place be understood the thing is known and manifest and therefore both Munster and the Tigurin Latin Version instead of what ours render neither shall your Vine cast her fruit before the time in the Field c. translate it neither shall he i. e. the devourer make your Vine barren or unfruitful to you in the Field and to that doth that Exposition of Abarbinel which we have seen seem to encline The Verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Teshaccel is of that form as that it signifies sometimes to cause to make abortive to deprive of and the like in an active sense as Deut. XXXII 25 The sword c. shall destroy or bereave and Ezek XIV 15 If I cause noisom beasts to pass through the Land 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Veshiccelattah and they spoil it or bereave it And in the same sense Hos. IX 12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shiccaltim I will bereave them to omit other examples And sometimes again in an absolute sense viz. to be abortive to be deprived of or cast fruit before it be perfect as Gen. XXXI 31 Thy Ewes and thy she-Goats 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lo shiccelu have not cast their young or been abortive and Job XXI 10 Their Cow calveth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Velo teshaccel and casteth not her Calf Those therefore mentioned take the Verb in the former signification ours and most others both Jewish and Christian Expositors in the latter to which we the more incline because otherwise here will be a change of the Gender in the Verb speaking of the same thing for that in the word destroy is masculine but here is feminine so that they seem one to agree with the first Noun Locust which is of the masculine Gender and the other with Vine in the feminine however such change of Genders may be admitted and seeing though the Locusts destroy not the Vines yet there may be other means as Blasts or Blights and hurtfull Winds and like causes whether from within or without which may make them loose or cast their fruit before it comes to maturity even after a great shew and likelyhood of plenty from hurt by all such causes whether from such devouring creatures or any other means God here promiseth to secure them upon their turning to him and to give them both the encrease of the Earth and fruit of the Vine and so all necessary things in such plenty and perfection that all Nations seeing Gods great goodness shewed unto them shall call them blessed For ye saith he shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Erets chephets a delightsome Land or Land of delight or desire worthy to be desired saith the Vulgar i. e. as some will a Land that men would desire to live in So R. Tanchum a Land to be desired and chosen for its pleasantness and excellency to the same sense that it is said which is the glory of all Lands Ezek. XX. 6 15. Others with Abarbinel understand it a Land of desire or well pleasing to God i. e. such as he takes delight in and shews extraordinary respect and favour to both to the People and the Land as Aben Ezra as he saith elsewhere of Zion that she should be called Hephzibah Isa. LXII 4 i. e. my delight is in her because saith he the Lord delighteth in thee and the comparing that place with this seems to make for this Exposition and it will be well illustrated by what is said Deut. XI 12 a Land which the Lord thy God careth for or seeketh the eyes of the Lord thy God are alwaies upon it from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year viz. to give it its rain in due season the first rain to make it spring up and the latter rain to bring it to perfection and so to preserve the fruits of the Earth that they might gather in their corn and their wine and their oyl v. 14. which is the same care and the same blessing that is here promised This Exposition the Syriack follows rendring it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ar'o detzebyoni A Land of my delight good will or pleasure i. e. to which I bear good will or have good liking to The Chalde likewise taketh it in rendring And all Nations shall praise you because you dwell in the Land of the House of my Majestatick presence and do therein my pleasure He suggests therein a double meaning or respect to the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chephets as first that they or their Land should be called a Land of delight or good will because God delighted to dwell in it and secondly because the Inhabitants thereof did the good pleasure of God and delighted to do his will and therefore he delighted in them and to do good to them as appeared by his extraordinary blessings poured out upon them more then on other People which they should all acknowledge and call them blessed for it so saith the Lord of Hosts of all the Hosts of Heaven and Earth who hath power and command of all and therefore so shall it certainly be as he saith 13 ¶ Your words have been stout against me saith the Lord yet ye say What have we spoken so much against thee 14 Ye have said It is vain to serve God and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts 15 And now we call the proud happy yea they that work wickedness are set up yea they that tempt God are even delivered 16 ¶ Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another and the Lord hearkened and heard it and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his Name Your words have been stout against me saith the Lord. These words may be coupled with the former as if they were a complaint of the Jews stubbornness that though God had reproved them for their sins such as have been expressed and by some judgements warned them of his displeasure for them and likewise had invited them to repentance and promised upon their repentance to remove those judgements and turn the curse with which he had cursed them into a blessing yet this was so far from working in them repentance that they grew more and more insolent and instead of acknowledging their faults and ill deserts proceeded in speaking against him and his justice as if he inflicted on them worse then they deserved not accepting of any service from them and mean while seemed to favor those that were notoriously wicked and tempted him and despised him and so set at nought what by the Prophets was spoken to them for their good Wherefore he proceeds farther to reprove them and mind them of the ill consequents of such their ill behavior which shall be occasion of more heavy judgements and final destruction as between this and the end of the Chapter he shews Or we need not
there and others both here and there give it For here he would have the words rendred as continued with the former and part of what those blasphemers before mentioned said viz. that then they that feared the Lord were destroyed from another signification that the same root hath and is used in as in other places according to him and some others So in II Chron. XXII 10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vattedabber and she destroyed all the Seed Royal and from it is the Noun 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deber which signifies the plague or such destructive sickness so that according to him the sense is that when the presumptuous sinners that work wickedness are set up and though they tempt God by exposing themselves to the greatest dangers are yet delivered then at that very time they that fear the Lord perish are cut off and destroyed one together with another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 el to being here the same that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Im with or are by evil accidents intangling them made destructive and causes of perdition one to another as if the hand of God were upon them to confound and destroy them Thus far he would have the words of those that spake against Gods Justice to reach and then the following words the Lord hearkned c. to be an answer from the Prophet to them as if he should say to them Know and consider that to all this that you say God hearkneth and heareth it and that both the righteousness of the righteous and the wickedness of the wicked are as manifest before him as if all were written in a book of remembrance that it might remain many daies till the time of due recompence and reward c. And the same way of Exposition with him doth Arias Montanus follow and gives it as his own conjecture or opinion probably having seen Abarbinel else he would scarce have fallen in so fully with him here as he doth in many other places without mentioning him in Expositions singular to them and this he commends as most agreeable to the words but I see no reason to be of his opinion but choose rather to follow that interpretation which our Translation with the most both of Jews and Christians gives not making these first words a part of those stout words which the wicked spake against God but a declaration of the behaviour of those that feared God and the following of the good consequence thereon So R. D. Kimchi perspicuously expounds them and the following The former words were the saying of those who did not understand the waies of the Lord and his Judgements and when those that feared the Lord heard those words from those men who denyed the Providence of God over these things below they spake one with another and multiplyed or often repeated those words and argued the matter till they found by their understanding that all his waies are judgement that he is a God of truth and without iniquity And the Lord hearkned i. e. God blessed for ever attended to their words and gave them their reward for this And a book of remembrance was written before him a proverbial expression according to the language of men among whom Kings write a book of memorials for there is no forgetfulness with God according to what is said blot me out of thy Book Exod. XXXII 32 and every one that shall be found written in the book Dan. XII 2 These words of his we have set down at large because they give exactly that notion concerning the distinction of the words from the former and the signification of the Verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nidbaru which our Translators choose to follow And it is that wherein most both Jewish and Christian Expositors do well agree as likewise in what is meant by what he saith and the Lord hearkned and heard it and a book of remembrance was written viz. that the Lord took due notice of what was said both by bad and good say some which though it be true that he doth so yet here more particularly it seems to be referred to the good and kept it in perpetual remembrance in the register of his memory if we may so speak as certainly as if it were written in a book according to the custome of men who note down in writing or cause to be registred such things as they would not forget but be sure to call to mind and shew that they took due notice of as meet occasion and opportunity should serve to reward those that had done them any service or deserved well or whom they had a mind to do good to Of Gods book and things being written in it there is we know often mention in the Scriptures besides those places which Kimchi recites both in the Old and New Testament and every where is much alike to be understood viz. that the things spoken of are as surely known and had in remembrance with him as if they were written down before him And so where the books are said to be opened it is the making manifest his knowledge of those things by his passing sentence on men accordingly for good or bad see Dan. VII 10 and Revel XX. 12 and Isa. LXV 6 The book of remembrance is here said to be written for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his name viz. to give them assurance that their faithfulness to him however he did not presently reward them openly for it yet was duly taken notice of by him and in due time he would make it known by his distinguishing them from the wicked and his great care of them to preserve them from those heavy judgements and that destruction which should seize on the others as will appear in the following words But before we pass to them we may take notice of what is by some observed concerning the signification or force of that word which is rendred and that thought upon his Name viz. that it imports not a bare thinking of but a due esteem and awful regard of so as with all care to avoid all things that may tend to the dishonor of it constantly to endeavor so to walk as beseems such who profess to know God and to serve him as alwaies in his presence and with respect to him and fear of him Those saith Kimchi are meant who alwaies think of or meditate in the waies of the Lord and the knowledge of his God-head for his Name is himself and he himself is his Name Aben Ezra understands it of the wise in heart who know the secret or the mystery of the glorious awfull Name He seems to allude to what is said Psal. XXV 14 the secret of the Lord is with them that fear him R. Tanchum saith that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Choshebe rendred that thought on imports or includes honoring and magnifying according to the use of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chashub for one in dignity and high
A COMMENTARY ON THE PROPHECY OF MALACHI By EDWARD POCOCK D. D. Canon of Christ-Church and Regius Professor of the Hebrew Tongue in the Vniversity of OXFORD OXFORD Printed at the THEATER M.DC.LXXVII To the Right Reverend Father in God THOMAS LORD BISHOP Of EXETER MY LORD AMONGST the encouragements which I have had to proceed in explaining some of the lesser Prophets have been your Lordships perswasions which deservedly ought to have with me the force of commands The same have given me boldness to recommend this part of that Work to your Lordships Patronage by whose countenancing of it others will be encouraged to look into it with hopes of receiving some benefit by it That which is presented to your hands is an Exposition on Malachi the last of the Prophets as in order so in time and even for that reason by me chosen to fix my thoughts on before others because nearest therefore in conjunction with the Gospell to which it leads us by the hand and delivers us over for that begins where he ends so that from that looking back according to our Saviours own direction to search the Scriptures of the old Testament which testify of him for confirmation of the new and to see how what in this is recorded as done was in that foretold as to be done we presently light on those things concerning Christ and his forerunner John the Baptist with report of which the Gospell begins so clearly set down by this last of the Prophets as that we cannot but admire that the Jews of those times did not at the appearance of them in their offices without more adoe confess That what Malachi prophesied was now come to pass and acknowledge That both Elias the Lords Messenger whom he would send to prepare the way before him and the Lord of the Temple whom they sought even the Messenger of the Covenant whom they delighted in they that were to come were come and they were to look for no other And no less is it to be wondred that their posterity should even to this day continue in the like obstinacy and shut their eies against these manifest truths notwithstanding they have long since seen fully executed on their Nation all those heavy things which in this Prophecy also were denounced against such as should not embrace them Yet do they taking no notice of these things perversly still stand out and seek all waies by false glosses absurd misinterpretations and misapplications of these Prophecies so long since fulfilled as if they were things yet to come to elude them and deceive themselves and their posterity Their cavils I have endeavoured as God hath enabled me to remove and so by asserting the place for Christs Birth designed by Micah and the time for his coming by Malachi to clear the way for the better understanding of all such other Prophecies as foretold of other things in and by him to be fulfilled and by the exact accomplishment of which the Gospell proves him to be the CHRIST These I thought convenient therefore to begin with as the Gospell doth as preceding in execution divers others that were before them uttered The due fulfilling of these and the nature of them being vindicated from the Glosses of the Jews the other will be better understood and such cavils also as are brought in the expounding of them be easier removed the being and coming of him whom they concern being established What I have done in this kind or any other which may conduce to the true meaning of this Prophet I must humbly submit to the judgement of your Lordship and others Whatever the Work be I desire it may be a testimony of my dutiful respects and gratitude to your Lordship in many years enjoiment of whose love and friendship I have been formerly happy and now more in that I see that the change of your Lordships condition to an higher degree of dignity in the Church hath nothing altered your affections of which I have real proof in your Lordships favor shewed to some of mine for my sake Long may your Lordship continue in health and happiness to be an instrument of promoting Gods glory and the good of the Church So are the hearty prayers of MY LORD Your Lordships most humble Servant EDWARD POCOCK A COMMENTARY ON THE PROPHECY of the PROPHET MALACHI CHAP. I. VERS 1. The burden of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi THE burden of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi Whereas there is nothing elsewhere spoken of this Prophet in Canonical Scripture it hath given occasion of several conjectures concerning him His name being interpreted signifying my Angel or my Messenger hath made some to think that he was an Angel appearing in form of a man for the delivery of Gods Message to the People of that time But this opinion by some ancient Christians of great authority entertain'd is by others that followed deservedly rejected as having no solid grounds If any will make any inference from the derivation of the name he may rather think him design'd as a man of holy Angelical qualities or in office resembling an Angel rather then a natural Angel A man therefore he is taken to be but who is that man An ancient Jewish Doctor would make him the same with Mordecai but having no ground for it is not by others followed That wherein more of them agree and among them the Chalde Paraphrast also is that he was the same with Esdras to which divers Christians also seem to encline But the Arguments brought to prove it on examination are no way convincing and therefore the truer and more probable opinion is that he was a distinct Prophet call'd by this name Malachi a name well agreeing to and attesting his function as a Prophet sent by God in his message He prophesied after the return of the Jews from the Babylonish captivity and the rebuilding of the Temple and was the last of the Prophets that God sent to them leaving them for the future to expect the coming of Christ and to long after it for farther manifestation of his will Of Christ and his forerunner John Baptist he most evidently prophesied and till their coming God left them for directions to the Law of Moses Chap. IV. 4 The Authority of his Prophecy is asserted in the New Testament where it is cited Matth. XI 10 Mark I. 2 Luk. I. 16 and VII 27 Rom. IX 13 and elsewhere The Tradition of the Jews is that Prophecy remained among them 40 years under the second Temple in which time Haggai and Zachary and Malachi prophesied of which Malachi was the last and so his Prophecy concludes the Books of the Prophets it ends with the Promise of him with the history of whom the Gospel begins viz. John the Baptist and his preaching Repentance His Prophecy is here called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Massa The burden of the word of the Lord by which name
Prophecy is elsewhere often called and usually glossed where it occurs a burdensome Prophecy such as denounces heavy things But I suppose this nicety as concerning the signification of burden and burdensomeness is not to be insisted on in the Interpretation of the word My ground is because the Israelites seem reproved for so using or understanding it Jerem. XXIII 34 c. As for the Prophet and the Priest and the People that shall say The burden of the Lord I will even punish that man and his house Thus shall ye say every one to his neighbour and every one to his brother what hath the Lord answered and what hath the Lord spoken And the burden of the Lord shall ye mention no more for every mans word shall be his burden for ye have perverted the words of the living God c. Here seems a prohibition for taking the word in that sense The occasion of which according to the exposition of divers of the best Jewish Interpreters was thus Whereas the word Massa taken from a root that signifies to bear carry take up and the like is of ambiguous signification and signifies among the rest sometimes a burden sometimes what is born or carried or delivered from one to another whether thing or word and so was used for a Prophecy or Message from God as often in Scripture and for other speech or doctrine as Prov. XXXIII 1 the Jews looking on the Messages received from God and delivered to them by the Prophets as things grievous and burdensome when they enquired of the Prophets concerning them used this word and meant it in the worst sense in scoff or contempt of them God therefore seeing the evil meaning of their hearts though otherwise their language seemed to be such as was usual for signifying that which they enquired after and to have no harm in it discovers their hypocrisy to the Prophet and charges them with perverting his word in their use of it and therefore forbids them any more so to abuse it but if they would enquire of the Prophet to do it in other words viz. what hath the Lord answered or what hath the Lord spoken which was as much as was by that word meant when it was used by the Prophets and should have been meant by them when they used it but was perverted and abused by them to another meaning Hence taking directions we conceive that here as in other places the word is not strictly to be taken in the harsh signification of a grievous or heavy burden but rather as a burden if we may take the word in a gentler sense or Message taken or received from God to be delivered to the People That it doth not alwaies import heavy or burdensome words or messages may appear by its use Zach. XII 1 where it is prefixed to the promises of good things to Israel not heavy things against them as likewise Lament II. 14 where the pretended Prophecies of their false Prophets are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Masseoth shav which is rendred false burdens whereas they appear to have spoken to them not heavy but pleasing and flattering things as he there complains that they did not discover their iniquities so that both real and pretended Prophecies are so called whatsoever they contained The word therefore being of such latitude we need not here press its signification of what is burdensom but in its larger notion looking on it take it as sufficient for the meaning of what is here delivered that it is the message or import of the word of the Lord a Prophecy from him received and by his commission delivered by the hand or ministery of Malachi to Israel Which Name as before the division of the two Kingdoms of Judah and Israel it was common to the twelve Tribes though afterwards it became a peculiar title to the ten Tribes so here it is given to the two Tribes and to all of the other who join'd themselves to them in their return from Babylon These having had late experience of Gods great favor in turning their captivity and restoring them to their own Land and again settling his worship among them should have been very careful in reforming their waies and sincere in their obedience but it was otherwise Many enormities and actions contrary to Gods Law and displeasing to him and signs of their great ingratitude to him and unmindfulness of his benefits were found among them for which therefore seeking still their good he sends this his Prophet to reprove them and to exhort them to repentance and for the comfort of the godly among them to give them assurance of the coming of the promised Messiah in his due time to set all things right for their good as will in order appear in what follows of this Prophecy which thus begins 2 I have loved you saith the Lord yet ye say Wherein hast thou loved us was not Esau Jacobs brother saith the Lord yet I loved Jacob. 3 And I hated Esau and laid his mountains and his heritage wast for the dragons of the wilderness I have loved you saith the Lord. Here seems intimated a reproof of Israel for their great ingratitude and unkindness to the Lord whilst he tells them that certainly they ought to have loved him since that he had first loved them and ought therefore to have found gratefull returns of love from them but how contrary behaviour he found from them he shews in that Question which he saies that instead of a ready acknowledgment of his love they were ready to put implying little less then an absolute denyal of his kindness Yet ye say wherein hast thou loved us So that he sees it necessary by a particular instance or proof in the next words to make evident wherein he had shewed his love to them Was not c. The scope and sense will be much the same if with others we interpret those words yet ye say by And if ye say wherein c. it will still intimate their ingratitude and that they were ready so to say and that it was necessary to prevent or answer that perverse Question by confirming by that instance given what he had said I have loved you viz. with greater love then ordinary and shewed to you greater tokens of love then to others Another learned Jew reads the Question put something differently not wherein as if they utterly denied Gods love to them which was manifest to all but wherefore hast thou loved us as if they should intimate that there was some reason for it why he should love them viz. in requital of their Father Abraham's love to him so that it was not a free love and mercy to them but a love as it were of debt due to them for Abraham's sake and then the instance given shews how perverse this thought of theirs was For if it had been only so much love as was due in requital of Abraham's love to him why
