefore Nathan tells him vers 14. that by this deed he had given great occasion to the enemies of God to blaspheme now therefore the Lord in mercy sent Nathan to him that he might be brought to confesse his sinne and unfainedly to rise out of this sad condition There were two men in one citie the one rich and the other poore c. As a Chirurgeon will hide his instrument wherewith he intends to lanch a sore under an handkercheif or some such thing so doth Nathan at first hide his reproof under the vail of a Parable that David might the better be brought to passe sentence against himself in a third person For the intention and application of the Parable it is this by the rich man that had exceeding many flocks and herds he meant David who had very many wives and concubines by the poore man that had nothing save one little ewe-lambe is meant Uriah who had it seems but one wife to wit Bathsheba and she is not onely compared to an ewe-lambe but also to such a lambe as we use to call cade-lambes or cosset-lambes which without a damme are brought up by hand and therefore it is said it was a lambe which he had bought for husbands in those times used to give dowries for their wives and nourished up and it grew up together with him and with his children it did eat of his own meat or as it is in the original of his own morsell implying that though the poore man had but a little yet he gave his darling lambe part of it and drank of his own cup and lay in his bosome which doth sweetly expresse the condition of a wife whom the husband ought to esteem his onely darling and delight and make her a sharer of all that he hath as indeed men are the liker to do when they have but one wife Again whereas it is said vers 4. that There came a travailer into the rich man and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd for the wayfaring man that was come unto him but took the poore mans lambe and dressed it for the man that was come to him By this traveller or wayfaring man for whose entertainment the rich man took away the poore mans ewe-lambe is meant the devil by means of whom indeed it was that David incroached upon the bed of Uriah and lay with his wife though he had so many wives and concubines of his own and the allusion is very fit first because the devil may well be compared to a traveller in regard of his continuall traversing the earth from one place to another that he may tempt and seduce men to sinne when the Lord asked Sathan whence he came Job 1.7 he answered from going to and fro in the earth and from walking up and down in it and S. Peter saith 1. Pet. 5.8 that As a roaring lion he walketh about seeking whom he may devoure secondly because hereby is sweetly implyed a notable difference betwixt the temptations of the regenerate such as David was and the sinnes of wicked men to the one the devil comes now and then as a traveller and wayfaring man and finds for the time too good entertainment but in the other he dwels as a Lord and master ruling and reigning in them at all times and thirdly because when men especially such good men as David was do give any entertainment to the devils temptations for the committing of any sinne they feast the devil herewith it is meat and drink to him to winne such men to sinne against God Vers 5. And he said to Nathan As the Lord liveth the man that hath done this thing shall surely die That is he shall not onely restore the lambe fourefold according to the Law Exod. 22.1 If a man shall steal an ox or a sheep and kill it or sell it he shall restore five oxen for an ox and foure sheep for a sheep but besides he shall be put to death Thus David in his wrath threatens a heavier punishment then God in his Law had appointed as accounting it such a mercilesse act and so such a singular wickednesse that fourefold restitution was not punishment enough for so much he expresseth in the following words vers 6. And he shall restore the lambe fourefold because he did this thing and because he had no pity and so unwittingly passeth a most heavy sentence against himself Vers 8. And I gave thee thy masters house and thy masters wives into thy bosome c. That is I advanced thee to such an estate that all that was thy masters was in thy power even his wives and concubines were at thy disposing and indeed it seems kings had in those times many which they took for wives and concubines whom they never carnally knew and of such this might be meant Doubtlesse it was unlawfull for David to marry any of Sauls his father-in-laws wives to wit such as he had carnally known for she that was Sauls wife was Davids mother-in-law and such he might not marry Levit. 18.8 The nakednesse of thy fathers wife thou shalt not uncover it is thy fathers nakednesse either therefore the meaning of these words if meant of such must be onely this that Sauls wives and concubines were in Davids power that he might have taken them though he did it not or if it be conceived that David did indeed take to him any of Sauls wives or concubines we must understand these words I gave onely of Gods bringing them into his power though he made use of his power unlawfully not of Gods approving of this fact of his against the Law as in the like sense this word is used again vers 11. I will take thy wives before thine eyes and give them unto thy neighbour c. Vers 9. Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord to do evil in his sight Because when men embolden themselves to do that which they know is contrary to Gods commandment onely because they can do it secretly and no body shall come to know of it and yet they cannot be ignorant that God is priuie to all they do this is an evident argument that in effect they make light of transgressing Gods Law and care not much for displeasing God so no other