then had not Esau who was descended as well of Abraham as Jacob had as much right to it and as great a share in it as Jacob his posterity as they Whereas by Gods loving Jacob and hating Esau his twin-brother 't was made manifest that there was more in it then so and that his peculiar love of Jacob and especial favors to his posterity were not for Abraham's desert alone but of free grace and mercy to them and therefore deserved all possible returns of love gratitude and obedience from them This he makes to be the meaning and connexion of the words which though in his way it may seem plain yet is there no need to leave the former interpretation for it Was not Esau Jacob's brother saith the Lord yet I loved Jacob and I hated Esau. This the Lord gives as an instance of his free love to the Israelites the posterity of Jacob that whereas Esau and Jacob were twin-brothers one as well as the other descended from Abraham both sons of Isaac by one mother twins born at the same time yet he loved one and did not love or hated the other and so derived that love and hatred to their posterity and accordingly shewed to them the tokens and effects thereof The Apostle S. Paul in Rom. IX 11 13. improveth this argument from hence that this love to the one and hatred to the other was declared when those children were not yet born neither had done any good or evil So that it could not be said one had deserved better then the other and therefore his love to one above the other must needs appear to be of ftee grace and choice electing one and rejecting the other and the distinction or difference that he made between them may be illustrated by the several advantages that by his love one had over the other in several matters concerning both their spiritual and temporal estate But the literal explication of the words here intended requires no more then the view of the particular effect of his love to Jacob's posterity and hatred to Esau's here instanced in viz. the utter desolation of Esau's Country and the restitution of Israel's when he had given them both into the hand of their Enemies to be punish'd for their sins that punishment proving to the one for their utter destruction to the other but as a fatherly chastisement to make them sensible of their errors and to amend them that so they might again be reconciled to him and taken into favor Of Esau therefore or his posterity the Edomites he saies that he declared his hatred to him or them called by his Name in that he laid his Mountains and his heritage wast for the Dragons of the wilderness His Mountains In Deut. II. 5 we read that God gave mount Seir unto Esau for a possession and so again Josh. XXIV 4 so that though the occasion of his going first thither out of the land of Canaan be expressed Genes XXXVI 7 to have been because their riches viz. his and his brother Jacob's were more then that they might dwell together and the Land could not bear them both yet it appears to have been by Gods designation and appointment that so Esau might take that Country w ch is described by naming its cheif mountain which was Seir for his possession and to his posterity and leave Canaan to Jacob which his posterity had after for their possession Mountains here put in the plural number intimates that in it were more Mountains or that it was a mountainous Country We need not here insist on that Note which some make that Gods giving at first to Esau a craggy mountainous Country and reserving for Jacob's posterity the more pleasant Country of Canaan was then a sign of Gods love to Jacob and hatred to Esau however true it be That which is here given us to look on particularly as a sign of his hatred to him being that those Mountains and that heritage that he then gave him and his posterity had hitherto possessed and flourished in he had now laid wast and dispossessing them thereof gave it to be inhabited by the Dragons of the Wilderness Dragons So the Latine and so the most if not all latter Translations and so divers of the Jewish Expositors seem to take it But another learned Jew excepts against this rendring and saith that the Creatures by this name meant are not Serpents but Jackales a wild howling beast that lives abroad in desolate places and that whether the noun be put 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tannoth in the feminine form as here or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tannim in the masculine as Micah I. 8 and elsewhere it is all one as to the signification Compare this with Psal. XLIV 19 where is The place of Tannim and that with Psal. LXIII 10 where we read A portion for Foxes for Foxes and Jackales are not far different in kind or nature These Jackales will prey on dead bodies yea dig them out of their Graves if not well covered So that these words Psal. XLIV 19 may have this sense Thou hast caused or suffered us to be smitten in open wast unhabited Plains the place or habitation of Jackales where such wild beasts prey on the slain bodies none hindring them and so will it in sense be much like what is said Psal. LXXIX 2 A Jew that in that place of Micah in his Translation into Arabick so renders Tannim the masculine as the other would have it viz. Jackales 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Benat Awi yet here renders Tannoth the feminine by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Albume Owls why I know not Concerning the word see it more largely discoursed there on Micah But however there be this difference concerning the kind of the creature by this name signified all tends to the same purpose namely to denote that their Land should be so laid wast as that none but such creatures as live only in wast desolate places should for the future inhabit it and there should not be men to afright them or keep them thence An expression the like to which is elsewhere also used to signify the utter desolation of a place that was formerly well peopled and inhabited as Isai. XIII 21 22. and XXXIV 13 and Jer. IX 11 and X. 22 and II. 27 And therefore several ancient Translators seem to have thought it sufficient to give the meaning of the words by such expressions which might import that this Country should be laid wholly and utterly wast without particularly giving the signification of this word as the Chalde who renders it into wastness of the Wilderness or a wast wilderness the Syriack into habitations of the Wilderness the Greek into houses of the Wilderness which the printed Arabick version following by a plain mistake of the second letter of the word reading 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 renders into gifts of the Wilderness Not that they are to be
for explication of the sense more words which because his Book is not printed nor common it will not be amiss to give or the meaning of them which is That the meaning of these words together in connexion with the former is Ye have or shall have assurance of his love to you and providence over you when you see that you your selves are returned to your own Land and have power of building and inhabiting it but they have not power to do the like but they build and I throw down and ye therefore praise or shall praise and magnify my name for it saying The Lord shall be magnified on the border of Israel that is his greatness shall be alwaies manifest upon or over you or else it may be supplied thus The Lord shall be magnified who protecteth the border of Israel or the like Or the meaning is said to be It would have become you that you should so do and have continued so to do viz. to have taken due notice of this and to have said The Lord be magnified c. but you have done the contrary as in what follows is declared Or saith he in the opinion of some the words from the border of Israel are to be joined with and ye as if it were thus to be construed And you that reside on or dwell in the border of Israel shall say The Lord be magnified Thus he which we the rather take notice of because it will arm us against what another Jew saith that this may be interpreted And your eies shall see the destruction of Edom in the end of daies or the last daies and then ye shall say The Lord be magnified from the border of Israel that is to say In all the World shall his name be magnified according to what is said Then will I turn to the People a pure language that they may call upon the name of the Lord to serve him with one consent Zeph. III. 9 He seems to look upon this Prophecy as not yet fulfilled but hereafter to be fulfilled by the utter destruction of Edom which certainly hath been long since destroyed and setling Israel again in their Land They willingly catch at any thing whereby to cherish themselves in their fond error of expecting a Messiah yet to come who shall restore to Israel a temporal Kingdom and subdue under them all their Enemies and cut off those whom they please to call Edom by which name we have shewed whom they mean He runs in this the same way that Abarbinol doth Yet here Abarbinel though he promise to himself a farther fulfilling of it in that way yet could not but confess it to be already fulfilled viz. under the second Temple and that restitution of Israel from their Babylonish captivity and the destruction of Edom in those times and therefore saith Perhaps this Promise was spoken concerning both times viz. that so long since past and that which they expect yet to come The Verbs being in the Text in the future Tense as of what was then to come will not advantage those who would make that use thereof as if it were yet to be expected for though their eies had already seen Edom subdued and their Mountains laid wast yet there was there that which they were farther to see and admire viz. that the Edomites should again strive to recover themselves and rebuild their wast as Israel had done theirs but through the continued indignation of the Lord upon them should never be able to do it What we read The Lord will be magnified some read Great is or be the Lord the Lord doth magnify himself over or upon the border of Israel viz. by taking especial care of it Your eies shall see from the border of Israel and you shall say The Lord doth magnify himself The Chalde expounds it And ye shall say Let the Glory of God be multiplied for he hath enlarged the border of Israel which some well like of and so it will well agree with what Drusius observes the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meal properly to signify beyond but these small differences make no great alteration in the sense and scope The inference from what hath been said is plainly this That seeing God had in thus declaring his peculiar love to them above others whom he might for the same respects they also being the seed of Abraham have made objects of his love as well as them certainly they ought to have requited him with more then ordinary love and testified it by their obedience to him which seeing they did not they are justly reproveable To shew the justness of his reproof of them and aggravate the unreasonableness of their ingratitude and perverse behaviour towards him he in the following words proceeds farther to explain his benefits and relations that he stands in to them for which tokens of his love to them they ought also to have shewed such respects to him as those relations required but did not He adds therefore 6 ¶ A son honoureth his father and a servant his master If then I be a father where is mine honour and if I be a master where is my fear saith the Lord of hosts unto you O Priests that despise my Name and ye say Wherein have we despised thy Name A son honoreth his Father and a servant his Master c. God had all along shewed such fatherly love to Israel and paternal care over them above all other Nations that they could not but acknowledge him their Father not only by a common right as he is Father of all as Creator of all but by a peculiar right as having adopted them unto a greater priviledge and nigher relation of sonship then others and so had he by his peculiar guidance and protection direction and government of them shewed himself a Lord and Master to them that they could not deny him by a particular right of title to be so to them This they could not they would not deny but rather so challenge him to themselves in these respects as if he were not so at all to other Nations either a Father or Master to them The word If therefore doth not put or suppose it as a thing which they doubted or such as in words they would deny but such as while with their mouths they confessed or could not but confess they did not in their deeds make good but rather contradicted for if they did look on him as a Father why did they not then duly honor him or if as a master why did they not then reverence and fear him and so includes a reprehension of them for not attesting to their outward profession by their respective behaviour but by that shewed their heart not to be right with him For a son honoureth his Father and a servant his Master It is their duty so to do and they transgress not only their duty but the ordinary custom they who do not so are unnatural sons
perverse ill natured servants unworthy of those appellations not doing what they require and suppose will be performed by all that are called by them and such the Questions here put where is mine honor and where is my fear shew them to have been as neither yielding to God that honor which from sons is due and is ordinarily performed to a Father nor that fear which servants ow and usually shew to a Master The question imports a denial viz. that they did not this their duty and because they would perhaps deny themselves to be peccant in what is objected to them he proceeds by peculiar instances to convict them as guilty directing what hath hitherto been said more generally as to all the People more particularly to the Priests who gave ill example in this kind to them and should have taught them better Saith the Lord of Hosts unto you O Priests that despise my Name This reading couples these words with the foregoing part of the verse though that seem spoken more generally to all the People and this doth not exclude them though particularly directed to the Priests as those who should have prevented such ill behaviour in the People but now seemed to be occasions to them of despising Gods Name by their despising it first as if his speech to the Priests began at A son honoreth his Father c. others putting a stop after where is my fear or after saith the Lord of Hosts will have what is spoken peculiarly to the Priests to begin at The Lord of Hosts saith or speaketh to you O Priests who despise my Name viz. The Lord accuseth you for despising his Name This punctation seems to follow the Latin in some Copies and others understanding To you O Priests who despise my Name I say these things But this nicety seems of no great import That which the Priests are accused of is that they despise his Name and have him in contempt which is contrary to that honor which as a Father and that fear and reverence which as he is a Lord or Master is due unto him This were manifestly a great fault they seem not to think otherwise or to justify it in themselves but rather would justify themselves as not guilty of it and therefore to say Be it far from us we have done no such thing wherein have we despised thy Name surely in nothing that we know of He answereth them therefore in the next words 7 Ye offer polluted bread upon mine Altar and ye say Wherein have we polluted thee in that ye say The table of the Lord is contemtible Ye offer polluted bread upon mine Altar c. Of bread to be offered to God we read of two sorts the one called the Shew-bread to be set on a Table before the Lord of which mention is made Exod. XXV 30. as likewise of the Table on which they were to be set in the foregoing verses and directions for ordering this bread are given Levit. XXIV 5 c. Of other bread called a Meat-offering to be brought to the Altar and part thereof to be burnt on the Altar either as a voluntary oblation we read Levit. II. or else as a necessary and commanded oblation of which is mention Exod. XXIX 40 and Num. XXVIII 5 c Of the former of these sorts viz. the Shew-bread will some have the bread mentioned understood Against which others object that this bread here is said to be offered on the Altar whereas that was set on a Table for that end ordained But if there be no other difficulty a sufficient answer to this may seem what is given by some viz. that Altar here is taken for Table as manifestly elsewhere Table is the same that Altar as Ezek. XLI 22 and here in this very verse what is called Altar is likewise called Table Yet do others choose to understand Bread here rather of that meat-offering that was offered with the daily Sacrifice which was the second sort that we mentioned and was part of it burnt on the Altar But both these go on the same grounds that bread here is taken in that proper notion by that word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lechem usually understood but others look on it as in a larger signification as it peculiarly denotes not only bread properly so called and usually by that name understood but any food or flesh or meat that is eaten as well as bread and so those parts of the Sacrifices which were burnt on the Altar are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the bread of the offerings made by fire unto the Lord Levit. III. 11 16. that is as ours in a word of larger signification render it The food accordingly as ver 12. in this Chapter in a more general term he calls what is offered on his Table 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oclo the food thereof and so those parts also of them which the Priests did eat seem called The bread of their God Levit. XXI 22 Looking on it therefore in this larger notion not as signifying only bread which usually in the Hebrew and Syriack Languages it is taken for nor only flesh as in the Arabick but as it comprehends both yea all food or meat they take it here to denote any Sacrifice or Oblation offered to God on his Altar which was as his Table and what was thereon offered and burnt called his food or meat so that under the name of polluted bread may come those blind and lame and sick Sacrifices in the following words mentioned yet some like not this We need not trouble our selves in deciding the controversy between these differing opinions or dispute which is to be preferred An easy way of reconciling them and composing the matter seems that which is by a learned Jew suggested viz. That there is no doubt but that the names Altar and Table may be indifferently used for signifying either the Altar or the Table of Shew-bread and by polluted bread may be understood either bread properly so called or else the flesh of the Sacrifices and then whether by this variety of words he understand still the same thing or else diverse viz. the Shew-bread by some of them and the Sacrifices by others the scope will be the same viz. to shew the contemt they had of his service and that not in one particular kind only but in all and to make good the accusation against them by instancing whether in one kind or more and passing from one to the other Two faults they seem here accused of the first that they accounted that holy enough which was not so viz. offerings that were polluted that is not so ordered as God had commanded such things as he would accept of as holy to be ordered and therefore reputed in his sight as unclean Secondly in accounting that contemtible which was in it self to be reverenced and looked on as holy viz. the Table or Altar of the Lord.
As for the first viz. those offerings there was the pollution or defect in the things themselves manifest As for the second the fault was in themselves in their evill and contemtuous thoughts in that they said or would be ready to say at least thought in their minds which was in his sight or ears as much as if they openly spake it though perhaps they were not so impudent as openly to profess it By doing the first they are said to despise his Name in despising and setting light by his Ordinances and the manner by him prescrib'd for the right performance of them by the second they are said to pollute him in contemning that which was hallow'd to him as despicable the contemt of that God looks on as redounding to himself The Question as in their person put wherein have we polluted thee as if they should say though the bread or things that we offer be polluted yet what pollution or dishonor doth thence arise to thee and then Gods answer In that ye say The Table of the Lord is contemtible plainly shews it viz. That he looks on it as if they did as far as in them lay pollute him himself The contemt offered to his Table or Altar or that whereby they declared themselves to look on it as contemtible seems to consist in this that they thought any thing though not qualified with those conditions that the Law required good enough to offer to him on it Why they did so contemn it some give reasons as that it was because there was not in the Altar now under the second Temple that richness and splendor and therefore neither as they thought that holiness that was under the first Temple or in that the things offered were but few and so their gain or income but small or as some Jews because there was offered on it fat and blood and such things as they looked on as despicable not considering why God requir'd them or that it was enough that he commanded But these are but conjectures no ground for them in the Text. It was manifestly a sign of irreligion and disrespect to God and his worship in them shewed in this instance of their dealing with his Table and the things thereto belonging both here included together the offerings and the Altar for which they are therefore reproved as contemners of God which their contemt is farther illustrated in the next verse 8 And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice is it not evil and if ye offer the lame and sick is it not evil offer it now unto thy governor will he be pleased with thee or accept thy person saith the Lord of hosts And if you offer the blind for Sacrifice is it not evil This question put though with a conditional particle If intimates that they did presume to offer such things therefore instead of If others put That you do offer c. is it not evil or In as much or whereas ye offer c. is it not evil Do you not hereby manifestly profess your opinion that the Table of the Lord is contemtible as if they were the words of God and so is the consequence of these words on the former evident But others read without an interrogation And when ye offer the blind c. it is not evil viz. in your opinion or ye tell the People that bring them to you to offer for them that they are not evil as if they were their words they are good enough to be offered on Gods Altar clean contrary to Gods command Levit. XXII 22 c. Deut. XV. 21 And by this doing likewise they said or shewed that they thought the Table or Altar of the Lord contemptible and that they despised him for had they had any respect unto him any reverence for his Altar they would not have presumed to offer thereon to him such things as they would not think to find acceptance for or with from any among men who was in place or honor and whose favor they would seek So saith he Offer it now to thy Governor will he be pleased with thee c. certainly not Thou wouldst not think that he would accept thy person with a present so disgraceful so dishonorable for him to take He would look on it as a great disrespect of his person and disregard of his honor and therefore be much displeased with him that should shew so little esteem of him How much more shall the Lord the great Governor of the World from whom they have all that they have and who hath no need of any thing that they have look upon it as a great contempt to himself if they shall presume to offer to him what they would not dare to offer to one though in dignity and autority above them yet a man like themselves especially seeing he had commanded the contrary and declared that he would have no such oblation brought to his Altar For those that were not able to bring greater gifts he had ordained less and of smaller value yet still as a learned Jew observes required that all of those offerings should be of the perfectest in their kind lest such things as were offered to him and his service should become contemtible as here it is shewed that it was come to pass among them and he complains of them and reproves especially the Priests for it For though the People were much in fault for presuming to bring such illegal and undue oblations yet much more the Priests in receiving them from them and offering them who should have taught them what to bring and denied to receive what was not fit when they brought any such and to have refused to offer it in that they did not this but rather tell the People it was good enough they shewed disrespect to God and contempt of him He reproves them for it and expects they should repent of it So the Prophet shews in subjoining verse the 9 th 9 And now I pray you beseech God that he will be gracious unto us this hath been by your means will he regard your persons saith the Lord of hosts And now I pray you beseech God that he will be gracious unto us c. A learned Jew thus gives the connexion of these words with the preceding He shews them the remedy against their disease stirring them up to repentance and that they would make intercession for Israel that so wrath might be removed from them and they might find mercy as he saith that he will be gracious unto us for that belonged to the Priests how much more when their fault or sin was cause thereof viz. of Gods wrath toward them or curse on them seeing the matter was in their hand and they occasioned it and might have hindred it as he saith this hath been by your means or from your hand Thus he and then the words that follow will he accept your persons
must thus be supplied except you so do viz. repent and make supplications to him but shall continue to do as you do will the Lord accept your persons To the same purpose do others both Jews and Christians expound the words as to denote that if they did sincerely repent and seek by prayer for mercy from God he would yet have mercy on them but if not they ought not to think that he who is no accepter of persons would accept any of them or spare to reprove them for their doings Or as some of them that they should thus earnestly pray to see whether God though much displeased would yet accept them and be gracious to Israel which is agreeable with the old Latin Translation Others prefer to look on these words as Ironically spoken to this purpose Now therefore behaving your selves thus wickedly in Gods service do what is farther your duty ye Priests to whom that office belongs beseech the Lord that he will be gracious unto us for the evil is come upon us by your means and now see whether ye being such as ye are can prevail for your sakes to have it removed God hath constituted you Intercessors for the People and promised to accept of your intercession while you behave your selves in your office as you ought but will he now accept of your persons and hear you for them or for your selves surely ye will find your selves much deceived if you think he will your office so ill performed will not make you acceptable That he will be gracious unto us Here is observed that the Prophet though not guilty of those sins which he reproves yet saith not unto you or unto the People but unto us as joining himself in the number either out of modesty or humility or sympathizing with them in the evil which should come upon them So Moses Exodus XXXIV 9 praying for the People that had sinned saith Pardon our iniquity and our sin though he had no part therein which way of speaking he learnt from God himself who finding fault with the People joins with them Moses who was not guilty of that fault How long do ye refuse to keep my Commandments Exodus XVI 28 10 Who is there even among you that would shut the doors for nought neither do ye kindle fire on mine altar for nought I have no plesure in you saith the Lord of hosts neither will I accept an offering at your hand Who is there even among you that would shut the doors for nought c. or that doth shut c. Having shewed the great fault of the Priests in their negligence in his service and not taking care for the right ordering of things in it according to the Law he here seems to aggravate it in that they receive abundant wages for what they should do and are well paid for it even for their least services they do as the very shutting of the doors of the Temple and kindling fire on his Altar Did he require their Service for nought as justly he might then they might have some pretence for their negligence but now being so plentifully rewarded by the portions in performing their several offices allowed them sure if they would not out of love do it yet in justice they ought to be carefull in performing what was required of them according as the Law required it to be performed and seeing they are not he is justly displeased at them and hath no pleasure in them neither will accept an offering at their hand This seems to be the connexion and the meaning of the words according to the rendring which our Translators give But I have heard exceptions taken against our Translators for it but those that blame them for it should consider that they go not alone in it but have the consent both of other approved translations and learned Expositors who seem to embrace it out of choice and deliberation not because they saw no other or were not aware that the words were by some or might be otherwise expounded For to the same sense the ancient Latine renders them and so Junius and Tremellius among the modern whom together with ours they must tax as likewise those Expositors which go the same way which are many and learned Yet if any like not this nor be moved with those autorities another Exposition by many likewise both Jews and Christians given is this Who is there also among you i. e. I would there were any that would shut the doors against you that you might not bring in such illegal and unacceptable oblations nor kindle fire on mine Altar in vain or to no purpose or profit to you for I have no pleasure in you saith the Lord of Hosts neither will I accept an offering at your hand Any offering though it were in it self good you being such as you are much less such illegal offerings these services were even better let alone then be so performed as they are by you This sense being agreeable to the Chalde Paraphrase and given by several Jewish Expositors sure those who as we have seen follow the same way that our Translators do and likewise our Translators themselves so learned attentive and diligent men as they were could not be ignorant of however they chose to follow what they have done The Reader seeing and considering both or if he find any other may take his choice too He may only observe that in ours the word for nought is for making the sense plainer twice repeated whereas it is in the Original only once and that in the last place and it is so likewise repeated in the Translation of Junius and Tremellius Some of the Jews though to this purpose which we have said giving their own meaning yet tell us of another Exposition or Gloss given by some of their ancient Doctors as making it to include an argument à minori ad majus to this purpose Two things there are which a man will not refuse to do yet have no reward for them If one man say to another Shut the door after thee or me or light this candle for me he for doing it askes or takes no reward but who among you hath shut my doors for nought neither have ye lighted mine Altar for nought how much less have you done for nought any of those things which use to be done for reward Therefore I have no pleasure in you They give no farther explication of their Doctors meaning it seems to make for the first exposition 11 For from the rising of the Sun even unto the going down of the same my Name shall be great among the Gentiles and in every place incense shall be offered unto my Name and a pure offering for my Name shall be great among the heathen saith the Lord of hosts For from the rising of the Sun even to the going down of the same my Name shall be great among the Gentiles and in every place
other or would choose any other place for his worship then Jerusalem he will certainly effect and therefore for the better assurance thereof repeats it for my Name shall be great that which by you a handfull of men is now despised shall be great among the Heathen by all acknowledged as such These words were when spoken spoken of what should after be but by Christs coming into the World were made good so appears it by what he saith in his discourse with the Samaritan Woman who thought of no other pâ—aâ—e where men ought â—o worship God but either the Mountain of the Samaritans mount Garizim or Jerusalem Joh. IV. 21 c. Woman beleive me the hour cometh when ye shall neither in this Mountain nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father And the hour cometh and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth for the Father seeketh such to worship him God is a spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth The consideration of which words will give us the true import of these and compared together they illustrate one the other for his saying that God did no longer confine his worship i. e. the outward performance thereof by such rites and ceremonies as were ordained to Jerusalem or any other single place what is that but the verifying of what is here said that his Name should be great among the Nations from the rising of the Sun even to the going down of the same and what he â—aâ—th that the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth not only there but every where sheweth that as his Name should be great and magnified among them by their acknowledging him as Father so what is to be meant by that incense and pure offering which they should offer unto his Name viz. not such as are literally signified by those words and were then to be ordered according to the prescription of the Law but such worship as though expressed by the names of those carnal things under the Law then in continual use and known to all yet is indeed spiritual joining the Soul with the external performances agreeable to the nature of God who is a spirit of which those ordinances of worship under the Law were types and shadows And indeed the change of the place necessarily imports a change of the worship or things offered for expression of it for the incense and other offerings by the Law prescribed were not to be offered any where else but in the Temple at Jerusalem after that was there settled for the place of his worship Deut. XII 13 14 26. Those therefore that he will have in every place to be offered to him are manifestly of another nature though called by those names which then included generally all the external worship of God under the Old Testament while the Jews were Gods peculiar People they now figuratively understood denote the whole spiritual worship of God under the New Testament since the calling of the Gentiles and People of all Nations unto Gods Church the Kingdom of Christ. The incense therefore of the Gentiles converted to Christ and by the Gospell instructed in the true knowledge of God and taught to celebrate his great name and their pure offering are devout prayers Rev. V. 8 holy praises thanksgivings and alms-deeds and works of charity Heb. XIII 15 16. their whole selves Rom. XII 1 Divers of the ancient Christian Fathers look on the words as an express and undoubted Prophecy of the Christians solemn worship of God in the Eucharist or Sacrament of the Lords Supper called the Christian Sacrifice to which how they are appliable is shewed at large by the learned M r Mede in his discourse on these words where he gives to note that under the name of the Christian Sacrifice by the ancient Church was understood not the mere Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ but the whole sacred action or solemn Service of the Church assembled whereof this sacred mystery was a prime and principal part and therefore defines it to be An oblation of thanksgiving and praier to God the Father through Jesus Christ and his Sacrifice commemorated in the creatures of bread and wine wherewith God had been first agnized viz. by them sanctified by being offered and set before him as a present to acknowledge him the Lord and giver of all This whole Service duly performed is as at large he there shews deservedly stiled incense and a pure offering both in respect that it is purely or spiritually offered and in respect of the purity of the conscience and affection of the offerers throughly perswaded of the greatness of God and in respect of Christ whom it signifies and represents who is a Sacrifice without all spot and blemish and by this being offered to his Name in every place he saith the time should come when it should be great magnified and acknowledged as great among and by all Nations though the Jews did now profane it as he makes the connexion by rendring that though which our Translation renders but. But the sense will be much alike in reading but viz. to this purpose the time shall come when from the rising of the Sun c. my Name shall be great among the Gentiles who yet have not true knowledge of me but will when I shall see due time to reveal it to them readily embrace it Mean while it ought to have been so among you and duly magnified by you to whom I have from of old revealed it and given you ordinances and waies of worship by observing of which you should have magnified it but you on the contrary have by despising those ordinances and perverting those waies of worship profaned it When these words were spoken and thence forward as all along before since the giving of the Law till the time of this diffusing the knowledge of God and his Name and this alteration and reformation of his worship here spoken of the Jews had for their direction the Law of Moses and ought duly to have attended to it as they are warned Chap. IV. 4 but they did in all things go so contrary to it as that neither they nor any service they did were acceptable to God So notoriously so obstinately peccant were they both Priest and People that he sees it not sufficient to have once reproved them by reckoning up to them their faults but again repeats them that so they may be sensible how greatly they have offended him how displeasing it is to him that they should continue to do such things having been warned of them and that it is worse then what the Gentiles when he shall call them will do 12 ¶ But ye have profaned it in that ye say The table of the Lord is polluted and the fruit thereof even his meat is contemptible But ye have profaned it viz. my Name so verse 6. they are said to despise
it and verse 7. to pollute him contrary to acknowledging of it as great or magnifying it If they shall be ready to ask as before wherein have we profaned it he tells them wherein viz. in that they say the Table of the Lord is polluted so verse 7. ye say that the Table of the Lord is contemptible Their ordering of the things that pertain to it as common despicable things and without due reverence shews that they esteem it so and is as much as if they openly said so in express words though perhaps they were not so impudent as openly to utter them The Table of the Lord is polluted his Altar not so highly to be regarded as a sacred thing or with so much care and reverence to be approached and the fruit thereof even his meat is contemptible viz. his meat or its meat or the meat thereof for the affix is the same that in the former word and may therefore be referred to the same person or thing and it will be all one whether we refer it to the Table or to God for as the Table or Altar is his so all belonging to it is his the fruit thereof his the meat his But then it may be questioned what is meant by the fruit of the Altar and his meat or its meat whether that which was offered on the Altar as Gods part of the Sacrifice or that which he had out of the Sacrifices by his right given to the Priests as a reward for their serving at his Altar The words so rendered as we read are indifferently appliable to both and therefore in as much as both those may be called the fruit thereof and his or its meat as well what God took to himself as that which he allotted to the Priests they are capable of a double meaning as they are looked on with respect either to the one or the other 1. With respect to the first as if their saying or thoughts of their heart were the fruit thereof i. e. that which is allotted to the Altar to be offered on it and his meat or its fruit its meat i. e. which is its meat is contemptible viz. being the fat and the blood gross and despicable things as some of the Jews expound it and therefore not to be had in such great esteem and with such care to be ordered as the Law requires 2. With respect to the second or the portion of the Priests as if they said the fruit thereof or of its meat or as for its fruit the meat thereof that which is taken of it for meat or allotted to us for our provisions for our eating is contemptible little and of small value not worth so much care and pains as we must take in our waiting on it Thus according to this rendring But there are among the Jews who render it otherwise as to the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nibo which ours with many others render the fruit thereof reading his word or saying And here they differ in telling us whose word they mean some making it the Word of God as if they said The Table of the Lord is polluted and his Word concerning the meat thereof viz. by which he commands such gross things as fat and blood to be put on it for his or its meat is contemptible This would be strange impudence in them to have said yet thus Abarbinel among the Jews expounds it and Montanus among Christians follows him as in many other things Others make it the word of the Priest or him that sacrificed or others of them as if it sounded Ye say the Table of the Lord is polluted his Word or Speech or that which he viz. the Priest continually hath in his mouth is that his meat or its meat viz. God's or his Table 's is contemptible being fat and blood gross nauseous things Although some take the ground of their complaint to be because the Altar it self still devoured the fat and left nothing to them but lean contemptible meat That the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nib may be taken for Word or Speech in a figurative signification is no doubt as it is the fruit of the lips that which is put forth by them as it is used Isai. LVII 19 yet that it should be so taken here there is no necessity yea both the sense and construction will be more harsh if it be And though there be Doctors of great authority among the Jews that would have it so taken yet others are there neither of less learning nor authority who think it ought to be taken in the more proper signification of fruit And so it appears to have been taken by most of the ancient Translators For so while the Chalde expounds both the words this and the other rendred meat put together as denoting the same thing the gifts of it it is manifest that he took them both as denoting the same thing viz. those offerings which were brought to the Altar And so the Greek likewise while they render the meats or food that are put thereon whom the printed Arabick likewise follows and the Syriack including both in one word its meats agreeable to what a learned Jew notes that as if the two words were synonymous or words denoting the same thing the putting both doth but double or repeat the same thing Another expounds the meaning of the words so put together so as to import either the fruit of its meat though the affix its or thereof be joined with the first of the words as well as the latter or else so as he before taking them for synonymous Its fruit its meat i. e. its fruit and its meat or its fruit which is its meat And as for the word that we speak of its manifest that the Author of the ancient Latin Version took it in the same meaning whilst he renders it that which is laid thereupon which is that which is meant by the fruit thereof but then he differs from all the rest in rendring that which is by ours rendred his meat by with the fire that devoureth it taking 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oclo that which is eaten or devoured to be as much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ocelo i. e. that which devoureth it which being the fire on the Altar he expresseth it by name though in the original it be not expressed as if they should say that the Altar and all belonging to it were contemptible or that that which was offered at the Altar were contemptible because serving for no other use then to be devoured by fire In the Hebrew concordance the word is put under both significations as being doubtfull which is to be preferred but when all is done that which ours follow so as at first expounded seems clearest 13 Ye said also behold what a weariness is it and ye have snuffed at it saith the Lord of hosts and ye brought that which
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vehippachtâ—m oto and ye have grieved him which ours render and ye have snuffed at it And he notes that this word is one of the eighteen that are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tikkun Sopherim the correction of the Scribes and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oto him is put instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oti me and that for reverence to God because he or his name should not be joined in the first person with a Verb of so ill signification the person in the Pronoun was chang'd and instead of grieved me put grieved him but this is a groundless thing and so to some of the more learned Jews themselves seems And here again R. Tanchum notes that they are far from the truth who refer the Pronoun it or him in this place to God as if it were spoken of him that they did afflict or grieve him yet Diodati seems to like it Aben Ezra expounding the word as before what a toyl or wearisomness is it gives another reason of their saying so viz. as if they said it by reason of the curse and famine that was in the Land so that there was not bread or food to put on the Table or Altar as for the following words he doth not sufficiently explain his meaning saying only that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hippachtem is from the signification of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Piach Ashes Exod. IX 8 10. viz. that which is as ashes and there is not what is sufficient on it perhaps he means Ye put on the Altar what is no better then ashes to be blown away or and ye look on it or make it as ashes nothing worth This is all that is in the printed Copy of him that we have but Abarbinel seems to have had a Copy that had more in it whence he gathers that he understood this word in the signification of grieving But besides that composition of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mattelaah according to which it is rendred what a weariness or labor there is yet another given by others according to which it signifies as much as Mittelaah from labour which Kimchi shews to be justifiable by other examples without thinking that those that give this signification read the word with another vowel then it is ordinarily read viz. Mittelaah with i instead of Mattelaah with a as some think they did And this exposition follow many ancient Interpreters as the Chalde what we bring is of our labour and much alike the Greek the Syriack printed Arabick and vulgar Latin which hath Lo l of labor which perhaps might be so understood as to sound much one with what a labour or how great labour is here but is usually expounded Lo what we bring is of labour or affliction viz. the best that is left us by reason of our late affliction in our captivity which hath impoverished us and the wearisomness we and our Cattel endured in our tedious way home And so saying puff at it or make it fit for nothing but to be puffed at by me and so the Greek changeth it into the first person and I have puffed at these things or as by others Lo what we bring is gotten by our labour not given to us by the People 't is out of those tenths which should belong to us and so the price of our toil and labor Thus by reason of the different reading given in the Margin of our Bibles have we looked perhaps more then enough into the most of other rendrings which we have met with out of any of which or perhaps altogether will not be made up any meaning so facile and agreeable to the words without any force or straining as that in the first place set down Their saying what a weariness is it seems contrary to what God saith Micah VI. 3 wherein have I wearied thee And ye have brought that which was torn c. By what hath been said appears the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by some to be rendred stollen by others torn viz. by wild Beasts or the like the later of which divers prefer and some except against the former as improper for the place yet I doubt whether the word will elsewhere be found in the signification of torn however either of these would make the thing unfit for an offering to the Lord as likewise those defects or blemishes after named as appears out of Levit. XXII see ver 20 22 24. Thus ye brought an offering c. viz. these illegal things for an offering or according to others as we have seen together with these your Mincha or meat offering as if all were done according to the Law but it is contrary to it and therefore shall not be accepted at your hands The Lord hath said it 14 But cursed be the deceiver which hath in his flock a male and voweth and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing for I am a great King saith the Lord of hosts and my Name is dreadful among the heathen But or and cursed be the deceiver c. Having reprehended them for their misbehavior in other daily Sacrifices he farther proceeds to reprove them for their misbehavior in matter of vows or such offerings as being not otherwise liable to they did by vow oblige themselves to Concerning such we have what the Law requires set down Levit. XXII 18 c. the oblation for a vow was to be a male without blemish ver 19. perfect ver 21. whatsoever was otherwise should not be accepted ver 20 21 23. But to that pass it seems were these People now come that there were of them such who deceitfully dealt with God rather indeed with their own souls in this kind Out of pretence of Piety and greater devotion they would by vow bind themselves to offer an oblation to God but when they came to perform their vows would deal deceitfully and instead of a male a perfect Beast bring a corrupt thing an imperfect one with such blemishes as made it illegal and that which aggravated their offence when they had in their hand such as the Law required and might duly have made and performed their vow which had they not had their pretence for bringing such as they brought though not fully such as the Law required yet the best they had might have been more plausible and been at least a seeming excuse and lessened their fault although it had been more agreeable to the Law if they had not had what had been fit for a vow not to have vowed at all Deut. XXIII 21 but now having vowed and having wherewith to perform that vow according to the Law and yet dealing deceitfully with the Lord by offering in place of what they had vowed and what they had in their power to pay a blemished illegal thing as if he could by such false dealing be deceived must needs shew great contempt of him who is a great
both to their duty and to the examples of their Predecessors which he describes in the next words 8 But ye are departed out of the way ye have caused many to stumble at the Law ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi saith the Lord of hosts But ye are departed out of the way c. But ye contrary both to your duty and to the examples of your pious Ancestors are departed out of the way which the Law prescribed for you as well as it did for them to walk in and they did diligently keep to and observe They by their instructions directed and by their good examples led men in the right way of Gods Commandments and turned them from iniquity but ye have caused many to stumble at the Law or as in the margin to fall in the Law Ye have been occasion of ruine to them in things concerning the Law either by teaching them what is not agreeable to the Law or not teaching them the right meaning of it or by your example contrary to it ye have caused them who thought they might safely be guided by your instructions and do as they saw you do to transgress the Law and run on in false and evil waies to their destruction or which will be agreeable to the words in the Text of our Translation which others also give give occasion to them by your wickedness to disdain Gods service agreeable to that expression Rom. II. 24 The Name of God is blasphemed through you and I Sam. II. 17 That through the sin of Eli's Sons men abhorred the Sacrifice of the Lord. The words spoken indefinitly give to under-several or many things they went aside from stand that in or contrary to the Law of God and were a cause of scandal or offence to the People But if we enquire after particulars the foregoing Chapter shews that they did so in what concerned Gods Offerings and Sacrifices and the verses following in this Chapter viz. 11 c. that they did so also in matters concerning Marriage And some therefore for explication of this place refer to Nehemiah 13. from the 4 th verse forward where are several offences against the Law taxed which seem by the fault of the Priests to have been occasioned as the introducing Strangers into the places belonging to the Temple and the profanation of the Sabbath and marrying strange Wives Ye have corrupted the Covenant of Levi c. Agreeable to this expression is said Neh. XIII 29 They have defiled the Priesthood and the Covenant of the Priesthood and of Levi. In vers 4 5. God mentioneth his Covenant with Levi. This Covenant required that they should sanctify and honor God by a due observance of his Ordinances and teaching and causing others to observe them By violating the conditions on their parts they have corrupted and made void that Covenant and must not therefore expect from him that life and peace v. 5. and all those benefits which he had on his part promised on keeping Covenant They belong not to such Covenant-breakers and thence are those evils which have befallen and shall befall them contrary to what they vainly without redressing their errors and breach of Covenant did expect So he had before threatned them vers 2 and 3. and in the next verse farther declares 9 Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the people according as ye have not kept my waies but have been partial in the Law Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the People c. Therefore because they have thus corrupted the Covenant of Levi c. and by their ill administration of their office had shewed contempt of God and despised his Name ch I. 6 therefore saith he have I also made you contemptible or as some render will I make you contemptible c. It will be to the same pass in such speeches to speak in the same Language of what is past and of what is to come that which hath not been yet done being as certain when God hath said it as if it were already past According as ye have not kept my waies So rendring to them according to their own dealings and measure for measure It is that which God of old had declared as the rule by which he would go in judging and dealing with those who ought to take care of honouring him in looking to the due observance of his Commandments I Sam. II. 30 Them that honor me will I honor and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed The Priests by virtue of Gods Covenant with them were to be highly honoured and respected by the People and how zealously be would vindicate their honour appears in that Story of Corah Dathan and Abiram But upon breach of Covenant with him if they find on the contrary disrespect and contempt it is by his just judgment and by his just judgment they shall so find therefore have I also made or will I make you contemptible c. according as ye have not kept my waies but have been partial in the Law That contempt which they cast on him and on his Law by wresting it out of respect to persons that so they might gain favour and respect from them so honouring them more then him and seeking to please them more then him hath he or will he cast back on them by making them contemptible even in the eies of them from whom they thought to find by that means respect yea made or will make them base before all the People To this purpose a learned Jew expounds the words and others agree with him that by being partial in the Law is for mens sakes to approve of that which the Law approved not of and not to reprove men when they did contrary to it as in particular in that out of respect to those great men that brought them they did accept of and offer illegal Sacrifices as in the former Chapter is shewed and not reject and reprove them for bringing such things contrary to the Law whereas perhaps as some add from a poor man they would not have accepted them But the words seem more general and to comprehend any wresting of the law either out of favor to themselves or others when in declaring the meaning thereof or determining any thing according to it they did not deliver the truth but respect the persons in whose case they were to deliver their judgment and so accordingly interpreted it in favor or hatred unto them and as some think more particularly in case of extortion and usury they favoring the oppressors and this in any kind was contrary to what the Law commands Lev. XIX 15 Thou shalt not respect the person of the poor nor honor the person of the mighty but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour And Deut. I. 17 Ye shall not respect persons And Deut. XVI 19 Thou shalt not
belongs to them may be said to have profaned the holiness which he loved commanded and required and so is it differently expounded by some of one of these by others of another as of the Temple of the People c. But if we consider what is before said of their profaning the Covenant of their Fathers and here joyned in the accusation of them that they married the daughter of a strange God and what follows afterwards concerning their ill and false dealing with their lawfull Israelitish Wives called the Wives of their Covenant we may well assent to them who by the holiness here said to be profaned understand more especially his holy institution of Matrimony among them not so much in general as it was a holy institution at first made in Paradise as some think but as so limited and restrained among this peculiar People of God as that by observing his commands concerning it they might sanctify him and preserve themselves a holy Nation to him and seek and propagate a godly Seed by marrying within themselves and cleaving to those Wives as one flesh and not mixing themselves with Heathens and Idolaters by taking wives of their daughters although by their neglecting his Commandment and breaking his Covenant in this kind all other things that had the impress of his holiness were at once profaned his holy People themselves by bringing in a mixed spurious generation of half Jews half Ashdodites Ammonites or Moabites or the like Neh. XIII 24 his Sanctuary or holy Temple by bringing into it such wives and such children his holy Covenant made with their lawful wives while they either l put them away or wronged them for the sake of those illegal strange wives taken either into their places or together with them and so by necessary consequence his whole holy Law which he that willingly transgresseth in one part is guilty of the breach and profanation of all and so his holy Name that was called on them and himself who was their God and commanded them to be holy as he is holy in sum all the holy things of God as the Greek comprehensively renders it all that holiness which he loved delighted in commanded and required Of these words which he loved we have in the Margin of our Bibles another reading viz. w ch he ought to love this is a Translation w ch some others of good account give and explain it which holiness Judah ought to have so loved as not to profane it by placing their love on any other to the violating and profaning of it And others render it otherwise as which i. e. which Lord loved her i. e. Judah A later very learned man which i. e. which Lord he that is Judah had loved viz. formerly and was espoused to but now profaned his holiness and married the daughter of a strange God The Spanish renders Judah hath defiled the holiness of the Lord by loving and marrying or in that he loved and married himself to the daughter of a strange God But among all none seems more genuin then that given in the Text of our English Bible so understood as we have said in that so it is opposed to what follows vers 16. where he saith The Lord hateth putting away and that any should take other illegal wives to his lawfull wife according to that Exposition which there some follow those things are contrary to that holiness here spoke of as those he hates so this he loves and requires The daughter of a strange God Of what Nations they that then transgressed in this kind took wives we read Ezra IX 1 2 c. from which place and this is manifest that the prohibition in the Law Deut. VII 1 did not only make it unlawfull to take wives of those seven Nations there named only but of any other heathenish idolatrous Nation and so the Jewish Doctors by comparing the words of Ezra with that Command there given conclude And such women of these Nations which had not one Father vers 10. nor acknowledged one true God that created them as Israel did are called daughters of a strange God As those that acknowledge worship and serve the true God are called his sons and daughters Deut. XXXII 19 so they that worshipped any strange God are by like reason here called the daughters of that God hence the Jews say He that marrieth a heathen woman is as if he made himself son-in-law to an Idol 12 The Lord will cut off the man that doth this the master and the scholar out of the Tabernacles of Jacob and him that offereth an offering unto the Lord of hosts The Lord will cut off the man that doth this c. So with ours most Interpreters render it as if the Lord here threatning to punish him that did such things and transgressed in that manner spoken of threatned to cut off and destroy him whether such or such were his condition as is here in the following words described But a learned man well notes that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 La-Ish may according to the more frequent use of the letter or preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 L for a note of the dative case be rather rendred to the man i. e. from the man then by omitting it as ours and others do simply the man as threatning to cut off not so much or not only his person but those that were in such or such relation to him And so the Chalde Paraphrase renders it The Lord shall destroy to the man that doth this c. Those that he threatens to cut off whether we understand the person himself sinning or those related to him are in the next words thus described the Master and the Scholâ—r whether he be so or so and in the Margin of our Bibles as another reading we have or him that waketh and him tâ—at answereth which as a Jewish Expositor notes is the proper signification of the words though diversly interpreted by others some rendring him that calleth and him that answereth seeming to take the word in an active sense as others do him that wakeneth Others the master and the Scholâ—r others the Author and him that obeieth him the Lord and the servant Priest or Laïc The Chalde son and son's son and the like of which may be said as that Jewish Expositor saith of the Chalde that they render by way of Interpretation or by giving the meaning as they thought the words to import not as they literally signify And as to the following words and him that offereth an offering some expound as a description of the Priests and their sons as others do the former words likewise to be a description of the Priests and other Levites Officers about the Temple as Porters and Singers and the like Others render when or although he shall offer a gift to the Lord to make attonement for his sin