ravishing his own sister Vers 7. Then David sent home to Tamar saying Go now to thy brother Amnons house c. This doubtlesse did afterwards much adde to Davids sorrow that himself was made an instrument to further such an execrable fact and that by his command he had cost his poore child into the snare of so greivous a mischief Vers 10. And Amnon said unto Tamar Bring the meat into the chamber c. He calls her into a more inward room that if she should cry out yet she might not be heard Vers 12. And she answered him Nay my brother do not force me c. By many severall arguments Tamar endeavours here to disswade Amnon from seeking to satisfie his lust upon her to wit first by putting him in mind that he was her brother Nay my brother for hereby she gives him a hint what a high degree of wickednesse this was which he went about no lesse then incest in a high degree being her brother he was bound by the law of nature to be a refuge to her against any other that should seek to defile her and for him therefore to defile her himself his own sister was a most hainous wickednesse secondly by pressing that aggravating circumstance of humbling her by violence and force Nay my brother do not force me though it were bad enough to commit uncleannesse with one that consents to it yet to force a poore woman that had rather loose her life then her puritie in this regard if she knew how to avoid it is farre worse thirdly by alledging what a dishonour such sinnes brought upon the whole people of God and the Religion they professed which is implyed in those words for no such thing ought to be done in Israel and fourthly by alledging the shame that this would bring upon them And I saith she whether shall I cause my shame to go that is I never shall be able to free my self from shame and reproch I shall be ashamed to shew my face any where as long as I live and thou shalt be as one of the fools in Israel that is every body will account thee a gracelesse wretch and judge the unworthy to succeed thy Father in the throne Vers 13. I pray thee speak unto the king for he will not with-hold me from thee When nothing else would prevail with him being in a streight she adviseth him to desire her of his father for his wife not as thinking that this could be done but onely as desiring by any means to put him off for the present from the prosecuting of this his wicked purpose Vers 15. Then Amnon hated her exceedingly c. Those pangs of grief and remorse of conscience which men usually feel after an act of uncleannesse committed do naturally alienate the affections of men from those that have been the occasions of their sinne and make them oft-times to loath them more then before they loved them and so it seems it was with Amnon but then besides there was no doubt a speciall hand of God in this whereby way was made to the publishing of this sinne for the punishment of David And Amnon said unto her Arise be gone It is a wonder that Amnon should thus put her forth even because of the respect he might have had to his own credit and safety had he kept her a while with him by many entreaties and tendring what satisfaction could be made her he might have perswaded her to conceal what he had done whereas her blubber'd eyes and such other signes of the force done to her being presently thrust out of doors must needs make that wickednesse which had been secretly done either vehemently suspected or manifestly known and so expose him to the wrath of his father the punishment of the law which in case of a rape was death and shame amongst all that should heare of it but God infatuated him and why he meant by this incest of Amnon and Absaloms murthering his brother in revenge of this rape to punish David for his adultery with Bathsheba and murther of Uriah and therefore by occasion of this mad rage of Amnon it must be published and known Vers 16. This evil in sending me away is greater then the other that thou didst unto me To wit because this turning her our in such a condition would expose her to so much shame and reproch and not onely discover that she had been defiled but perhaps also raise an opinion in some that she had consented and thereupon was hated and cast off by Amnon as strumpets use to be by those whom they have inveigled to commit folly with them and withall because hereby the name of God would be blasphemed amongst his enemies when they should heare of such a fact committed amongst his people the people of God would be scandalized and the heart of their father deeply and sorely wounded It is true indeed that if by evil here onely sinne be meant she might well say in that sense in some regard that the evil in sending her away was greater then that of defiling her to wit in regard this was an act so full of inhumanity and cruelty and for which there could not be pleaded such an over-bearing temptation as there was in the other but yet there is little question I think to be made that by evil here is meant the evil of injury or mischief done to her and so it is no wonder that she should say that the evil in sending her away was greater then that of his defiling her for however the ravishing her was an incomparable wrong yet considering how grievous the shame necessarily following the discovery hereof would be to her she might well judge this in her