And so accordingly do they differently give their Expositions of the whole as some that the Lord will cut off both the man that transgressed in this kind and also his abettors and defendors though he would seek to expiate his fault by gifts and Sacrifices offered to the Lord by himself or others Others that he would cut off from him either himself that looked after such women or from him that defended him those sons begotten of them yea though he offered gifts c. A lâ—te very learned man having considered the different Expositions of others gives thus his own opinion that in this verse is threatned punishment to those that were guilty of that treacherous dealing in the precedent verse mentioned viz. that God would cut off from them 1. Such who should watch for or over them in or with praiers and admonitions 2. Such as should answer them when they should ask concerning the Law 3. Him that should offer to God such Sacrifices as they brought So that together he may be understood to threaten the Priests spoken of in the former verses of the Chapter that they should be removed from their office and likewise all the People spoken of in the verse immediatly foregoing that they should be deprived of their Priests But to me there seems no more facile or perspicuous Exposition then that given by that learned Jew at first mentioned agreeable likewise to what others of the same Nation give viz. that he will destroy to or from them or they shall be destroyed or perish so that there shall be none left among them to whom shall pertain or agree any of those Epithets that import life such as are waking and answering as if this were a proverbial kind of expression to denote as much as any living soul as if he should say I will cut off every living soul so that there shall be none in his house that may call or answer none at all living And this imprecation or menace saith he comprehends the transgressors in this kind of all Israel as he saith first out of the Tabernacles of Jacob and then particularly applieth it to such of the Priests as did so saying and him that offereth an offering to the Lord of hosts or and of him that offereth viz. out of the habitations both of the common People of Israel or the Laïty and also of the Priests which last Exposition comes nigh to what the Greek hath from or out of the Tabernacles of Jacob and from or out of those that bring an offering to the Lord Almighty although in the rendring the words immediatly preceding they be very wide from any yet mentioned rendring untill he be brought down which some ascribe to the reading it differently from what is now read in the Hebrew But whether so or that they did it by way of Interpretation as we before said of others thinking it a proverbial Speech and that to be the importance of it which they set down though noâ— in a litteral rendring it will not concern us to enquire our business chiefly being to see what meaning the Hebrew Text as now read which we doubt not to be the true and incorrupted reading will naturally bear and to adjust with it our English Translation and sometimes as occasion gives others also from it as now read derived Out of the Tabernacles of Jacob. The Chalde Paraphrase rendreth Out of the Cities of Jacob. From the ancient and frequent use of living in Tents or Tabernacles in those Countries and the long custom of their Ancestors of living in such was the word afterwards used for any habitations Cities or Houses in w ch they dwelt and sometimes for the Congregation oâ— Company of the People themselves that dwelt together in them So that by cutting off these sinners out of the Tabernacles of Jacob may be understood the extirpating them out of the Land the dwellings or the Congregation of Israel Some thinking this spoken more particularly of the Priests or Levites think by this expression to be meant the casting them out of the Temple or from the Altar so that they should not be admitted or suffered any more to serve there But this seems to be too narrow a restriction of this menace only to the Priests which as appears out of the foregoing verse is denounced against all Judah and Israel And though it appear out of the forecited books of Ezra and Nehemiah that some of the Priests were guilty in this kind by taking strange wives yet was the sin more general and so the punishment menaced seems extended to all of all sorts that had so done whether Priests or Lay-People By some the word Tabernacles is thought used to put them in mind of their unsetled condition 13 And this have ye done againe covering the Altar of the Lord with tears with weeping and with crying out insomuch that he regardeth not the offering any more or receiveth it with good will at your hand And this have ye done againe Againe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shenith secondly or a second time or in the second place or this second thing so that he seems proceeding in his reproof to tax them of a second crime added to a former The former to which this now to be spoken of is second is by diverse taken to be that in the foregoing Chapter and the beginning of this taxed their offering to God illegal Sacrifices and in illegal manner and shewing contempt of his Altar and want of due regard to his service Others look on this as called second in respect to that spoken of vers 11. viz. their profaning the holiness of the Lord by marrying the daughters of strange Gods idolatrous wives to which though the sins after spoken of have respect and be of the same kind yet it is another additional degree of it an heightning and doubling of it so that the word againe or secondly may well be referred to it And it will not much matter which of the two opinions be followed But the Greek and such as follow them here as the printed Arabick render the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shenith much differently from both viz. things which I hated taking it seems this word to be of the same signification with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sane in the 16. verse which signifies hating and is a different Root The fault with which they are taxed is that they covered the Altar of the Lord with tears with weeping and crying out c. which by the generality of the Jewish and most of Christian Expositors is understood of the effect of their treacherous dealing with their lawful Israelitish wives whom by either dismissing them to take others or by taking with them strange women to whom they shewed more respect love and kindness then to them and with them dealt unkindly and otherwise then they ought depriving them of what was due to
them they caused to pour forth abundance of tears before the Altar of the Lord as it were covering it with them from the sight of God or which God looked on as if they fell on his Altar and to utter there their sad lamentations and doleful complaints for the injuries done them as desiring help redress and justice from God by seeing and hearing of which he was so far moved and provoked that he would no more regard or receive with good will any offering that was there offered by the Priests either for themselves or others who had committed such things Yet this Exposition though by so many agreed on Calvin rejects thus rendring the words And this secondly have ye done by covering the Altar of the Lord with tears with weeping and crying because there is no more any respect had to the offering nor any good will or acceptable thing received at your hand giving then the meaning to this purpose that the Priests by their ill behaviour in Gods service so provoked him as that he would no more respect any offerings offered by them nor accept them with good will and delight which displeasure of God the People perceiving instead of coming with praises and rejoycing into the Courts of God now came only full of grief with tears and cries as thinking all they did to no purpose for the pleasing of God But in this his way of interpretation he seems not either to make the sense of the words or the connexion of them so clear as to perswade those who otherwise have great respect for him to follow him in it but they rather choose to embrace the former Exposition There is another Interpretation given by an ancienter Expositor who understands these tears c. of tears shed by those who are accused before of such ill doings as are spoken of as if they in shew of sorrow for their offences did approach Gods Altar with many tears and lamentations and cries as desirous of pardon yet still continued to do the same wicked things and would still retain their strange wives for which their false dealing God refuseth any more to respect or accept their offerings though they cry never so much and so loud This would be no ill meaning but the first mentioned is more approved and followed as best agreeing with what follows Nor is that way followed which Cyril mentions as if by the tears c. were understood such as were drawn from the covetous offerers loth to part with those things which they were to offer as sorry for the loss they were to be at wherefore he that loveth a cheerful giver could not with good will accept things with so ill will offered There is yet another way by a very learned man in the foregoing verse mentioned given which making it an aggravation of the punishment in the foregoing verse denounced as if having there according to his Interpretation threatned to cut off from them the Priest that should watch over them give them answers out of the Law and offer gifts for them he should here add And this secondly shall ye do ye shall cover my Altar with tears weeping and cries why because there shall be no more respect to any offering of yours c. But it will be safe to follow the first and more generally received Exposition 14 Yet ye say wherefore because the Lord hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth against whom thou hast dealt treacherously yet is she thy Companion and the wife of thy Covenant Yet ye say c. Yet ye are so impudent as to stand up in defence of your sin and to say Wherefore c. or as others if ye say wherefore i. e. wherefore is the Lord so angry that he will no more accept any offering from our hands the answer is because the Lord hath been witness of the contract or matrimonial promises made according to his Law in his Name viz. with invocations of it and calling him to witness and therefore called the Covenant of God Prov. II. 17 between thee and the wife of thy youth i. e. which thou tookest in thy youth with whom thou now dealest treacherously though she were thy companion made so according to the institution of God that thou shouldest cleave unto her as one flesh with thy self And the wife of thy Covenant By mutual covenant espoused to thee the conditions of which covenant God being witness to it looks on as necessarily binding on both parts and requires the due performance of it from both and therefore hearing her just complaint of the breaking of it on your parts moved with just indignation will not accept of you or look on any offering from you such treacherous Covenant-breakers as pleasing to him This seems a plain Exposition of the words and in which will be included or easily reduced to it what is by others said as what Kimchi saith that by because the Lord hath been witness between thee c. is meant that whatever they pretend God seeth and is witness that they did not love their wives their heart was not towards them but they dealt treacherously with them and so gave them just cause of complaining to the Lord as likewise what Abarbinel saith who makes the import of the question wherefore which impudently standing on their own justification they asked to be wherefore do those women weep and complain as if they knew no cause they had and then explains the answer much according to what was at first said that it was because God was witness to those rites and instruments of matrimonial contract and covenants made between them which the women having kept unviolated on their parts and behaved themselves as faithfull companions and covenanted wives to them when they saw them violated by their husbands taking other wives with them did address themselves to the Lord their witness and complained of the wrong done to them By which moved he shews himself justly displeased for such their treacherous dealing By Gods being witness some understand his precept or command for keeping Covenants inviolable betwixt man and wife according to the first institution of marriage Gen. II. 24 By wife of youth some understand a wife taken in her youth or flower of her age which being now past they set her at nought and either put her away or took other strange wives whom they more loved with her and by companion and wife of covenant a partaker of the same holy rites or Religion and in the same Covenant of God And it is by divers observed that here are put as several aggregations of their fault in thus injuring their wives 1. the witness of God 2. the wife of thy youth 3. thy companion and 4. the wife of thy Covenant Kimchi observes that by these expressions is denoted the dereliction of any Israelitish wife legally married whether in youth or age inasmuch as the
Version of good account renders it with an Interrogation shall he therefore cover violence with his garment That which from what hath been said we gain to our purpose is That our Translators in rendring covereth violence with his garment go not alone but have others of good autority concurring with them in their opinion that the words ought so to be rendred Yet others do differently render them so as to make violence the thing covering and their garment the thing covered so the ancient Latin But iniquity shall cover his garment and so before him the Greek as we may well suppose though now in the ordinary Copies it is read impiety shall cover over thy thoughts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But a learned man well supposes it anciently was read and ought to be read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thy garments which is confirmed by the printed Arabick which he that was the Author of following the Greek appears so in his time to have read it by his rendring it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thiyabeca thy garments And with these agree several others whom we need not name because they go in their steps A late learned man considering the ordinary use of the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Al which we before spoke of affirms it to be the righter way of rendring and so renders it And injury hath covered his garment Much the same construction of the Preposition he observes that renders For he covers with violence his garment it sounding he draws violence as a covering over his garment But now all these that go either of these waies hitherto mentioned take the verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cissah to be the pretertense whether rendred hath covered or for making the sense as they would have it shall cover or the like But a learned Jew saith that according to that rendring of the former words he hateth putting away it may and must be taken for the Infinitive Mood which hath the force of a Noun and may be rendred to cover or the covering as also the foregoing Verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shallach as it is by them taken who render it to put away or as ours putting away or shall put her away or let him put her away As also Drusius in another rendring whereas he hates putting away he covers violence with his garment whereas others who render it put thou her away take it for the Imperative Mood as also such who render because God hates that word of yours put her away And then it being so taken the whole will run thus For the Lord God of Israel saith that he hateth to put or putting away and that he hateth to cover or covering of violence with his or ones garment And this perhaps will be the clearest way of connecting the words of the former and latter parts of the sentence together But this now being said of the construction of the words it remains to be enquired what is the meaning of the expression according to any of these rendrings And first as to the Jews by some of them the violence here mentioned is the refusing to put away his wife by a legal way of divorce whom yet in his heart and covertly he hateth whereas by legally dismissing her that so she might be married to another who would love her he might have done her more right his now retaining her and for coloring his hatred keeping her to himself as a garment that he would not put off from him yet taking a stranger with her is a great injury to her or as others of them is a manifest injury covering his garment openly conspicuous for all his pretence of doing her right in retaining her Their words in expressing their meaning as a learned man observes of some of them are short and obscure that which they aim at is manifestly this That if they hated their wives they ought to put them away by legal divorce their not doing so but retaining them though in their hearts hated by them and taking in with them other strange wives whom they more loved was a great injury a violence done to them and to God's Law whether it be interpreted a violence covered with their garment i. e. with a pretence or violence covering their garment and manifest to all Then according to that Interpretation which as we have seen the Chalde and others follow viz. If he hate her let him put her away these will thus follow For will he or can he cover his iniquity in taking another strange wife by his retaining still his former Israelitish wife i. e. let him not deal falsely with her and think it enough thus to cover his inward hatred of her by making a shew of respect by retaining her whereas his taking a strange wife with her argues that in his heart he hates her or according to others it is a violence or injury that will not be hid but appear to all as any thing that is above his garment Is it at all meet saith R. Salomo that thou spread thy garment over her to retain her for a wife when violence or injury covereth this garment viz. under that pretence of retaining her thou dost a continual wrong to her hating her in thy heart and alwaies vexing and afflicting her for so I suppose R. Salomo's words must be read interrogatively or else they will make no clear sense In whose words Figuero seems to mistake 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hogaata instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hoganat rendring Thou hast labored c. for Is it meet In a Manuscript Copy of the same R. Salomo we have another Exposition which in the ordinary printed Copies we find not viz. That he that putteth away his wife draweth a covering of violence over his other garments to himself agreeable to that expression Hab. II. 17 The violence of Lebanon shall cover thee the end will be that the violence done to her shall be revenged on him his meaning seems to be he makes himself guilty of violence which God will revenge But this is to be applied to that other rendring of the preceding words viz. he hateth putting away which as we have seen others of the Jews also follow who yet as concerning these words scarce give us enough whereby to discern what they thought of the meaning of them as particularly R. Aben Ezra who hath no more then only these words He hateth him that putteth away his wife that is clean and he hateth him that covereth or God seeth his violence or injuriousness which is in secret By which words all that we can see of his meaning is that by covering violence with his garment is meant harboring in secret hatred of his wife which God seeth under what pretence soever covered and hateth it R. Tanchum also having declared for the meaning of the words what we have seen as appliable to the other rendring of the former words doth not add
any other as particularly appliable to this rendring except out of his explaining them thus That he hateth putting away or divorce in this kind that a daughter of Israel should be put away for the daughter of a strangers sake i. e. that he may take in her room a strange heathenish wife we may pick out this meaning that the putting away an Israelitish wife for that reason is called a covering violence with his garment All therefore that I can say is that the Jewish Expositors in giving the meaning of these words are as we said somwhat perplex and obscure Let us see if the Christians speak more plainly They that render as ours in the Text or to that purpose for the Lord saith he hateth putting away for one or and or but he covereth violence with his garment must make this the meaning that what he doth is hateful though he hath for a covering or pretence that the Law permitted to put away his wife whom he did not like For though God to prevent greater mischief of cruelty and Polygamy did permit or rather leave unpunished by the Politick Magistrate the doing so yet for all that it was still hateful in his eies really violence and iniquity however he might cover it with that cloak of permission in the Law And so if it be read as in our Margin if he hate her put her away to the same meaning follows yet the use of this permission is only a covering of violence with a politick coverture and not a thing pleasing to God Or as others and let him cover violence with his garment i. e. with a bill of divorce which is likened to a garment because as a garment defends the body from the injury of weather and covers the shame so that served to defend her that was put away from that cruelty or hard usage which she should find if retained and from that contumely and disgrace which she would otherwise be obnoxious too and therefore some look on the putting their wives away without that covering of a bill of divorce as the violence or injury here meant From what hath been said will easily result what Calvin takes to be the import of these words That God doth not in them shew any approbation of divorce yet that seeing he had connived at it in his Law it would be a less fault then the taking in strange illegal idolatrous wives with their lawful Israelitish wives And the same meaning they seem to aim at who by violence understand the Israelitish wife retained for a cover though hated and abused and having another taken in above her though Calvin thinks that a very forced Interpretation To these may be added because they follow the same order in construction of the words such who yet give a far different meaning of the phrase by taking the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Al in its most usual signification for upon or above and so render the words as a proverbial Speech and he hideth violence upon his garment i. e. though he pretend the lâ—berty of the Law in divorcing his wife yet his doing so is a mafest violence or injury no more to be hid then what a man bears or holds on the outside of his garment But this will be much the same meaning which they give who clean differently order the words in the construction which as we have seen the vulgar Latin and others do rendring but violence shall cover his garment i. e. for all his bill of divorce it is still open violence and an injury which will not or cannot be concealed or taking with others violence or iniquity for the punishment of violence for all that the punishment of his violence or injury done to his wife shall be made conspicuous to all both the fault and the punishment shall cover or be overspread over his garment and his body too as Jerome by the garment understands the body which is as the garment of the soul and make him infamous to all Others the iniquity of his wife made known by his divorcing her shall cover his garment defend him from that infamy which his wife did asperse him with This Exposition seems not much to the purpose as neither that of theirs who would have it If he hate her put her away saith the Lord who covereth violence as with his garment by permitting to put her away with a bill of divorce Lud. de Dieu having considered these words and asserted this construction of them and violence or wrong covereth or hath covered his garment giveth as his opinion for the meaning of them That God here reproveth them for that whereas they with their garment ought to have covered their wives violence or wrong did cover their garment whilst they did treacherously hate their wives and put away those whom they hated that they might marry strange wives or else that by these words violence covereth his garment is denoted the filthiness of adultery wherewith he was wholly covered according as the garment spotted by the flesh is taken Jude vers 23. To which his meaning he maketh way by observing That in matters concerning wedlock the name of garment is used for fidelity and conjugal protection as Ezek. XVI 8 I spread my skirt over thee c. and Ruth III. 9 Spread thy skirt over thy handmaid and so concerning the use of the marriage bed is used the expression To discover the skirt of the garment Deut. XXII 30 In all this variety presented to the Readers view he may judge what meaning will best satisfy him and seem to give the fullest sense of the words For my part I must profess my self not fully satisfied with any of them and am of opinion that by this figurative and perhaps proverbial expression which then when uttered was well understood though not so at this distance of time was somthing meant which none of our Expositors give concerning which though I have nothing confidently to affirm yet I shall make bold to propose a conjecture which I suppose will as concerning the use of the words be easily made probable The conjecture is this that by the words taking that construction of them which we have seen Abraham Aben Ezra and Rabbi Tanchum to afford and which seems to be among all that are given the plainest viz He hateth putting away and he hateth to cover or rather to put or that one should put as a covering or superinduce violence over his garment is meant the superinducing or marrying an illegitimate wife over or with or above his legitimate first wife So that by violence may be signified a second wife with wrong to the former taken in with her and by his garment his former wife lawfully taken For making which use of the words probable to begin first with the last word we may observe besides what hath been already mentioned of the use if not of the very word