passion especially farre worse then the former evil Vers 18. And she had a garment of divers colours upon her c. That is a garment of wrought or embroidered work and that which is added that with such robes were the kings daughters that were virgins apparelled is to shew that the rending of her virgin attire vers 19. And Tamar put ashes on her head and rent her garment of divers coulours did as it were secretly discover that her virginity had been by force rent from her Vers 19. And Tamar put ashes on her head See the note Josh 7.6 And laid her hand on her head and went on crying Which was the usuall custome of women in extremitie of sorrow seeking as it were to cover and hide themselves Jer. 2.37 Thou shalt go forth from him and thine hands upon thine head for the Lord hath rejected thy confidences and thou shalt not prosper in them Vers 20. He is thy brother regard not this thing It seems when Tamar was turned out of doors she went not to her father as being happely most ashamed to see him and sensible what an exceeding grief it would be to him but to her brother Absalom who was near and dearer to her then the rest of her brethren because he was
of my fathers unto thee Thus he rejected Ahabs motion with detestation to wit because the Lord had forbidden in his law the perpetuall sale of any mans inheritance Levit. 25.23 The land shall not be sold for ever and though therefore such a motion made by a prince in another kingdome could not have been rejected by any subject without grosse disregard of that Majestie which God hath put upon princes yet Naboth was bound in conscience to do it and no doubt though it be not here expressed as he refused to satisfie the desire of his Soveraigne herein so also he humbly presented him with the reasons why he durst not do it and made it appear that it was not so much the parting with his vineyard as his sinning against God in parting with it that he stumbled at whereby it appears also that this Naboth was a pious man and zealous of observing Gods law even in these idolatrous times which made his bloud cry the louder for vengeance against Ahab and Jezebel Vers 4. And he laid him down upon his bed and turned away his face c As one that was discontented and therefore would have no body to speak to him that cared not to see any body nor to have any body see him Vers 7. I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite This is spoken in a vaunting way and it may have reference either to Naboths refusing to give Ahab his vineyard as if she had said Though he will not give thee his vineyard I will thou shalt not need to purchase it nor to stand to his curtesie whether he will yield it up to thee or no I will give it thee or else to those foregoing words of Jezebel Doest thou now govern the kingdome of Israel as if she had said One would think a king should not whine for a subjects deniall of such a thing having so much power to satisfie himself but since thou knowest not how to improve thy power I that am but a woman will do it for thee I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite Vers 8. So she wrote letters in Ahab's name c. To wit Ahab not knowing nor caring to know what course she took for the accomplishing of that promise she had made of getting Naboths vineyard for him Vers 9. Proclaim a fast and set Naboth on high among the people Some understand this thus that Naboth should be set as in regard of his dignity he used to be in some eminent place amongst the chief men of the city as if there had been no evil at all plotted against him and then on a sudden the witnesses should out and accuse him of blaspheming God and the king But I rather think that malefactours when they came to be tried before the Magistrate were usually set upon some scaffold where they might be in the sight of the people and thence it was that Jezebel wrote in her letters And set Naboth on high amongst the people As for the fast to be proclaimed that was enjoyned to make a shew as if indeed such a horrible wickednesse had been committed by Naboth as might bring Gods wrath upon all the nation and for the diverting whereof therefore it was fit the people should in a solemn manner humble themselves and cry unto God for mercy Vers 10. And then carry him out and stone him that he may die For so the Law of God had appointed him to be punished that should blaspheme the name of the Lord Levit. 24.15 16. Whosoever curseth his God shall bear his sinne and he that blasphemeth the name of the Lord he shall surely be put to death and him also that should curse his father Exod. 21.17 And he that curseth his father or his mother shall surely be put to death the Prince therefore being the father of the people pater patriae it seems the cursing of him which is also a sinne forbidden by the Law Exod. 22.28 Thou shalt not revile the gods nor curse the ruler of thy people was usually likewise punished after the same manner Vers 11. The Elders and the Nobles who were the inhabitants in his citie did as Jezebel had sent unto them c. It may well seem strange that the letters of Ahab enjoyning such a grosse and horrible act of injustice should without any scruple be so readily obeyed by the Elders and Nobles of Jezreel but for this we must consider First that Israel was now become idolatrous and in all other respects exceedingly corrupt it is no wonder that a people that have changed their Religion at the will of a supreme Magistrate should do any thing else that he will command them Secondly that the imperious severitie and crueltie of Jezebel had doubtlesse brought this people into a miserable bondage and thraldome Thirdly that Naboth being a man strictly conscionable amongst a lawlesse degenerate people it is likely they were glad of an opportunitie to wreak their teen upon him Fourthly that Jezebel might inform them that Naboth had done this she charged him with some private discourse betwixt the king and him onely the king had no witnesses of his peremptory and blasphemous speeches and so that she desired was onely this that some witnesses might be found that upon the credit of the kings word would charge him with this which could not otherwise be legally proved and that thereupon he might be condemned for blasphemy and put to death Vers 13. Then they carried him forth out of the citie and stoned him with stones that he dyed And with him his sonnes were also put to death as it seems 2. Kings 9.26 Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sonnes said the Lord and I will requite thee c. which was directly against the law of God Deut. 24.16 The fathers shall not be put to death for the children nor the children for the fathers their aim herein was doubtlesse that Ahab might without opposition enjoy Naboths vineyard But with what pretence of justice they did it it is uncertain perhaps as some think they might alledge that in punishing so execrable a wickednesse Gods severity against Achan was a president fit to be followed whose sonnes and daughters were stoned together with him Josh 7.24 Vers 14. Then they sent to Jezebel c. To shew how ready they had been to do what she had enjoyned for though the letters they had received were written to them in the kings name yet they knew well enough that the affairs of the kingdome were chiefly swayed by her and that she did all and carried all in a manner as she pleased and therefore their care was chiefly to ingratiate themselves with her Vers 15. Jezebel said to Ahab Arise take possession of the vineyard of Naboth c. Some conceive that Naboth was of the bloud royall and that Ahab was now the next heir which they judge the more probable because Naboths vineyard lay so close upon
a pillar in the Temple for the king to stand on of which see the note chap. 11.14 and therefore 2. Chron. 34.31 it is said of Josiah that he stood in his place And all the people stood to the covenant That is they consented to renew their covenant with God and promised that they would do according to the covenant Vers 4. And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest c. Josiah did begin to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places and the groves and the idols which the people had worshiped in the twelfth yeare of his reigne which was six years before the book of the law was found 2. Chron. 34.3 but upon his hearing of those grievous threatnings in the book of the law against idolatry he now proceeded further and perfected that work of reformation which was then began and therefore it is that in the Chronicles the penman of the sacred historie undertaking to relate the reformation that Josiah wrought in the twelfth yeare of his reigne he addes also what was done afterward when the book of the law was found and on the other side speaking here how he suppressed idolatry upon the hearing of the law he joynes also many things which were done of the same nature in the twelfth yeare of his reigne that all his zealous acts in rooting out idolatry might be related together As here that he commanded Hilkiah the high priest and the priests of the second order c. to bring out all the idolatrous trash that was in the Temple where by the priests of the second order may be meant the inferiour priests called priests of the second order with respect to the high priest or rather the first two chief priests of the two stocks of Eliazer and Ithamar of whom see the note 2. Sam. 8.17 Some Interpreters understand it of the priests of the order of Jedaiah the second of those twenty foure orders of the priests appointed by David 1. Chron. 24.1.7 but it is hard to say why they should be employed in purging the Temple rather then the rest of the priests And he burnt them without Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron and carried the ashes of them unto Beth-el Therewith to defile the prime seat of Jeroboams idolatry and withall to expresse his detestation of these idols and that idolatry there first erected from whence the infection had overspread the whole land and had been the main cause of all the evil that was fallen upon the people of God By the Law whatever touched the graves of dead men it was unclean and thus he manifested his detestation of these idolatrous monuments and that he esteemed them as most filthy things fi◠onely for such unclean places Nor need it seem strange that Josiah should have this power in Beth-el which was a citie of Samaria the kingdome of the ten tribes for first Abijah the sonne of Rehoboam had long since taken Beth-el from Jeroboam and annexed it to the kingdome of Judah 2. Chron. 