yet of another of like signification in matter of wedlock that which according to the simplest exposition of the words is by Abimelech said Gen. XX. 16 That Abraham was to Sarah his wife a covering of the eies i. e. saith the Chalde a covering of honor And by like reason that the husband may be said to be to the wife a covering of the eies to keep her from looking after others or others from looking after her may the wife be said to be to the husband a covering of the eies to keep him from looking after any woman but her If this be not enough to prove such accommodation to man and wife of words signifying covering or garment in the language of those times yet if one Eastern language may serve for illustrating and giving testimony to the expressions of another of so nigh affinity to it that they may be accounted almost one and one but a dialect of the other as the Arabick is to the Hebrew so esteemed by the Jewish Writers and therefore usually had recourse to for finding out the use and signification of Hebrew words where any doubt or difficulty occurs then here will the Arabick Tongue help us and teach us to pronounce boldly of such words as signify a garment or covering that they are applied to signify man or wife respectively So saith a learned Grammarian that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hollah which signifies an upper garment or robe is used to denote a wife and so likewise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lebas which answers to the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lebush here used to denote either the husband or wife respectively and he cites a testimony out of the Alcoran it self wherein he that compiled it endeavors very often to imitate Scripture expressions as if God should say to the men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Honna lebas lacom waantom lebas lahonna they i. e. your wives are a garment to you and you are a garment to them And why might not this figurative signification also be allowed anciently to this and like words in the Hebrew Tongue from which the Arabick might borrow it And if by his garment here be understood his wife 't will easily be thought that by violence or wrong may be denoted another strange wife with open injury taken in with or above her The name proper for such a superinducted wife is in the same Arabick language of nigh signification to it which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Darrah which as other Nouns from the same root signifies hurt affliction oppression force and the like as also in the Hebrew Tongue in which such a wife is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tsarah one that afflicteth is enemy to or doth injure and oppress the other Whence in the Law is forbidden to take one wife to another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Litzror to vex her Levit. XVIII 18 Now that the Noun signifying violence or wrong or oppression should in the abstract be taken for one that doth violence or wrong is no marvel it being very usual to put Nouns signifying goodness or badness or the like in the abstract for such as are eminent in those kinds good or bad profitable or hurtfull and so violence for a wife that will certainly do wrong or violence or by taking of which violence or wrong is necessarily done to the former wife with more reason I suppose though much the like then some by violence take to be meant the former wife violently retained and not dismissed that she might be married by another And if garment may be used for a wife then the Verb signifying to cover or put on a garment as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cissah here may by the same reason be well used for the taking a wife And these things being allowed as I know not why they should not be as to the signification of the words then will the meaning which we have given be plain as to the reading of the foregoing words which is the Text of our Translation For the Lord saith he hateth putting away and for a man to take a strange a wrongfull injurious wife above or with his lawfull former wife For the Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Al is noted to signify as well 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 im i. e. with as over or above the sense will be all one and as to the marginal reading it will well agree with that also thus If he hate her let him put her away he may have some color from the permission of the Law so to do but he doth not that but retaining her though he hates her takes over her or together with her another strange idolatrous injurious wife which is a greater wrong and violence offered to her or but by him another wrongfull wife is taken with or above his former legal wife to fit it to that construction violence covereth c. Another meaning might be according to the same notion given agreeable to that construction let him put her away and cover the wrong towards or against his wife called his garment viz. by a Bill of Divorce so that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Al may signify towards or against The same meaning will be easily applied to such other rendrings as are given and warranted by the scope of the place as coming fully home to it which from the 10t h verse to these inclusively is a reproof of the Jews of that time for their injury done to their lawfull Israelitish wives by either illegally putting them away that they might take the daughters of a strange God or else if they did retain them yet secretly hating them and taking in above them such strange idolatrous wives whom with manifest injury to their former they did shew more affection to and make as it were Mistresses over them And this the Jews think to be all that is meant accounting both divorce and taking more Israelitish wives not to be for all that is said any way prohibited or displeasing to God But to us learning from Christ the true import of the Scriptures it will be more absolutely a prohibition from God both of the one and the other viz. both Divorce and Polygamy which having shewed how hatefull it is to him he concludes with a repetition of his injunction or Caveat given in the foregoing verse Therefore take heed to your spirit that you deal not treacherously take heed to your selves as you love your souls and the preservation of your spirits that ye offend not by indulging to your unbridled lusts in either of these kinds and prevaricate against the sacred tie of Wedlock by God instituted for the joining one to one in an indissoluble knot of affection in legal manner And this till some plainer way be shewn we embrace as the fullest and properest meaning of this verse it being agreeable both to the construction and signification of the words and manifest scope of the place 17 ¶ Ye
have wearied the Lord with your words yet ye say Wherein have we wearied him when ye say Every one that doth evil is good in the sight of the Lord and he delighteth in them or where is the God of judgment Ye have wearied the Lord with your words c. A Jewish Doctor notes this to be another Section and the things therein spoken to belong to the time to come and so some others make it the beginning of a new Chapter as not having dependance on the preceding words but referring rather to what follows in the next Chapter in which is an answer to the doubts they raise and a vindication of Gods justice which they seem here to call in question yet may there well enough be a connexion made between them and the preceding words too if we look on them as a defence of their obstinacy in not hearkning to God or the Prophet in his Name reproving them for such faults as have been hitherto mentioned for that there seemed to them no such care taken by God of what men did when they saw those that did otherwise then he commanded yea more plainly wicked and disobedient to prosper as much or more then others that made more conscience of their waies and therefore there was no necessity to them of amending their waies or ceasing to do what they did Or as Abarbinel makes the transition from the former words to these that after he had reproved them for their evil deeds both Priests and People he here proceeds to reprove them for their words and thoughts which were even worse and more wicked then their deeds in that the wicked ones of that generation did return in answer to the reproofs of the Prophet There is neither judgement nor Judge God hath left the Earth His reproof of them therefore for this he gives saying Ye have wearied the Lord with your words Here is by several of the Jews noted as well as by others that this is spoken figuratively according to the language of men or in such as is passable among men but cannot be properly said of God who cannot be wearied It denotes that their words were such as would weary any man in autority and provoke him to anger and so did provoke God to deal so with them as that by the effects they might judge him to be weary of hearing from them such words and could no longer endure them which is that which the Greek expresses by rendring it who have provoked the Lord to wrath Rabbi Tanchum thus expounds it Ye have caused a restraint of his care and providence or caused him to withhold his providence from ordering your affairs by doing such things as he cannot bear according to what is said I cannot away with it c. Isa. I. 13 and again I am weary to bear them v. 14. Abarbinel thinks there is no necessity of making any Metaphor or figure in this speech but that it may be understood not that God was wearied by their words but that they in saying what they did did ascribe to him weariness and impotency and defect in his power and providence for if he did not know what wicked men did or did not regard it or would not or could not hinder or punish it this would argue him weary impotent and deficient Which of the two waies of expounding this word we take will not be much material nor make any difference in the sense or coherence with the following words But there is no reason to depart from the first and more followed way The Prophet thus reproving them as faulty in this kind they are represented as impudently denying themselves so to be or to have spoken any words that should be so offensive Yet ye say wherein have we wearied him or according to the other way whereby have we attributed to him weariness or impotency Or if we interpret the words as others to include a supposition of what he knowing their evil thoughts saw they would be apt to say If ye shall say Wherein c. He gives them an answer in which he declares what it was they said or thought to the affronting of God and highly provoking him when ye say Every one that doth evil is good in the sight of the Lord and he delighteth in them or where is the God of Judgement It is easily supposed though not exprest that they seeing the prosperous condition of some openly wicked men not only of the idolatrous Nations as some would have it but among themselves also they being preferred in dignity above others and florishing more then themselves who in their own conceits were much better deserving took thence occasion of uttering these blasphemous words contrary to what the Prophets affirmed concerning God's Justice and Judgments on sinners thus retorting and contradicting them It is not certainly as you say but on the contrary such as do evil are good in the sight of the Lord and he delighteth in them it so appears by their prospering and where then is the judgement of that just Judge that you tell us of which yet R. Tanchum thinks not to imply that they utterly denied the being of such a Judge for then it would not have been added And where is c. but spoke by way of contradiction to what they heard from the Prophets as a proof of God's slow proceeding in his ordering and disposing of things And in giving this sense he takes the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O or to be as if it were the Copulative 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ve and. By others he saith the meaning is thus given as if they did say thus or thus sometimes every one that doth evil is good in the sight of God and he delighteth in them at other times where is the God of Judgement and by others If it be not so as we say where then is the God of Judgment In these waies of exposition by him given is comprehended most of what is said by other Expositors ancient and modern they following the same way in construction of the words But a late learned man thinketh it more convenient and agreeable to the nice rules of Grammar to render the former words when ye say every one that maketh evil or the evil to be good i. e. with him that saith of evil or of him that is evil that it or he is good in the sight of God God is delighted or he that so saith is acceptable to God But this doth not make much difference as to the scope or intent of what blasphemy they are charged with viz. that they should make God a favorer of wicked persons He differs from others likewise in his opinion concerning the rendring of that particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O which is rendred or and R. Tanchum would have rendred And as he saith it elsewhere signifies viz. Lev. IV. 24 and and 28. and would have it to be taken
seem convenient we shall take notice of in going them over as they lie in order Behold saith God I will send Others translate I do send as more agreeable to the letter and so also is it recited in the New Testament as Matth. XI 10 Mar. I. 2 Luk. VII 27 Because the thing though not done or in present doing when these words were spoken yet was assuredly to be done and was therefore spoken of in the present tense But ours in regard that it was after a time to be fulfilled express it not unfitly in the future I will send as agreeable to the sense and not disagreeable to the letter which will well enough bear either seeing the Participle as is here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sholeach sending Behold I sending i. e. am sending or will send is frequently used to denote the present Tense but somtimes the future also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Malachi Which signifies either my Angel or my Messenger the word signifying both an Angel and a Messenger an Angel because a Messenger agreeable to the root of the word of which see Ch. I. 1 and II. 7 from which our Prophet had his name Malachi it is here rightly rendred my Messenger My Messenger Who is designed by this title we Christians cannot doubt it being in those forecited places in the Gospel expresly attributed to John the Baptist and he in two of them viz. Matth. and Luke is plainly said by Christ himself to be him of whom this was written But the unbeleiving Jews denying Christ whose Messenger this was to be are at a loss likewise concerning this Messenger and by disagreeing among themselves so far as they do and by the absurdity of what they affirm shew that they are either all ignorant of the truth or will none of them confess it as by a brief view of them we may see R. Salomo Jarchi interprets it if Abarbinel give us the meaning aright of the Angel of death who shall take the wicked out of this life to be sent into Hell torments In the copies of him that we have are no such words expressed but only My Messenger to take out of the way or cut off the wicked 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so accordingly interprets the Angel of the Covenant an Angel that shall revenge the breach of the Covenant Which Exposition of his so understood the same Abarbinel thinks though true in the general that however the wicked here may prosper yet after death vengeance shall certainly be taken on them yet not to agree to this place where is a Prophecy of a signal particular day and not that which is continually and necessarily seen and alwaies was and will be so without any new remark to be ushered in with a Behold as of a new notorious thing as is likewise intimated to be pointed out here in what follows But who may abide the day of his coming c. And he shall purify the Sons of Levi c. which are not things properly and peculiarly denoting the state of Souls after death Aben Ezra saith that it is probable that by this Messenger is meant Messiah the son of Joseph But it is so far from being probable so to be that it is most certain it is not so For what is that Messiah the Son of Joseph but a mere figment of their own brain whom they suppose to be of the Tribe of Ephraim on whom they may fasten those Prophecies which foretell of the sufferings of Christ that so they may take them off from Messiah the Son of David to whom they will have none but glorious and triumphant things to pertain as if they could not belong to one person who through sufferings should enter into his glory And this they do without any ground or warrant from Scripture only that they may deny our Christ to be the true and only Messiah by the Prophets spoken of so that to us who believe the Gospell this signifies nothing nor hath in it any thing that may make it probable so far as in this place to be embraced by others of their own profession R. D. Kimchi thinks that by this Messenger is meant an Angel from Heaven If saith he ye ask concerning the judgement of the wicked in this World there shall come a time that you shall see and then he will draw near to you for judgement to consume the wicked that are among you and that shall be the day when I will send my Angel and he shall prepare or clear the way before me and he shall be an Angel from Heaven as it is written Behold I send my Angell before thee to keep thee in the way c. Exod. XXIII 20 and he shall clear the way before me this shall be in the gathering or restoring the captivity so as that they shall not find in their way any adversary or evil occurrent This Exposition of his appears not to have pleased Abarbinel by his taking no notice of it when yet of his Exposition of the other words he doth and by that he himself gives another far different from that or the others that have been mentioned w ch is That by this Messenger is meant the Prophet himself that here utters these words from God whose name is the same word here used viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Malachi and being interpreted signifies my Angell or my Messenger which cannot but seem strange to any that the Prophet speaking of things to come should be thought to prophesy of himself But to put the best color he can upon his opinion he would perswade men that Interpreters are out in interpreting these words wholly of the time to come but that they are to be understood partly of what was at present partly of what was to come partly of what was past of what was present Behold I send Malachi my Prophet of what was to come The Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come viz. the Shecinah or majestatick glorious presence of what was past And the Messenger of the Covenant whom ye delight in viz. the King of Persia hath already come as if to stop their murmurings by reason of the prosperity of the wicked he had now sent the Prophet Malachi to tell them what punishment is determined for those wicked hereafter as in the following part of the Chapter he will shew and so to clear the way before him by solving their question Where is the God of Judgement And seeing they murmured because the Shecinah or glorious presence did not appear in the Temple they had now built in which were wanting the Shecinah and glory and fire from Heaven and answer by Vrim and Thummim which were in the former Temple and objected that Gods Providence was removed from them and all things were ill ordered therefore to assure them that the Shecinah should assuredly come again into the Temple that should hereafter be built he saith And the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come into
his Temple there shall his glory and majestatick presence dwell even that Lord which they now sought in their murmurings And for a proof of this and that this promise should certainly be performed he instanceth in what they had already seen in what concerned the King of Persia who was the Lords Angell or Messenger and Messiah or Anointed for destroying of Babylon and bringing back the dispersed of the Jews to Jerusalem according to what Esay prophecied of him and made with them a Covenant of peace of whom therefore he saith And the Messenger of the Covenant whom ye delight in i. e. to honor and love him do you not see that he came according as was promised to you so shall the Lord whom ye seek come suddenly and unawares in the time of redemtion and gathering of the captivity c. This is his meaning as far as I can make it out in his Commentary on this place and I suppose I have faithfully given it and the giving of it is a sufficient confutation of it so doth he distract the construction of the words so blend and intermingle them with strange notions that as he rejects the opinions of others of his own profession so I suppose none of them will embrace this of his All that we can gather from this or any yet named is that they not willing to see or acknowledg the truth which the Christians instructed by the Gospell embrace do strive to go as far from it as they can mean while taking such different waies and disagreeing among themselves as that it is manifest they had no one probable thing to insist on There is yet another opinion among them which Abarbinel glanceth on for a reserve as a possible one if the other of his own be not thought sufficient although he doth not so apply it as others do and that perhaps much ancienter then any of these we have yet seen and such as by a right interpretation of the words though not according to their meaning might be reconciled to the truth And that is That by this Messenger is meant he who Chap. IV. 5 is called Eliah whom some of them would have to be Eliah the Tishbite in person others not necessarily so but some great Prophet like him in degree and therefore called by his name So the often cited R. Tanchum reports their opinion on that place Chap. IV. where will be occasion to speak again of it That this opinion among them was ancient we learn not only out of their own records but out of the Gospell also Mat. XVII 10 where we hear the Disciples asking Christ Why then say the Scribes that Eliah must first come their opinion then was that before Christ Elias ought to come as a Messenger and Forerunner and Christ doth not say they were out in expecting such a one as was to be looked on as Elias but in this that they did not acknowledge him that was under that name expected to be already come saying Elias was truly first to come but that indeed he was already come and they knew him not c. By which answer his Disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist of whom also he had before told them and the whole People that he was he of whom it is written Behold I send my Messenger before thy face c. Mat. II. 10 and the Elias which was for to come To those Jews therefore who are of the last opinion mentioned we have from those words of our Saviour a ready answer and to any objection that they shall raise from it against their believing this Prophecy to be fulfilled and the Messiah to be come Whereas some of them making it an argument in that kind say that this Prophecy is not fulfilled because Elias is not in person come and therefore neither the Messias we refer them for answer to those of their own Sect who confess that neither these nor those other words of Malachi nor any other Prophecy require that Elias should come in person but only some great Prophet or prophetical man in degree like to Elias And then to these if they say that not any such hath yet appeared we say Yes there hath and that John the Baptist was he for he came before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elias to make ready a People prepared for the Lord Luc. I. 17 He was by all that then lived and beheld his works counted and holden for a Prophet Mat. XIV 5 and XXI 26 yea he was more then a Prophet then whom there was not a greater risen among them that were born of women Mat. XI 9 11. so great that they doubted whether he were not the Messiah himself What was required from this Messenger and from him that was promised under the name of Elias viz. that he should prepare the way for the Lord he did fully make good by preaching repentance Mat. III. 2 by baptizing unto repentance vers 11. by bearing witness to Christ and pointing him out to the People that they might beleive on him Joh. I. 29 c. if there be any thing in that ancient Tradition of theirs that Eliah was to prepare the Messiah to his office that may be said to have been fulfilled by John's baptizing Christ before he began to preach at which baptizing the Holy Ghost descended on him visibly from Heaven But this is besides the expression of the Scripture and so not to the present words John then being such as to his person and so having performed that office for which it is said here that he should be sent what can it be but mere obstinacy to deny him to be the Lords Messenger here prophesied of and what can they expect in any which was not in him found From the time of this Prophecy till the time of its completion by the Lords sending him was their opinion true that such a one who for his excellency and the spirit with which he was to be endowed might be called Eliah was to come as a Messenger and a forerunner of the Messiah to prepare his way before him but since these things have been all fulfilled still by virtue of the same Prophecy to expect another denying him is great perversness According to their own rule that Prophecies and promises of God are at their manifestation to be discerned and acknowledged as fulfilled they ought so to discern and acknowledge this and could not but so do did they not willingly shut their eies because they will not accept of Christ. God be thanked who hath opened our eies by the Gospell so as to acknowledge this Messenger who by what is therein declared is evidently approved to be John Baptist. He it is without doubt of whom he here saith my Messenger So our Translation renders it others rendring my Angell The word is indeed that which is used to signify an Angell but as well likewise any other Messenger or Ambassador from a
root that signifies to send and that signification of Messenger is by our Translators well chosen to put in this place as taking away or preventing those needless questions which from rendring it an Angell might be raised as How John was an Angel or Why called so which is reported anciently to have given occasion to some of an erroneous opinion that he was not only so by office but by nature also The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pinnah which ours and others agreeably also to what is in the Gospels render prepare is from a root Panah that hath also the signification of looking on and is therefore by the Greek in this place according to that rendered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall look on and so by the printed Arabick which therein follows them Which certainly cannot be so agreeable to the meaning except we extend it so far as to understand by it to look to it so as that it be as it should be which then will be the same with preparing But the word in that form that it is here is not used for to look and consider or the like but to clear and make clean to prepare by removing what is amiss or offensive so likewise used Esay XL. 3 Prepare ye the way of the Lord make straight a high way which words are likewise applied to the same John Baptist's office here spoken of Mat. III. 3 and Mar. I. 3 and Luc. III. 4 and he shewed to make good what is thereby required by calling to repentance and by preaching the Baptism of repentance for putting away those sins which might hinder them from receiving Christ and so were obstacles in his way And in that place it is rendered by the Greek also prepare and so probably they might here do Having observed these words to be cited by the Evangelists we cannot but take notice that in them they are cited something differently from what is read here for whereas here he saith my Messenger and before me or my face in the first person as speaking of himself there it is still said before thy face and thy way before thee as speaking to and of another Which hath caused some question to be made which of the persons of the Trinity here speaks whether God the Father or Christ. But though it be true what some here observe that such works of the Trinity as are external and common to all the persons and not proper to one may indifferently be attributed to either yet the plainest way of expounding these words here seems to be to look upon them as spoken here as well as in the Evangelists by God the Father concerning Christ here of him there expresly to him And then the saying here my Messenger before me and there thy way before thee making the same way to be called Gods way here and Christs there affords us an evident proof that Christ is one God with the Father and that in Christ God came and was manifest in the flesh For the proving the same viz. That Christ is one with God the Father some would take from what is here said before my face an argument thence proving that Christ is called The face of God but others observe that according to the use of the Hebrew Tongue before my face is no more then before me And therefore our Translators so rendring it shew that they thought not in the word my face to be included any argument for proving the Divinity of Christ on which any great stress ought to be laid and they that think it ought to shew how then the words as here uttered by the Prophet and as cited in the Gospels may be reconciled For if by my face be here meant that Christ is the face of God who then shall be there understood by thy face who shall be called the face of Christ It follows And the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his Temple c. Who by this Lord is meant is agreed on on all hands by Christian Interpreters viz. that it is Christ whom God hath made both Lord and Christ Act. II. 36 and who is Lord over all ibid. X. 36 by whom all things were made by whom all things are sustained and governed who is as the root of the word imports the basis and foundation not of any private family Tribe or Kingdome but of all by whom are all things and we by him I Cor. VIII 6 and whose we are also by right of Redemption and so he is Lord of Lords and King of Kings Rev. XVII 14 and XIX 16 deservedly entituled The Lord. Among the Jews there are some who understand it more generally of God so R. Salomo The God of Judgement R. Aben Ezra The God of glory and so Abarbinel The glorious Name i. e. the glorious God whose words may be by a Christian well interpreted also of Christ though not so by them meant But others of them more plainly agreeing so far with us expresly say he is the King Messiah so Kimchi yea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bela shaccin that without doubt it is meant of the Messiah and so say we though as to his person and the right of his title to that appellation of Lord they will not agree with us This Lord is described by that Epithet whom ye seek which may be referred to what is before said where is the God of Judgement as an answer to that question and is therefore by some looked on as if it were spoken in ill part as much as to say whom ye scoffingly seek saying Where is he Why doth he not shew himself Although it may be as by many learned men it is taken as spoken of a serious expectation and seeking of the promised Messiah by many if not the generality of the People whom all along from of old they longed and waited for according as that saying of Jacob I haue waited for thy Salvation O Lord Gen. XLIX 18 and what we read of Simeon Luc. II. 25 that he waited for the consolation of Israel and ver 38. that Anna spake of him being brought into the Temple to all them that looked for Redemption in Jerusalem manifestly shews that there was such a seeking a waiting and longing for the promised Shilo among them by such as seriously wished for it as well as others did in scoff ask after him or murmure at his delay Of him that was so sought it is said as to the circumstance of time that he should suddenly come i. e. suddenly after that his Messenger had come and prepared the way before as Christ did after John Baptist's preaching or suddenly i. e. unawares when men should not think on or be aware of him as Kimchi takes the word here to signify the time being not precisely in the Prophets determined according to what is said in Daniel The words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end Chap. XII 9 Whence
been dedicated to the only true God Here therefore it being called Christs Temple it shews that he is true God one with the Father This argument though pious and conclusive to Christians yet a learned man would not have to be much insisted on as to the signification of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heicul inasmuch as it doth not only signify a Temple or House of worship but also a Palace and so he thinks the Jews may put it off by saying it signifies only the Messiah shall come to his Palace But I suppose they would not fly to that I do not find any of them that do The ordinary Expositors that we have of them as R. Salomo Jarchi Aben Ezra David Kimchi as likewise R. Tanchum do not at all meddle with interpreting this word only Abarbinel who as we said interprets the Lord not of the Messiah but of the Shecinah or glorious Presence of God or God himself explains it to his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heical which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bebeith mikdasho in his Sanctuary by which he will have to be meant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Habbeith haatid that house or Temple which is to come or shall hereafter be built or as in his Commentary on Haggai he calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beith shelishi the third house By it then here I doubt not but they all understand it a Temple properly so called But however they may otherwise seek to evade the force of this argument and this I mean of them who confess by the Lord here to be meant the Messias whether by saying it may be called his because by him built according to Maimonides or because he should frequent it or otherwise certainly the other argument for proof of his being come because the Temple to which he was to come is so long since destroyed is unanswerable and their talking of a third Temple without any ground in Scripture so long and still in vain expected by them under which this Prophecy is to be made good as if it were not long since fulfilled while that second Temple was standing as we are assured that it was is a mere dream of men choosing to themselves strong delusions Which lest any of theirs by enquiring into it should discover they weary it appears or ashamed of the length of the time of their vain expectation or not knowing how they should satisfy such as should enquire into it have long since by a severe way interdicted all such enquiries by saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tippach rucham or Atsman shel Mechashebe hakketsim Let them burst or breathe out their souls that enquire after the ends or periods and terms of time viz. concerning the coming of the Messiah And that perhaps may be the cause why their Expositors in this place say so little of it viz. how or when the Lord should come to his Temple Certainly without acknowledging Christ the true Messiah and him to be come in the flesh and both God and man there cannot any thing be said that can give the true meaning or shew what was requisit for the fulfilling of this Prophecy here and that cited out of Haggai of such affinity with it And no wonder to see them who willingly and obstinately decline the one only way of manifest truth to run on in such different tracts of error It follows in the Text Even the Messenger of the Covenant whom ye delight in Where our Translators rendring the copulative 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which ordinarily signifies and by even give us to look on these words as a farther description of the same person who was called the Lord and that is as hath been said Christ Jesus who though he be one with his Father God eternal yet humbled himself for mens sakes to be as a Messenger from his Father to them to declare unto them his will and to be unto him obedient in all things that he gave him to do This proves not that he is not one God with the Father though as a Son he yielded obedience to him and performed his work Here is nothing in this that takes away either unity of essence or equality of power So that we need not to depart from this notion of Messenger or Angel to render it Prince as a learned man by the use of the word in another language thinks it may be proved in the Hebrew and here also to signify It will come but to one pass he is Prince of the Covenant for the same reason that he is called Messenger or Angell of it which is because in him God founded the new Covenant of Grace and by him as Mediator of it administred it he not only declaring it but ratifying it with his own Blood and receiving into it as many as lay hold on him even that new Covenant of which he is Mediator Heb. XII 24 better then the old and established on better promises Heb. VIII 6 8 c. spoken of Jer. XXXI 31 no more comprehending Jews alone but Gentiles also In which regard God saith of him I will give thee for a Covenant of the People for a light of the Gentiles c. Isa. XLII 6 in whom he was reconciling the World unto himself 2 Cor. V. 19 In this that we say that it is bâ—t the same person who is called both Lord and Messenger we have most of the Jewish Expositors consenting So R. Salomo and Aben Ezra and Kimchi and R. Tanchum and Abarbinel in a secondary Exposition but yet in this divided among themselves that some of them say by both is meant God himself i. e. God the Father by others the Messiah Against the former is hence an evident proof that of God the Father it cannot be meant because a Messenger is necessarily a distinct person from him that sends him The Lord therefore and Messenger here spoken of must as we affirm of Christ needs be so As for those who interpret both as we do of the Messiah though much differing from us as concerning the nature of his person yet there is no occasion to dispute with them concerning that here in that they agree that the person by both titles described is the Messiah As for others who take by the Lord to be meant one by the Messenger of the Covenant another so vain and absurd are their fancies that to name them will be sufficient confutation of them as not only that uncouth as well as novel opinion of Abarbinel making it to be the King of Persia who had sent them home from their Babylonish Captivity but also that of some more ancient who would have to be meant Eliah whom they would have to be called by that title because he alwaies presides at the Rite of Circumcision the sign of Gods Covenant with them which they thus make out God seeing his zeal for Circumcision when those of the ten Tribes were negligent of it gave him this priviledge as
a reward of his zeal that that Sacrament should never be administred but that he should oversee it for which cause alwaies at every Circumcision they set a Chair of State for him as being Angel Messenger or President of the Covenant and so here called A pretty story whereby to delude themselves and amuse the people from further enquiry after the truth which if it were found only in trivial fabulous Books might pass as a fancy but that it should be quoted by their serious and grave Authors as a thing pertinent to this place and grounded on it cannot but seem as strange as it is groundless and ridiculous What is added whom ye delight in shews that with great longing they expected of old his coming as a time that should bring much cause of joy and rejoycing to them and what follows as repeated Behold he shall come or cometh saith the Lord of hosts shews the certainty of the thing as sure as if it were already done God engageth both his truth and power in it he saies it and every word of his is truth and he that saies it is the Lord of hosts God of all power and can and will effect whatsoever he saith Behold he cometh not as Abarbinel as we have seen would have it hath or is already come that so he might apply it to the King of Persia who made with them a Covenant of Peace but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yabo shall certainly come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bizmano in his time as Kimchi truly explains it And not only so but if we look on the place before named to which he should come viz. his Temple it will give us necessarily to understand as to the time too that he was to come while that Temple was yet standing as Grotiâ—s well observes And here before we proceed it will be covenient to take notice what the same learned man suggests to us on the next verse viz. That Christs coming when spoken to and of the Jews denotes not only his first manifestation in the flesh or the Temple but all the time from his first preaching to the destruction of the City of Jerusalem and of the Temple Otherwise more distinctly the word is applied to a threefold coming of Christ 1. His coming in the flesh to be born among men 2. His coming in Judgement for vengeance to his enemies and deliverance of his Servants in this World as he did come at the destruction of the Jews 3. At the end of the World at the day of Judgement And so understanding it as particularly respecting the Jews we shall easily perceive here a full and satisfactory answer to those murmurers and scoffers of those times who seeing the prosperity of some wicked men as it is in the last verse of the preceding Chapter said every one that doth evil is good in the sight of the Lord and he delighteth in them or where is the God of Judgement Though such who impiously question Gods Justice deserve no other answer then to feel it yet in much condescension he here vouchsafes them such an answer as to let them know that though he doth not presently proceed as they would have him but seem to neglect or wink at the doings of wicked men yet he is not negligent but in his own appointed time will so order things as shall make it manifest to all that he took notice all the while of what was done This time as to them he here expresses to be that coming of Christ which is in these and the following words described in which time was his just judgement signally executed before the whole World as to what concerned their Nation And so the question why God suffers the wicked oft most to florish as to them of that Nation the People then by the Prophet spoken to and of is fully decided by what was in that space of time by him brought to pass so as to stop the mouth of any other who shall in like blasphemous manner question his Justice by warning them to leave to him his own time to execute his just Judgements and rather to prepare themselves for that time which certainly shall come upon them then in any way to doubt of it The things here spoken do more particularly concern the Jews but are to all and to us for examples and are written for our admonition God having several waies of executing his Judgements but proceeding still according to the same rule of Justice They likewise concern rather more general and national impieties and judgements accordingly executed yet so as every particular man may thence take instruction that none who taketh care of his waies seeing such as are openly wicked to prosper and florish should thence take occasion of murmuring and questioning Gods Justice nor any wicked man that prospers in this World should because God suffers him so to do for that justify himself or think himself good in the sight of the Lord or that God delighted in him but be assured that a time will come when God will execute just Judgement on him however for a time he forbear him and so deal with him in particular as he here threatneth to do with the wicked of those times He hath other waies of coming besides that here spoken of to every man at his death and after judgement which though R. Salomo as we have seen doth ill in making the prime and literal meaning of this place as he doth yet so far he is true that certainly God will by it come to every man in particular and then judge and distinguish them according to the things that they have done not the things that they have enjoied in this World His deferring them till then is not a sign of his liking to them but shall make if they by repentance prevent it not for their greater condemnation and misery and so shall it appear that they are out who for what they see them here to enjoy shall account them happy See Luke XVI 25 This may seem a digression as not pertaining to the literal meaning of the words yet may be not impertinent in regard that both the present words and other passages after in this Chapter cannot but suggest such consideration of Gods just Judgement both for private persons and whole Societies of men to us That some Christians anciently should interpret the word come in the first place of Christs first coming and in this second of his coming to Judgement cannot but seem strange Doubtless here is but one and the same coming spoken of and the repetition of the promise of it doth but confirm the certainty of it and that was the first coming of his then when these words were spoken to be expected by the Jews The words will naturally bear no other sense 2 But who may abide the day of his coming and who shall stand when he appeareth for he is like a refiners fire and like fullers sope But who may
of God were purged and purified from their former corruptions and errors and reduced to the acknowledgement of Christ and true worship of God according to the perfect rule of the Gospel as it is said And a great company of the Priests were obedient to the Faith Act. VI. 7 All these may be true and well joined As to the last which understands it of the Sons of Levi properly so called as of that race of such as were won to the obedience of Christ by the word of his Gospell and had their hearts purified by faith in him of them may it be truly verified that they were purified and purged as gold and silver by him sitting as a refiner and purifier of silver and it cannot be doubted but that they had their parts in that sharp trial of afflictions too in those daies And as for them who were all dross and would not be purified but continued in their corruption what became of them the sad story of the destruction of the City and Temple which we take to be deciphered by this day of his coming and the trying and purifying here described shews when so many of them together with the Temple perished by fire as that if the expression here were properly meant of material fire it might be said to have been verified in them although we do not here take it as so meant but only to express the strictness and exactness of the trial It is said that he shall so purify and purge them that they shall offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness In the times when this was spoken that they did not so is shewed in the preceding Chapters Because they were so perverse in their waies so wicked in their doings he tells them that he regarded not the offering by which they thought to satisfy his Law and do to him acceptable service nor received it with good will at their hands As likewise Isa. I. 19 c. he calls the Sacrifices they pretended to do to him while their hands were full of wickedness vain oblations the incense they brought abomination unto him their feast iniquity and trouble to him and that when they make many prayers he will not hear Before they can do any thing that shall be acceptable to him they must wash them and make them clean put away the evil of their doing cease to do evil learn to do good c. The persons must be first made such as he will accept before their offerings can be acceptable or their Sacrifices sweet unto him That therefore among these that are here called Sons of Levi whether be meant all Christians or those that are peculiarly separated to the ministring to God in holy things or such of the Jewish Levites that were converted to Christ there may be such as may offer to him an offering in righteousness rightly lawfully and acceptably not to the farther displeasing of him as those in this Prophet reprehended then did he saith that he will first purify them as silver and purge them as gold and silver from all dross and corruptions that are in them by such means as he sees convenient whether by the powerfull efficacy of his Word Grace and Spirit or farther if he see necessary by the fiery trial of sufferings by the spirit of judgement and of burning to separate the sincere of them from those that are not such and then they being so purged and with sincere hearts and pure hands presenting their offerings in righteousness to him shall be accepted both they and their offerings so saith he in the following words 4 Then shall the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord as in the daies of old and as in formeryears Then shall the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord. Judah and Jerusalem are named saith Kimchi because there was the Temple or Sanctuary It will be easy to translate the names to the Church of Christ of which that City was a type and which thence was to have its rise and beginning though since spread abroad through the World so that it will be all one to say the offerings of the Church But what offerings are then to be understood not certainly such legal Sacrifices or Mincha's as were then under the Law offered For this is spoken of what was to be after the coming of the Messiah by whose once offering of himself all such legal offerings had an end put to them and were for the future to cease By the offerings the Mincha or offering as it is in the singular number of Judah and Jerusalem therefore must be meant all the spiritual offerings and services of the Church and the faithful Members thereof their Prayers Alms Praises Eucharistical Sacrifices their whole selves offered to God as a living Sacrifice holy acceptable to God Rom. XII 1 all comprehended under that pure Mincha or offering Ch. I. 11 they being all made a holy Priesthood to offer up spiritual Sacrifices acceptable to God I Pet. II. 5 Much of the service under the Law consisting in offering oblations that name is transferred to all Evangelical services It is said they shall be pleasant as in the daies of old and as in former years in the daies of the pious Patriarks say some Others in the time of the first Temple and when the worship of God florished in Judea or the time of the Tabernacle that Moses pitcht But it will not concern particularly to design the time the Text having not so designed it it will be sufficient to understand it that the services in the time here spoken of by such and in such manner as he describes done shall be as acceptable and pleasing to God as any ever heretofore by holy and pious men in due manner performed were and not lothsome and displeasing to him as those offerings of that present Age by wicked men unduly and with neglect and breach of his law offered were But here is observable that from what he saith that the Sons of Levi shall be purified and then offer offerings in righteousness and pleasant unto God as those of holy men of old on and after the coming and appearance of the Lord the Messiah there is an evident proof that by that coming of his here spoken of is not meant his last coming to judgement inasmuch as after that will be no time for such services they are to be performed in this life and this World not in the life and World to come but a coming in this World after which it should yet last in which is a time of purging the other being a time only of remuneration according to what men have in this done They are an argument in this kind looked on not only by some Christian Expositors but by a Jew also Abarbinel makes it as a proof against R. Salomo's interpreting what is here spoken concerning death and the punishments in another World
like vain diabolical arts one here named comprehends the rest which in the Law are distinguished by several names is proved by the learned D r Lightfoot by several instances on Mat. XXIV 24 And of the rest of the sins here reckoned up the same will be to be said that as they of former times before the Babylonish captivity and destruction of the former City and Temple were guilty of them and by them pulled on the whole Nation those heavy Judgements besides those which in their particular persons they were for them liable to either in this life or the other so these also after their return from that captivity not taking warning by what had happened to their Ancestors and they had either tasted of or could not but have fresh in memory casting off the fear of God which in the last words of the verse is assigned as the cause of their so doing did again give themselves up to the like so far that God again threatneth them with like national Judgements In rendring the words whereby the last sin here spoken of is described viz. and that turn aside the stranger from his right the words from his right being put in different characters sheweth that they are not expressed in the original Hebrew but are supplied for making clearer and fuller the sense the words literally sounding only that turn aside the stranger So do some of the Jews think a supply for that end necessary and therefore understand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mishpat Judgement as if it were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vmatte mishpat hager and that turn aside or pervert the judgement of the stranger which is in the text it self put in where a curse is denounced against this sin Deut. XXVII 19 and there is the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 matteh perverteth in the singular number and therefore with the letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 H in the end whereas it is here in the plural and therefore with ◠i in the end Which I suppose is all that the Masorites or those that took care of the right writing and reading of the Hebrew Text would have here to be observed by that note of theirs which some take notice of viz. that it is not else where read with ' yod in the end not that they would have us think it ought here to have been written with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 H for here it is in the plural as the rest of the Nouns here are as R. Tanchum notes of which yod in the end is a sign and the letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 H of the singular That among the sins here reckoned up as provoking God to come in judgement is not mentioned Idolatry as great as any and which the former Prophets under the first Temple did oft inveigh against Abarbinel notes the reason to be because that under the second Temple that sin was not found amongst them The same Doctor on the last words and fear not me saith the Lord notes that he intimates that if they should fear him and repent of these sins he would pardon them Saith the Lord of hosts This intimates the certainty of what he saith shall be that they may take due notice of it which is also assured in what follows ver 6. Divers connect the last words with the former thus and against those that do not fear me including with those guilty of the former sins all others who fear not the Lord. 6 For I am the Lord I change not therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed For I am the Lord I change not therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed These words are very differently expounded at least applied by Interpreters especially as to the latter part of them The connexion of the former part of them with the preceding according to the way that we have gone will be easy viz. That although he have so long forborn to take vengeance of the wicked yet they are not to think that it is because he approves of their doings or is grown neglectful of those that take care to serve him but that he will in due time execute his judgements on the one according to what he hath threatned against such as go on in evil waies and shew his care of the other inasmuch as he is still the same God of judgement unchangeably the same a hater and certain avenger of evil and a lover of good and therefore all his threats and promises however seeming to be deferred shall in their due time certainly come to pass and have their due effect But how then doth what he subjoins therefore or and ye sons of Jacob are not consumed follow on these Because as we said Expositors in giving the meaning of these words much differ it will be convenient to take some of their Interpretations distinctly R. Salomo's note on this place is Although I do defer my anger I have not changed my mind or purpose from what it was at first as that I should love the wicked and hate the good And ye Sons of Jacob although some of you are dead or have died in their iniquity and I have not taken punishment of those wicked in this life yet ye are not consumed ye are not consumed or brought to nothing before me I have left your souls to execute my Judgement on them in Hell according to Jonathan's Chalde Paraphrase which is And ye of the house of Jacob think that he who dieth in this World his Judgement ceaseth as much as to say Ye in your opinion say my Judgement is frustrate or ceaseth because there is no farther time to take vengeance on him But our ancient Doctors saith he otherwise expound it I have not changed or returned or done a second time I have not smitten any other Nation and returned or been changed to it or smitten it a second time But you have I preserved or caused to abide after many punishments My arrows are consumed or spent but ye are not consumed R. D. Kimchi's Exposition is thus for I the Lord change not for whatsoever I have spoken though for a long time to come shall certainly so come to pass for I change not neither do my words change and all the things to come which I have spoken to you by my Prophets shall so be or come to pass The Verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shaniti hath the signification of changing as if he should say I change not from word to word from purpose to purpose or liking to liking i. e. that I should one while say or like one thing and another while another And ye Sons of Jacob are not consumed as other Nations are consumed of whose name no memory is left and who are destroyed from being a Nation but ye are not consumed neither shall you be consumed for ye shall alwaies be separate among the Nations that ye may be one Nation in the Earth although you be led captive