13.19 And Abijah pursued after Jeroboam and took cities from him Beth-el with the towns thereof and so perhaps it had ever since continued and secondly it seems that the greatest part of the kingdome of Samaria was at this time under the dominion of Josiah whence is that vers 19. And all the houses also of the high places that were in the cities of Samaria which the kings of Israel had made to provoke the Lord to anger Josiah took away and did to them according to all the acts that he had done in Beth-el of which two reasons probable enough may be supposed for first it may be after the flight and death of Sennacherib when Merodach opposed himself against Esar-haddon his son Hezekiah took aduantage of this faction in the North and laid hold upon so much of the kingdome of Israel as he was able to people or secondly perhaps the same reason that moved the Babylonian king to set Manasseh free when he was his prisoner in Babylon did also perswade him to give him with his libertie the dominion of the greatest part of the countrey of Samaria to wit that he might defend these territories against the Egyptian who begun in these times with great power and successe to oppose the Babylonians and indeed the earnestnesse of Josiah in the king of Babels quarrel notwithstanding the kings of Judah had so long held great amitie with those of Egypt 2. Chron. 35.20 21 22. doth argue that the composition which Manasseh had made with that king or his Ancestour was upon such friendly terms as required not onely a faithfull observation but also a thankfull requitall Vers 5. And he put down the idolatrous priests whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense c. The word in the originall here translated idolatrous priests is Chemarim and because we find them mentioned Zeph 1.4 as distinct from the priests I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place and the name of the Chemarims with the priests therefore many Expositours hold that they were certain ministers of their idolatry different from the priests such as the monks are among the papists or at least that they were a peculiar sort of priests so called either because they wore black or coloured garments or because they lived a retired life in cells and cloisters or because of their fierie zeal and fervencie in their Religion or because they were peculiarly employed in burning incense Vers 6. And he brought out the grove from the house of the Lord c. By the grove is meant either the image or similitude of a grove which was hanged up in the Temple or rather a very grove which idolatours for devotion had planted near unto the Temple contrary to the commandment of the Lord Deut. 16.21 Thou shalt not plant thee a grove of any trees near unto the altar of the Lord thy God which therefore Josiah did now cut down and removed from the Temple burning it at the brook Kidron without Jerusalem and then cast the powder thereof upon the graves of the children of the people to wit both in contempt of the idols and in reproch of those that had worshipped them in their lives for this is plainly implied 2. Chron. 34.4 Vers 7. And he brake down the houses of the sodomites that were by the house of the Lord c. These Sodomites 〈◊〉 were kept and maintained not onely for the satisfying of mens unnaturall lust but also for the honour of their idol-gods whom they thought pleased with such horrid uncleannesse and therefore were their houses built close to the Temple and here the women wove hangings for the grove with which hangings they compassed in many severall places in the groves as so many severall tents and chappels◠darker the fitter for those horrid deeds of darknesse which were there done for there they worshipped their idols and defiled themselves with all kind both of spirituall and bodily uncleannesse Vers 8. And he brought
Persia above twenty years he gave the Jews libertie to return again into their own countrey we must know that Nebuchadnezzar after the taking of Jerusalem had subdued all the nations round about as was prophesied of him yea even Egypt amongst the rest the greatest and strongest of all those bordering nations Jer. 25.9 10 11. Behold I will send and take all the families of the north saith the Lord and Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon my servant and will bring them against this land and against the inhabitants thereof and against all these nations round about c. And this whole land shall be a desolation and an astonishment and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years Isa 20.4 So shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptians prisoners and the Ethiopians captives young and old naked and barefoot see also Jer. 43.10 11. and 44.30 and thus was the Babylonian Empire raised by Nebuchadnezzar which he left to Evilmerodach his sonne and he to Belshazzar his sonne according to that Jer. 27.7 All nations shall serve him and his sonne and his sonnes sonne But then in Belshazzars time this great Empire was ruined by the Medes and Persians who besieged Babylon took it and destroyed it utterly and slew Belshazzar and so fulfilled what was prophesied Isa 47.1 Come down and sit in the dust O virgin daughter of Babylon sit on the ground there is no throne O daughter of the Chaldeans c. and so Jer. 50.1 2 3. and thus the Empire was translated from the Babylonians to the Persians indeed in this warre against Babylon the Medes had the chief stroke for Darius Medus or Cyaxares did command in chief in this warre and the army consisted most of his people Isa 13.17 Behold I will stirre up the Medes against them which shall not regard silver c. and Jer. 51.11 The Lord hath raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes for his device is against Babylon c. and therefore when Balthazar or Belshazzar was slain he was made king Dan. 5.30 31. In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain and Darius the Median took the kingdome being about threescore and two years old but yet withall first because Cyrus who was then absolute king of Persia or Viceroy thereof