approved of such things or persons which he had formerly declared his dislike unto This while with them we look on as the import of the word here we cannot but wonder at the impudence and folly of that railing Jew Lipman who saith that Christians go contrary to the meaning of what is here said in affirming that God who before had not flesh and blood was changed to be flesh and blood or as another Copy hath it who was before only the Father and the Holy Spirit was afterward changed to be the Son In which objection of his is only much malice and impertinency inasmuch as by nothing that the Christians say nor by any consequence that can be drawn from what they say can it be concluded that they affirm any change or alteration in God or the Godhead with whom they profess to be no variableness neither shadow of changing either in his nature or any of his attributes all things remaining in him the eternal Trinity one God in three Persons as they were from eternity nor by Christs taking the Manhood into God was there any change of God into Man nor confusion of substance or alteration of person Again inasmuch as that he might pick a cavil against Christians he takes the word which here denotes Gods immutability in his Will Word Decree and purpose which with the Jews the Christians absolutely affirm as if it imported here immutability of nature or substance though that be most true also so that it is a cavil sought not offered to him either by the word as here used nor any thing by the Christians affirmed He had no occasion to say this but he having said it it was convenient to take some notice of it lest others of his Sect might applaud him in it and think to be true what he feigneth But of the concurrence of the other Jews in rendring the latter Verb in the same notion that our Translators do who render it are not consumed we take more notice because some learned Christians take it in another signification and would have it rendred And ye sons of Jacob do not desist or leave off to do evil so in Munster and the Tigurin Translations more lately And the Septuaginâ— of old seems so to have taken the word to signify reading this word with the two first of the following verse And ye sons of Jacob have not râ—câ—ded from the unjust dealings or wickedness of your Fathers as likewise the printed Arabick Version following that and the Syriack also And from the word in that notion rendred would flow a very convenient sense taking the whole verse as a confirmation of what is before said and that they certainly must expect that judgement denounced to come in its appointed time inasmuch as the Lord is unchangeable in his purpose of punishing incorrigible unrepenting sinners and they would not leave off their evil courses nor repent them of their sins nor desist from them But others and they the major part viz. all that follow the vulgar Latin and diverse others also of modern Interpreters prefer with the forementioned Jewish Writers the other notion of being consumed as more usual to the Verb in the Conjugation or form here used according to which our Translators render are not consumed but then in giving the meaning and connexion of the whole verse there is among those who embrace this signification of this word some difference Some taking it as speaking of the time past or present make the coherence with what goes before and the meaning to this purpose as may be collected out of them put together that doubtless it shall be so as he said he will come in judgement to those sinners For he the Lord who hath determined and pronounced that he will not leave impenitent sinners unpunished doth not change his will and purpose But how then is it that the Sons of Jacob whose Fathers and themselves have been great and obstinate sinners have not long since been or are not yet consumed It is from the same unchangeableness in God who as he is just so is likewise merciful and long suffering not willing the death of sinners but rather that they should come to repentance and therefore determined as to execute justice so not to be hasty in executing it but to give space for repentance that so the necessity and equity of his judgements executed on such as would not lay hold on his mercy by repentance while they had time allowed for it may appear and besides that he might shew how just he was in keeping promise and his Covenant made with their Forefathers Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in so long sparing for their sakes their rebellious posterity who would make no end of sinning So that it was not through any change in him that they have not yet been consumed but shall now be severely punished but from his mercy and their obstinacy opposing and rejecting it So that they cannot but say if they will rightly consider the matter it is of the Lords mercy that we are not consumed because his compassions fail not Great is thy faithfulness Lam. III. 22 23. This however they differ in expressions seems to be the scope that the most of Expositors will have these words to aim at There are that read them by way of interrogation or admiration For I the Lord change not and are not ye O Sons of Jacob consumed how wonderful a thing is it that the Lord being immutable in his judgement against refractory sinners they should not yet be consumed how hath mercy prevailed against judgement This falls in with what hath been already said and requires the same answer There may be proposed another way thus Expect certainly the execution of the judgement spoken of and that I will in due time call to an account sinners for I the Lord change not Of which that you may not doubt you have from a contrary effect and evidence of my immutability a proof for therefore ye Sons of Jacob are not consumed though the wicked have hitherto domineer'd and wickedness reigned yet you true Sons of Jacob that fear me as Jacob did have been preserv'd by virtue of my promise and mercy they have not been able to root you out But as we saw before that by a learned Jew it is noted that this Verb is to be rendred rather in the signification of the future and with respect to what was to come not to what was past or present so it is by some of good judgement and learning among Christians also taken that the words may be rendred Therefore or and ye Sons of Jacob shall not be consumed as part of the Prophecy of what should be to the godly when the Lord should come to execute his Judgement spoken of on the wicked and for making out the meaning to this purpose they understand by the Sons of Jacob the godly amongst the Jews they who being of the Faith of Jacob
and following his steps deserved peculiarly to be called his Children or Sons according to what we learn in like kind whom properly to call Children of Abraham Galat. III. 7 and Rom. IX 7 and then the coherence will appear thus I will certainly come near to you in judgment against the sinners among you For I am the Lord and change not but am still as ever inexorable to obstinate impenitent sinners one that will in due time take vengeance on them however for a long time I have spared them but ye true Sons of Jacob ye whose heart is right with me and who lay hold on my Promise to him made and by walking in his steps approve your selves his genuine Children heirs of his Faith ye as you are not partakers of their sins so neither shall ye be of the judgements brought upon them I will make a way for your escape that ye perish not with them And that so he effected it is made evident by the history When the judgement here prophesied of had its execution and completion in the destruction of the City and Temple of Jerusalem and the wicked obstinate sinners of the Jews in it God provided for the escape and deliverance of such as had embraced the doctrine of Christ and yielded obedience to him so that they were not consumed as if God had not taken a special care for them they must necessarily have been And so taking by that day of the Lords coming to be meant the space as we have said on the first and second verses betwixt John Baptist's and Christ's beginning to preach and the destruction of the Temple and by that swift judgement the destruction of the wicked among the Jews together with their City and Temple and by the Sons of Jacob those that believed in Christ whom Jacob so long before waited for and transmitted the expectation of to his posterity and by what is said that they should not be consumed their escape and wonderful preservation from that so universal a destruction by their being from God warned to go out of the City while there was an opportunity offered which accordingly they did to a place called Pella so that there was not one Christian left in the City when it was destroyed but all escaped as Eusebius testifies in the 3 d book of his History Cap. 5. and Epiphanius de Ponderib Cap. 15. we cannot but see all that is here spoken from the beginning of the Chapter to the end of the 6 th verse to have been so fully made good by evidence of fact that there is no ground by vertue of this Prophecy to look for any thing yet to be expected which hath not been made good as the Jews that they may keep up themselves in their willing error of denying Christ yet to be come would have us do and that there is in them a full and satisfactory answer to that blasphemous murmuring and questioning in the last verse of the preceding Chapter God delighteth in them that do evil else why doth he suffer them to prosper or Where is the God of Judgment So that in respect to those who so spake and to whom these things were then spoken viz. the people of the Jews there is no need of looking farther Mean while what happened then to them is to all others for example to teach them that though God for a while in his forbearance and giving time to repent suffer the wicked to prosper yet he will doubtless in due time manifest his Justice in punishing them for their evil doings and if he do not in this life whether by personal judgements on particular persons or national on wicked Nations yet he certainly will after death and at that general terrible Judgement at the last day of which that severe judgement then on the Jewish Nation was so lively a figure and emblem as that it cannot but put all that will consider things in mind of it and warn them to expect it though it be not that which is here primarily meant And this seems the most plain and the litteral way of the expounding these words hitherto 7 ¶ Even from the daies of your Fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances and have not kept them return unto me and I will return unto you saith the Lord of hosts But ye said Wherein shall we return Even from the daies of your Fathers ye are gone away from mine Ordinances The connexion of these words with the former is by Expositors differently given according to their different Expositions of those According to those that render the foregoing Verb in the notion of desisting or ceasing from evil these words will be a farther declaration of what was by it said viz. that they continued still to do as all along from the daies of their Fathers they had done and would not be brought to repent of their evil doings and forsake them which now yet they are exhorted to do and in the following words some of those their sins particularly enumerated According to those who render it in the notion of being consumed and take it in the sense of the time past or present they will be an amplification of Gods mercy in that they have not been nor are yet consumed by aggravation of their sins from their long and obstinate continuance in them without repentance of or turning from them which by the same unchangeable mercy they are called on yet to do But according to the latter way which we prefer of rendring it ye shall not be consumed there is not any such connexion to be looked after but the former part of this Chapter containing an answer to what was whether by impatient murmurers or sâ—offers objected against Gods justice and immutability of his methods in proceeding against wicked doers being in the sixth verse concluded he passeth to a new matter a distinct part of the Chapter a new contest against the People of that time for other sins by which they had provoked him to send on them already some previous judgements for removing which and preventing those more terrible ones mentioned in the foregoing verses and which he doth again before the end of this Prophecy put them in mind of he shews them the only way to be to return unto him by repentance and therefore in compassion to them calls on them so to do So R. Tanchum saith that though these words are not distinguished from the former in the writing yet in sense they are being an address to the People of that time alone So Junius and Tremellius look on it as a new contest or expostulation added to those former against contempt and profanation of his worship c. 1. v. 6. and c. 2.10 2 ly Against illegal Marriages Polygamy and Divorce thence to vers 17. 3 ly Against their murmuring repining or scoffing at his Justice and Judgements v. 17. of that second Chap. with an answer hitherto And now 4 ly here against sacrilegious detention of
of God if what was the cause that they pretended for their robbing of God we may say with that learned man that it was the penury or scarcity which by the curse of God was brought on them they pretended that his tithes and offerings would be more then they could spare out of that small store which he gave them or their wicked thought as if they stood on even terms with him was that seeing he had stinted and abridged them of what he was wont to give them they would abbridge him of what they were commanded and ought to give him If then it be further asked what was the effect of this their proceeding to rob him that it was a continuance of his curse to them So that though we look on what he saith as true in respect of the cause which they pretended for the robbing of God yet we cannot but according to what others say look on that their fraudulent dealing as a cause provoking God to send his curse on them and so to joyn both Expositions together And in this the Jewish Expositors shew us the way R. Salomo Jarchi thus expounds them Ye are cursed with a curse for this iniquity because I send a curse on the works of your hands and yet notwithstanding ye do rob me Aben Ezra thus Because ye say How shall we give with a good eye or cheerfully out of this little but this is not good or well that ye rob me because of the curse and scarcity with which ye are cursed and are in want but this do Bring in all the tithe and I will pour upon you a blessing c. that they should not give with an evil eye By the curse you ought to have been corrected or amended and not provoked to rob me R. David Kimchi thus Ye are cursed with a curse for those transgressions which were before mentioned as he said yea I have cursed you Yet farther still you do add iniquity to iniquity and ye rob me out of that which you gather in that you do not give me of it the offering and the tithes and ye say he robbeth us of rain and sends a curse on the fruits and shall we give him the offering and the tithes and lastly Abarbinel Do ye think to get ease by denying to give to me the tithe and offering as ye ought the matter is not so for for this iniquity ye are cursed with a curse by me Yet notwithstanding ye rob me and so the matter is become hurtful to you and hurtful to the Levites and Priests What is added even this whole Nation R. David Kimchi thinks to intimate that the whole Nation was not equally guilty of the other forementioned sins but of this they were Some joyn these words with the former words thus ye are cursed with a curse even this whole Nation because ye have robbed me but the plainer construction seems that which ours follow ye are cursed with a curse and or for ye have robbed me even this whole Nation all of you have done it joyning them with the immediatly preceding words The sense will be much the same and one infer the other a general sin and a general curse so that these words will necessarily be referred to both and shew both the extent of the sin and of the curse all the whole Nation being concerned in both And for the punishment they repined but did not repent of the sin but rather more obstinatly went on in it and thought to have stood it out with God but they took not a right course herein they could not by this get the better of God If they would be eased of the curse it must be by pacifying him not by thinking to make themselves whole out of his part and therefore he shews in the next words what is the only way for them to take even to amend in themselves their errour 10 Bring ye all the tithes into the store-house that there may be meat in mine house and prove me now herewith saith the Lord of hosts if I will not open you the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it 11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field saith the Lord of hosts 12 And all nations shall call you blessed for ye shall be a delightsom land saith the Lord of hosts Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse that there may be meat in mine house and prove me now herewith c. Their sin it appears consisted in that they detained part of those tithes which they ought according to the Law to have paid and did abbridge God of his due some it seems they brought in as much as they thought good not so much as he had commanded So that by this means there was not sufficient maintenance for those who were to wait on his Service the Priests and Levites and were by that his due to have been maintained that without distraction they might attend on their office this their doing is called robbing of God For illustrating the things here said it will be convenient to look on what we have of the History of those times recorded in the Book of Nehemiah in which we read c. 5.3 that there was a great dearth among them And this curse here spoken of seems to have been a present dearth or scarcity not only one threatned for the future then c. XIII v. 10 c. that Nehemiah found that the portions of the Levites had not been given them so that they forsook their work and fled every man to his field to get a livelyhood And the occasion of this appears to be because all the tithes were not paid for so upon Nehemiahs contending with the Rulers about it it is said v. 12. Then brought all Judah the tithe of the corn and the new wine and the oyl into the treasuries or storehouses as in the margin and as here translated the word being in both the same denoting such a room as was at the Temple appointed for the laying up of those things brought in as v. 5. of that XIII ch is described viz. a great room or rooms where they laid the meat offerings the frankincense and the vessels and the tithes of the corn the new wine and the oyl which was commanded to be given to the Levites and the Singers and the Porters and the offerings of the Priests But those things were not duly given to them as it appears by reason of the Peoples defect in bringing them in Grotius thinks that the sin here found fault with was that whereas out of the Terumah or offering mentioned Deut. XVIII 4 and such other gifts as were due to the Priests they ought to have maintained the daily Sacrifices they either did it not at all or in such illegal fraudulent manner as
is reproved in the first Chapter and that the Priests took the whole tithes to themselves and did not give to the Levites what ought to have been distributed to them viz. nine parts of them and that the whole Nation became guilty in robbing God because that when they saw the Levites were not maintained out of the tithes they abstained from bringing them and so God was robbed both because such things were not performed to him for which the offerings were given and because the Levites were not maintained as they ought to be but forsook his Service for want of sustenance and so he was deprived of their Ministry But neither here nor in Nehemiah is any thing specified in these kinds but only the People accused for not bringing in all their tithes by which failure in them there was not meat in his house i. e. maintainance for his Altar and those that ministred at it and did Service in his House whether Priests or Levites For which sin he is angry with them and commands it here to be redressed by the whole Nation which were all guilty by their bringing in all the tithes into the storehouse and so in Nehemiah it is said that that zealous Governour caused all Judah to do and that he then set treasurers over the treasuries to see them distributed as they ought How long before that was done this was spoken by the Prophet the History of the Scripture doth not make clear But herein do these two Books well agree in that both here and there a dearth is spoken of and as here the People are reproved for robbing God in tithes and offerings so there it is testified that they did detain them and whereas here they are exhorted to redress that sin by bringing them all duly in for removing the curse that was on them so there we read that Nehemiah prevailed on them so to do as perceiving that there was no other way for averting Gods wrath from them What was the issue on their doing so the History doth not proceed so far as to declare but here in the Prophet we have assurance that if with a willing and pious mind they should do so it should be good God would remove the curse and abundantly bless them If they would be so just to God and kind to themselves as to put it to the trial by but doing what they ought to do they should find that God would not fail in any measure of his Promise but would on their obedience do more for them then by vertue thereof they might ordinarily expect This he gives assurance of in the next words And prove me now herewith saith the Lord of Hosts if I will not open you the windows of Heaven c. The connexion of these words with the former verse and the meaning of them as likewise with the following Abarbinel thus gives And if ye shall say that this curse on the fruits of the Earth is not because of this but that it is an accident to you come now let us make a trial Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse as much as if he should say give the tithes and offerings in full measure and with a good eye and bring them into the Lords storehouse that there may be meat i. e. sustenance and maintainance for the Ministers of my House the Priests and Levites and prove me now by this For saith he though the Law saith ye shall not tempt the Lord your God Deut. VI. 16 yet now for your information at this present on this present occasion prove me and tempt or try me if I will not open you the windows of Heaven to give the rain of your Land in its season in such a manner as that I will pour out upon you a blessing to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beli dai i. e. not to enough only and such as shall be sufficient but more and more then enough that is a great addition but R. D. Kimchi saith he expounds it till there be not vessels to put it in and by this ye shall know that for transgressing in matter of tithes this curse hath been on the corn or encrease of the Earth hitherto And because the Locust and the Catterpillar came upon them and devoured their fruits in the Fields and Vineyards therefore he saith and I will rebuke for you or for your sakes the devourer viz. the Locust which devoureth the encrease or fruits of the Earth in such a manner as that he shall not destroy any more to you the fruit of the ground and of the Vine for by the will of God are the waies of them the Beast of the Field and the Fowl of the Air shall make peace with thee and the Earth shall yield her encrease in full perfection so that in respect of the abundance of the fruits which you shall have all Nations shall call you blessed And whereas you have been a reproach amongst the Nations because of the famine occasioned by the curse with which I cursed you for your iniquities now when all the fruits shall be blessed ye shall be counted blessed and prosperous in the eyes of all Nations and they shall say that your Land is a Land of delight in which I delight and that therefore the fruits thereof are blessed Thus have we given his words at large because they give an entire and good Paraphrase and Exposition of these three verses viz. 10 11 12. without interruption yet because of some different Expositions of others we shall again more particularly reflect on some of the words and expressions Prove me now herewith saith the Lord of Hosts if I will not open c. Some look on this as an implicite form of Oath and an imperfect speech to be supplied by adding after it if I will not open c. then let me be accounted worse then my word or the like because it is usual with the Scripture when things are to be expressed which seem to denote something which may sound of blasphemy or contain any thing unfit to be said to be silent and rather leave men to conceive them then to utter them or else to use some more comely or honest expression But however this rule may be elsewhere appliable here seems to be no need of it According to those here is a stop made after prove me now here with and a distinct member of the sentence to begin But read all as in our Translation and others in a continued sense and the meaning is plain without any such supply or any abruptness in the speech as if he should say you in doing what you do take a wrong course neither your detaining my dues nor murmuring against my justice shall any thing prevail for good or help to you in this curse of penury under which ye suffer but if you will find relief do what I prescribe to you Bring in all your tithes c. and thereby prove me whether I will not
quickly remove the curse by giving all necessary causes and means of a contrary blessing And so it implies a Promise that he will do it they shall certainly find it and that the parting with that which they detained as fearing the parting therewith should diminish their store shall be a way the only way for great encrease of it To this purpose R. D. Kimchi explains the words Bring in all your tithes c. that there may be meat for those that serve me and withall repent you of the faults mentioned if ye do not I will punish you with other punishments but if you do bring in all the tithes and offerings as ye ought I will give you rain and pour out on you a blessing Pelicanus a learned and serious man in this Exposition follows him who also from what is here said with great reason urgeth on Christians under the Gospel a diligent care of due and willing paying such tithes and oblations as are for the maintainance of the Ministry c. As likewise Oecolampadius saying that Christian liberty exempteth none from tithes that were wont to be paid But to receive what either they or any other in like kind deduce and conclude from these words will not be to our present purpose which is to clear only the litteral Exposition of the words and shew what meaning they will bear If I will not open c. That which is here promised is generally agreed on to be a plenteous rain by restraint of which there was occasioned a dearth in the Land and this the Lord saith he will give Though the rain proceed from natural causes constituted by God as other things in the order of nature do yet the ordering of those causes and effects as concerning rain have alwaies been looked on as an immediate act of God himself whereby his power and mercy towards men have been as visibly declared as in any thing and as a particular act of his Providence in causing it to come or not come whether for correction or for his Land or for mercy Job XXXVII 13 It is therefore an ancient saying among the Jews that there be three keys which God hath reserved in his own hand and hath not delivered to any Minister or Substitute viz. the keys of life and of rain and of the Resurrection of the Dead in the ordering of the rain they look on his great power to appear no less then in giving life at first or afterwards raising the Dead to it agreeable to which S. Paul saith that God left himself not without witness in that he did good and gave rain from Heaven and fruitful Seasons Act. XIV 17 It was a manifest testimony alwaies to all Nations of his divine power and so acknowledged so that it will not be necessary to look into those many places of Scripture wherein he speaks of it as so either by promising to give it for a blessing or restrain it for a curse and punishment When he restrains it he is in a figurative speech said to shut up Heaven as Deut. XI 17 and Luc. IV. 25 and to stop the windows of Heaven Gen. VIII 2 equivalent to which is another expression of making the Heaven brass Deut. XXVIII 23 and staying it Hag. I. 10 When he giveth it in abundance he is said to open the windows or as others the cataracts or floud-gates of Heaven as here and likewise Gen. VII 11 but there it was for a curse as sometimes he disposeth it as we have seen out of Job XXXVII 13 here for a blessing Which way soever it be intended there is no doubt but that the expression is as Aben Ezra notes a proverbial phrase for signifying great abundance and because abundance thereof may be as we said as well for a curse at sometimes as a blessing at others and it is in the disposal of God to order for which it shall be to shew that his Promise here is for good he adds and pour you out a blessing viz. of plenty contrary to their present condition of penury Both the rain and the making it a blessing is from him and his ordering And he saith of that blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it So according to our Translation and so as we already noted from Abarbinel R. D. Kimchi reporting it as from his Father saith that the meaning is in such plenty that you shall not have vessels or storehouses sufficient to receive it The words in the original are concise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ad beli dai and litterally signify only unto not enough which being an expression not so intelligible in other Languages Interpreters differently render and explain it in their own Tongues which rendrings it will be to no purpose to recite inasmuch as they all agree in this that it is an expression to denote great abundance w ch shall afford them not only enough to satisfy them but more then enough that they shall have to spare plenty without measure or such as for its abundance cannot be measured as R. Tanchum expresses it Instead of what is in the Text of our Bibles is put in the Margin empty out which either must be understood as that in the Text or else will not be so clear an expression inasmuch as it may seem to import that Gods store may be emptied which can never be L. de Dieu would have it understood as long as there is sufficiency which is perpetually for Gods sufficiency cannot be exhausted But for the completing to them a blessing contrary to the curse under which they suffered it would not be sufficient that they should have rain and fruitfull Seasons these might make the Earth yeild her encrease and bring forth in plenty all manner of grain and fruits and yet they by other means be deprived of them as by Locusts Canker-worms Catter-pillars and the like devouring creatures which God calls his great Army Joel II. 25 which in a short time oft have destroyed the hope of the whole year and occasioned great famines when there hath been expectation of greatest plenty and probably these were part of that curse now upon them For perfecting therefore the blessing here promised on their amendment of their waies he promiseth also to secure them from these and all hurt by them saying I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes or to or for you i. e. that all things may prosper to you The devourer because there were many sorts of such creatures as may devour and corrupt the corn and fruits he puts a general name that comprehends all all of them will he rebuke i. e. hinder from doing hurt They are wont to do hurt not only to the fruits of the ground the corn and herbage but to the fruit-trees also by causing them also not to be able to bring any fruit to perfection as appears by Joel I. 7 according to what some there expound the words However that