under Darius the Mede did joyn with Darius in this expedition against Babylon and by his valour and policie chiefly the citie was taken as being the man preordained and forenamed by God himself for this great action secondly because Darius it seems stayed not in Babylon but returned into Media and left Cyrus as his Viceroy in his room and thirdly because Darius who was Cyrus his great uncle and as some think his father in law also lived not full two years after but left all to Cyrus his heir therefore even from the first Cyrus was esteemed the Monarch of those parts and however in truth till the death of his uncle Darius the Mede he was absolute Monarch but held also under him as his Viceroy as is evident Dan. 6.28 This Daniel prospered in the reigne of Darius and in the reigne of Cyrus the Persian yet the very first yeare after the conquest of Babylon was reckoned as the first yeare of Cyrus reigne as we see here where it is said that in the first yeare of Cyrus king of Persia God stirred up his spirit to let the Jews go home to their own countrey c. that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled to wit the promise concerning the deliverance of the Jews out of their captivitie at the end of seventy years through the favour of Cyrus Jer. 29.10 After seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you and perform my good word towards you in causing you to return this place Vers 2. Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia The Lord God of heaven hath given me all the kingdomes of the earth c. It seems that by Daniel or some other of the Jews that it was discovered to Cyrus that many years before the Lord had told them by his prophets that one Cyrus should vanquish Babylon with other nations and then should freely deliver the Jews out of their captivitie and cause their citie and Temple to be again built all which for his better satisfaction they might shew him in the writings of the Prophet Isaiah Isa 44.1 13. And hence it was that he acknowledged that God had charged him to build the Temple and confessed that those kingdomes which he had subdued were given him of God using these high terms The Lord God hath given me all the kingdomes of the earth either out of an affectation of the universall Monarchy of the whole world or out of an hyperbolicall ostentation of the largenesse of his Empire to which all the kingdomes in those parts of the world were subdued according to those expressions we meet with elsewhere Luke 2.1 There went out a decree from Cesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed and Acts 2.5 And there was dwelling at Jerusalem Jews devout men out of every nation Vers 4. And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth let the men of his place help him with silver c. That is whosoever abideth as a stranger or sojourner in any place of my dominion and hath a mind to go up to Jerusalem let the men that dwell in that place furnish him with all provisions requisite for his journey beside that which they shall send by them as a free-will-offering for the building or service of the Temple the transporting of silver and gold and other commodities is in many places severely forbidden and so happely it was there the king therefore gives licence to the Jews by his proclamation for the carrying away of these things and withall encourageth the people to afford them what help they could by letting them know that his desire was they should be plentifully furnished with all things necessary Vers 5. Then rose up the chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin and the priests and the Levites with all them whose spirit God had raised to go up c. To wit both of these and the other tribes also some even of Judah and Benjamin went not as being well settled where they were and loth to remove or desirous to see first how these will speed but those whose spirits God had stirred up went not of these tribes onely but of others also 1. Chron. 9.3 And in Jerusalem dwelt of the children of Judah and of the children of Benjamin and of the children of Ephraim and Manasseh and therefore some conceive that at this time that prophesie of Ezekiel was fulfilled Ezek. 37.16 17.21 22. Sonne of man take thee one stick and write upon it For Judah and for the children of Israel his companions then take another stick and write upon it For Joseph the stick of Ephraim and for all the house of Israel his
third chapters of this book Vers 44. And at that time were some appointed over the chambers for the treatreasures for the offerings for the first fruits c. Which the people had newly covenanted to bring in yearely according to the law for the priests and Levites Vers 47. And the Levites sanctified them unto the children of Aaron That is the tithe of their tithes the Levites set apart for the priests CHAP. XIII Vers 1. ON that day they read in the book of Moses c. This I conceive hath not reference to that which is immediately before related concerning the dedication of the walls of Jerusalem for the walls were begun to be built within a while after Nehemiahs first coming to Jerusalem and were finished within two moneths or lesse chap. 6.15 nor is it likely that it was long after ere the walls were dedicated but rather to the day whereon they sealed the covenant whereof he had spoken before in the ninth and tenth chapters when upon reading of the law amongst other evils this also concerning their marriages with heathens and the joyning of their children to the congregation of the Lord was discovered and reformed by separating all the mixed multitude from the children of Israel as is noted before chap. 9.2 and here repeated again vers 3. and this as it seems by that which follows vers 4 5 6. was about the two and thirtieth yeare of Artaxerxes some twelve years after Nehemiahs first coming to Jerusalem when having been with Artaxerxes in Persia he returned again to Jerusalem and reformed such abuses as in the time of his absence were crept in amongst them see the note chap. 2.1 and chap. 5.14 And therein was written that the Ammonite and Moabite should not come into the congregation c. No nor their children unto the tenth generation Deut. 23.1.3 concerning which see the notes there And though there were many passages in Moses law that were against the polluting of the seed of Israel by mariages with the nations about them yet this is here alledged concerning the Ammonites and Moabites rather then any other because it did so expressely discover the great sinne of Eliashib mentioned afterwards vers 4.5 in joyning himself in affinity with Tobiah who is often called the servant the Ammonite yea and honouring him so farre as to allot him a chamber in the very Temple Vers 3. They separated from Israel all the mixed multitude This is added to aggravate the sinne of Eliashib the high priest related in the following verses who was so farre from a sincere desire to reform this abuse discovered by the law that notwithstanding the people did unanimously separate all the mixed multitude from the children of Israel yet he immediately after Nehemiah was gone into Persia which was vers 6. in the thirty second yeare of Artaxerxes reigne received Tobiah amongst them yea and gave him a lodging in the very Temple howeuer he had happely dissembled these his purposes so long as Nehemiah abode in Jerusalem Vers 4. And before this Eliashib the priest having the oversight of the chamber of the house of our God was allied unto Tobiah That is before this reading of the law and the reformation thereupon following mentioned in the former verses Vers 5. And he had prepared for him a great chamber where afore time they laid the meat-offerings c To wit not when he was first allyed to Tobiah but long after when Nehemiah was gone into Persia vers 6. However he carried the matter when Nehemiah being then present upon the reading of the law the people separated from Israel all the mixed multitude vers 3. yet so soon as Nehemiah was gone into Persia in the thirty second yeare of Artaxerxes reigne Eliashib discovered himself preparing that is making ready and furnishing for his friend and ally Tobiah the Ammonite a great chamber even in the chambers of the Temple which was done it seems by laying many chambers into one the partitions being taken down as may be gathered from vers 9. where it is said that Nehemiah having cast out Tobiahs houshold-stuffe caused the chambers to be cleansed Vers 6. For in the two and thirtieth yeare of Artaxerxes king of Babylon came I unto the king c. Twelve years after his first coming to Jerusalem which was in the twentieth yeare of Artaxerxes chap. 2.1 Vers 9. Then I commanded and they cleansed the chambers To wit by casting out the houshold-stuffe of Tobiah and happely by sprinkling them with the water of purifying because they had been polluted and profaned by the lodging of strangers therein that were not of the seed of Israel Vers 10. And I perceived that the portion of the Levites had not been given them The people had not long since by covenant with God bound themselves to the contrary chap. 10.35 c. but it seems out of indignation against Eliashib for lodging Tobiah in the treasuries of the Temple and because they feared thereupon that what they brought thither was diverted some other way and not imployed as it ought to be they wholly forbare to bring in the Levites portions as they had formerly done Vers 11. Then contended I with the rulers and said Why is the house of God forsaken They had said before when they made that solemn covenant with God We will not forsake the house of our God chap. 10.39 and now therefore Nehemiah upbraids them as it were with their own words and condemnes them out of their own mouthes Why is the house of God forsaken Vers 14. Remember me O my God concerning this and wipe not out my good deeds c. He brags not but prayes not claiming any thing of merit as due in justice but producing the good which through the grace of God he had done he beggs of God to remember him in goodnesse and mercy to accept of these his endeavours to serve him according to the sincerity of his heart and not to reject them because of his many failings as is more fully expressed vers 22. Remember me O my God concerning this also and spare me according to the greatnesse of thy mercy yea herein also he intimates that he knew well enough that perhaps from men he should have no thanks but he sought not the praise of men if it proved so he beseeched the Lord however to remember him and then he had his desire Vers 15. In those dayes saw I in Judah some treading winepresses on the sabbath c. Which was also contrary to their former promise when they solemnly renewed their covenant with God chap. 10.31 Vers 16. There dwelt men of Tyre also therein which brought fish and all manner of ware and sold on the sabbath c. Keeping their very markets upon the sabbath dayes and this they did too which is added in the last words as a great aggravation of their sinnes in Jerusalem that is even in the city Jerusalem which God had chosen to himself for his habitation Vers