be sollicitous of the coherence of these words with those immediately preceding but may look upon them as a new reproof or at least a fresh resumed and on what follows as a beginning or continuation of a Prophecy for the time to come and of the terrible day of the Lord after the former words inserted for shewing them what was the cause of that judgement of famine at present upon them and by what means they might remove it for the fault here objected to them is much the same with that mentioned in the last verse of the foregoing Chapter However we make or judge of the coherence the meaning of the words in themselves will be the same your words have been stout against me stout and great or insolent words have ye spoken against me saith Abarbinel and that will be the sense however there be some little difference between Translators in expressing it For all look upon it to denote that their words were such as would be irksome grievous and burthensome to any man and overcome his patience by casting hard and odious things on him undeservedly and so God speaking in the language of men looks on them as to himself or that their words were more and more insolent against him Yet ye say wherein have we spoken so much against thee The words so much are supplied or added above what is in the letter of the Hebrew Text I suppose to express what some as namely Kimchi observe that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nidbarnu being in a passive form though active signification implies more then in a simple active form so as to denote not only speaking but a continual reiterated or much and frequent speaking and so here doth the Chalde render wherein have we multiplyed speaking or spoken much against thee which way ours therefore take others seem not to lay any such weight upon it but simply render it what have we spoken against thee But generally they render it actively as it is elsewhere used as Ps. CXIX 23 Princes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Binidbaru spake against me and Ezek. XXXIII 30 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hannidbarim which ours render still talking against Yet here Abarbinel thinks it may be more conveniently taken for a Verb passive as well in signification as in form and be rendred what are we spoken of to thee what is said of us to thee or what are we reported by false accusers to have said aganst thee as men use to do when they are accused of some ill that they have spoken in secret to say to him that tells them of it what false report is this that hath been brought to you concerning us This way also Montanus commends though not mentioning whom he follows in it The words either way taken include a denial of the fact and shew their folly in thinking that God did not know what they thought and said in secret even in their hearts except they spake it openly and lowdly in the ears of all or else some to whom they spake it should report it to God He therefore to shew that he knew both what was in their mouths and hearts and to convince them of their guiltiness in that which he accuseth them of answers them by a particular declaration of what they said If ye say what have we spoken against thee it is this ye have said it is vain to serve God c. Ye have said so at least thought in your hearts which is all one with speaking in the ears of God It is vain to serve God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shav abod Elohim The Greek and ancient Latin He is vain that serveth God as if they had read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obed he that serveth for Abod to serve but I do not suppose them to have read so but only to have given the meaning as they thought convenient for it is all one to say It is in vain to do such a thing or He is vain that doth such a thing the meaning of both being It is to no purpose that he doth such a thing or he looseth his labor that doth it he gets nothing by it as the Chalde here paraphraseth it He gains nothing which serves the Lord. It is vain to wit to him that so doth though it may as some think be referred to him to whom it is done i. e. no profit to God if we serve him according to what is said Job XXXV 7 If thou be righteous what givest thou him or what receiveth he of thine hand but the former is the plainer The expression gives to suppose that they served God and this supposition the Syriack taking in renders In vain have we served God and so it well agrees with what follows and what profit is it that we have kept his Ordinance what Mammon or wealth have we gained saith the Chalde as if it were for Mammons sake only that they served God and so indeed not God at all but Mammon His Ordinance or as in the Margin his observation i. e. that we have observed those things that he hath commanded us to observe What advantage have we gained by it yea though we have walked mournfully or as the Margin hath it in black which is the habit of Mourners or as others with bowing down or the like submiss gesture before the Lord of Hosts and shewed in our behaviour all signs of penitence and awfull fear of him by mourning fasting and humbling our selves in contrition of spirit as the Chalde hath it before him and the like Which last words Abarbinel seems to expound otherwise viz. We have not only not gained any thing but withall have been forced to walk mournfully and afflictedly before the Lord i. e. because we have kept his Commandments But the former construction seems plainer in that the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ci that or because with which the last foregoing member of the sentence is joyned with what goes before is here again repeated with a copulative conjunction that we have done that and that we have done this Their complaint according to him was that there was no profit in serving God either on Gods part or their own no advantage to either and therefore that it was a vain labour they were happier that saved themselves that trouble so it follows And now or now therefore we call the proud happy Proud insolent presumptuous men who will not be kept in by any bounds nor observe Gods Ordinances as we do nor walk humbly before him but transgress all Laws of Religion and Justice The same word used Psal. XIX 13 substantively is rendered prides or presumptuous sins but here adjectively presumptuous sinners Such we look upon to be in a condition more to be envied and desired then pityed or feared for inasmuch as they enjoy all worldly pleasures and prosperity nor are overtaken or as far as we can perceive like to be overtaken with
any punishment or mischief in their persons or any belonging to them yea so far is it from that that they that work wickedness set themselves purposely to do it are set up or built as the Margin hath it for so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nibnu literally signifies i. e. are firmly established like a new building saith one not likely quickly to fall or decay They flourish in their offspring say others alluding to the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ben son in respect to which the Verb that signifies building is used for to obtain children and so by ours rendred Gen. XVI 2 and XXX 3 i. e. they raise their houses and families as one paraphrases it here they are not cut off but leave a numerous posterity to keep up their name or generally they flourish and prosper more and more all things thrive and prosper with them yea farther yet they that set themselves so impudently to sin as to tempt God as if they did it on purpose to try and prove him whether he could or would punish sinners and to provoke and dare him to do his worst to execute judgement if he be a God of judgement even these are delivered and escape without any of those punishments in the Law or by the Prophets threatned against obstinate impenitent sinners These are the words or thoughts of those unsound ones in their Religion and unsincere in their practise who looking on what they saw at present and not on what should certainly in due time be made manifest for clearing Gods Justice and his perpetual love to good and hatred of evil did hence take occasion of questioning whether there were any just Judge or judgement and of repining and murmuring against Gods ordering of the affairs of men and so of contemning and setting at nought what was by the Prophets reprooving them for their sins and calling them to repentance for removing such judgements as were on them or preventing of others said unto them Who they were that said these words and when they said them and concerning whom is not particularly expressed R. Tanchum therefore as he did also c. 2.17 looks upon them as representing words which should in time to come be spoken by Israel in captivity such at least as if they did not speak or profess yet might seem to have occasion to do it And that they are here recited for reproof to them that should be impatient under the length of their captivity and forsake their Religion and speak thus in respect to what they should perceive of the prosperity of heathenish Nations notwithstanding their impiety to which is added in the following words a declaration that those that endure patiently and stick to the truth shall in the end be rewarded in the best manner as in the two following verses Then they that feared the Lord c. and then is added a mention likewise of the punishment of those that are not so affected and the punishment of the wicked injurious Nations also as he saith v. 18. and c. 4.1 then shall ye return and discern between the righteous and the wicked c. Behold the day cometh that shall burn as an oven c. But as to the former part of his words it cannot be made out of what is here spoken as neither out of the last verse of the second Chapter but is destructive to the right meaning of them The words being directed to them that were returned from the Babylonish captivity manifestly concern the behaviour of them now again settled in their Country which was not such as it ought to have been and therefore they are reproved for it that which is here objected to them appears to have been a sin of impatience and blasphemy against God and his Providence and Justice of which too many or most of them were guilty yet not all for while the discontented ones among them spake thus impiously of God and his Justice there were others that feared the Lord and spake among themselves otherwise as is manifest by the next words But he seems to mean it of the time of the captivity that they are now under and a future Judgement yet to come wherein he is manifestly wide of the matter and passing over the times of the Prophet and the present People of which he spake transfers the words to such times as they do not properly concern times now present and yet to come and taking no notice of that day of the Lord which was here prophesied of as then indeed to come but which is long since come would have another yet on earth to be expected if the Lord the Messiah whose coming was that day were not yet come which is the common error of the Jews which hath been already discovered and will in considering the following words be farther discovered if God permit As for what therefore is spoken by way of reproof and comfort it must be applyed to the right persons concerned therein which doubtless were in the first place those of that present time and then such as should succeed them betwixt that and the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans the completion of that day of the Lords coming both before ver 2. and after c. IV. 1 spoken of Those at that present for the most part of them murmured against Gods Justice in the manner here described yet then mean while as it follows in the next verse they that feared the Lord hearing what the Prophet said spake often one to another The word often is not expressed in the Hebrew and therefore the words are by others rendred only spake one to another But our Translators thought good to supply it as being included in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nidbaru according to what we have seen to be observed by some of the force of the Verb in this form on ver 13. What they spake is not here expressed except we render it otherwise as some do spake one to another saying certainly God hearkneth and heareth c. as if the words following were those that they spake But this seems somewhat harsh in regard that the copulative and which is in the original in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vayaksheb and the Lord hearkned is wrested to another signification It is more easy to understand it thus to be meant that as the wicked spake much among themselves so these also did but contrary things they against Gods Justice these in vindication of it believing what the Prophet said and expecting the completion of it And what they said was not in vain to them for the Lord hearkned and heard it But before we proceed to those words we may here take notice that as Abarbinel as we shewed differs in the understanding of this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nidbar in the 13. verse so here he goes much more wide from them taking it in clean another signification from that which he himself gave it
esteem so that it may be expounded such as knowing the secret of that glorious awful Name do accordingly magnify it The Greek that reverence his Name It will not be any great digression to look a little back and see how the Greek renders the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nidbaru of which we have already spoken because they seem to differ from the Latin and other Translations rendring it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which usually signifies to murmure or speak against or to speak of with derogation These things saith that Translation murmured they that feared the Lord. So that S. Hierom to give their sense saith that they took the words they that feared the Lord Ironically viz. for such as made shew of so doing but did not truly and really fear him and so to belong still to those who spake those stout words before mentioned except we should think that they took it as if even the righteous were by what they saw of the prosperity of the wicked moved to speak otherwise then they ought of Gods Justice and Providence as the Psalmist by the same consideration was as he confesseth almost moved sometimes to do Psal. LXXIII 2 c. But besides this signification it hath another given it viz. to speak much to overwhelm with speaking to speak one down as we may say which if it be here taken and may be used in a good sense only for much and earnest speaking then will it be but the same which our Translation gives and some as we have seen observe to be the import of the word viz. that those that feared God hearing what others impiously spake derogatory to Gods Justice did in zeal to his Glory speak much and often and earnestly one to another in vindication of it and to cry down the folly of those blasphemous ones and hinder one another from doing as they did But whatever may be thought of this the plainest meaning will be that which we have given agreeably to our own Translation and that way which most Expositors as we have said take and according to that way have we a clear passage to the next verse wherein the Lord having assured them that their words are had in remembrance and their reward with him in due time to be manifested he proceeds farther to declare it and to assign a certain time of it 17 And they shall be mine saith the Lord of hosts in that day when I make up my jewels and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him And they shall be mine saith the Lord of hosts in that day when I make up my jewels or special treasures as the Margin hath it c. According to this reading by ours and some others followed the meaning will be plain that though God suffer his who are his jewels and peculiar treasure to lie for a while mingled with the rubbish and dross without distinction made betwixt them yet there shall come a day of discrimination in which he will sever them one from another and make up and take into his peculiar care his precious jewels and reject and cast away what is vile and rubbish and then shall appear who are his and who are otherwise though till then it may not appear yet by what befalls them as to the ordinary affairs of this World it may be judged that he rather owns the wicked and those that tempt him then those that fear him and duly think on his Name but then he will put a distinction between the Vessels of his wrath and the Vessels of mercy Rom. IX 22 23. Vessels of honour and Vessels of dishonour II Tim. II. 20 But if this rendring please not any as a learned Critick seems to except against it both for rendring mine and likewise make up my peculiar treasure as harsh and unusual we have another by most of Interpreters given viz. they shall be to me in the day that I shall make or in the day that I shall do what I said a peculiar so joyning the last word in order of construction with the first as some expresly note that it ought to be and not joyning it with the word make as if it were governed of it viz. they shall be to me a peculiar in the day that I shall make and the sense is plain then too there shall come a day of discrimination by me designed and then though it doth not yet appear that I make any difference between the wicked and the godly in that day there shall be put a manifest difference between them by my separating the godly to my self and by taking a special care of them as peculiarly belonging to me and which I will preserve as carefully as men do what they most esteem love and delight in The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Segullah rendred by ours Jewels and in the Margin special treasure is taken to denote any choyce thing of great price and esteem to any and which he looks on as his own proper goods and chief in his care as of silver gold or precious stones which he laies up in his treasure and so used for any thing which he takes special care of to preserve to himself Such it was promised to Israel for a special priviledge and preeminence above all Nations that they should be unto God as Exod. XIX 5 If ye will obey my voice and keep my Covenant ye shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Segullah a peculiar treasure to me above all People And so Deut. VII 6 where is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Am segullah a special People And Psal. CXXXV 4 the Lord hath chosen Jacob unto himself and Israel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lisgullato for his peculiar treasure It is a priviledge that they still boast much of all that can pretend to be of the race of Israel but it appears to be restrained by the same limits that the name of Israel is and agrees only to such who truly deserve that name viz. the true Israel of God as all are not Israel which are of Israel Rom. IX 6 so neither are they all his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Segullah his Jewels his special treasure his peculiar People but only such who are the true Israel of God so here out of all Israel doth he say that in that day only they that feared the Lord and thought on his Name should be to him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Segullah a special treasure or peculiar People Which title as well as that of Israel in the New Testament being transferred unto Christians in Christ who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar People Tit. II. 14 and so I Pet. II. 9 we cannot but likewise look on as bounded with the same limitations and therefore they that will have comfort in it must approve themselves not only Christians in Name but in Deed by abandoning all iniquity by
being pure and zealous of good works by being an holy Nation and so shewing forth the praises of him who hath called them out of darkness into his marvellous light By having these conditions in them must they approve themselves his special treasure Ordinary stones will not pass for Jewels with him nor rubbish and dirt for treasure in the day of tryal though till then they may not be perhaps discovered This distinction between the Jews here spoken to is said should be in the day which he should make or bring on them or the day wherein he should do what he determined to do or said he would do for both these senses are the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Asher ani Oseh capable of and so are by some in the one by others in the other way rendred all much to the same purpose In the day which I shall make or bring to pass so R. Tanchum and some in Vatablus and so the Greek In the day of Judgement wherein I shall execute judgement on the wicked saith Kimchi They shall be to me in the day wherein I do or make for a peculiar saith the Vulgar Latin not as the Doway Version renders in the day that I do to my peculiar The same way others take and that so those words should be rendred by themselves indefinitely viz. in the day which I make or shall make or wherein I do i. e. will certainly do And the word peculiar not governed of that just in place before it viz. do or make but be referred to the foregoing viz. they shall be to me may be confirmed by their coming again in the same manner c. IV. 3 in the day that I shall do or make without any thing added after it Yet doth the ancient Syriack Version make the last word to be governed of that immediatly preceding it as ours do though rendring that otherwise then ours viz. a congregation they shall be mine in the day when I shall make a congregation So the Latin Translator points it although possibly by otherwise distinguishing the words it might be rendred they shall be to me in the day which I make a congregation R. Salomo Jarchi seems to give an Exposition different from all these to this purpose In the day which I make a reserved treasure i. e. which I have treasured and laid up with me therein to perform or pay my recompence And if it were so understood the expression would agree with that Act. I. 7 wherein speaking of those times in which they expected that Christ should restore the Kingdom to Israel he calleth them times and seasons which God had put in his own power But whatever differences may be betwixt Expositors as to the rendring the words the day in them spoken of is still the same viz. the day of the Lords coming mentioned before in this Chapter in the second third and fifth verses and again in the following Chapter in the first second and third verses namely the day wherein God should execute his Judgements on the Nation of the Jews for working revenge upon his enemies and redemption to those that fear him and revere his Name Though such discrimination shall be fully made between all the godly and the wicked at Christs second coming the general day of Judgement to which therefore what is here spoken is by divers referred yet certainly here what is said respects more particularly the Nation of the Jews and the time of that nationall judgement denounced against them What hath been before said and what is here said and what shall be after said in this Prophecy will not be so properly applied and clearly understood by applying it to any other mean while may the words well be accommodated to any other People with whom it shall be so at any time as it was then with the Jews and whom God shall in like kind visit with a national judgement or excision what to them happened being to others for example and likewise to that great day of discrimination the day of the general judgement yea likewise to the day of death as for what concerns particular men but still those whom the words seem properly to concern as here spoken to and of are the Nation of the Jews then in being in their own Country a Nation separate from others and bearing then the name of the Lords People In that day when the Lord shall do such things he will shew by making a manifest difference who are his and who are not his his shall be separated from the rest as his own peculiar from such as he will not own nor regard and when he executeth judgement in fury on others he will spare them and keep them that those evils which destroy the wicked shall not touch them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him These words are a farther declaration of Gods exceeding great favor and compassion to those whom he would own and look on as his peculiar in terms of greatest elegance and height of expression The compassionate affection of a Father is great to any child though he be unprofitable to him yea hurtful to him how much more when he is profitable to him and honoreth him so notes R. Tanchum and to the same purpose Kimchi and other Expositors also There is another thing also here by some taken notice of in the expression which may well be added as making for the amplification of Gods goodness and the consolation of those that fear and honor him viz. that he saith he will spare them which imports that though there be found in them defects and they have done and spoken things that they ought not and which in rigor of Justice might deserve punishment yet as long as their hearts are right with him and they sincerely honour and obey him and have reverent thoughts of him he will forgive their transgressions and in great mercy save them when he will shew no mercy to the wicked but according to their deserts in severity deal with them 18 Then shall ye return and discern between the righteous and the wicked between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not Then shall ye return and discern between c. Then when that day shall come such an alteration of things shall there be that though you now think all things go alike to all or rather for the worse to those that most serve God yet then you shall change your minds and discern that God did alwaies observe the actions of men and put a difference between the righteous and the wicked those that served him and those that served him not though till now he did not make it so apparent to men of corrupt judgements Some difference here is betwixt Interpreters in rendring and expounding these words some following a reading that is in some Copies of the Vulgar Latin viz. convertimini and be converted or return give us to take it as an exhortation to
these wicked ones who spake blasphemously of Gods Justice to return and repent and then they should discern that distinction between the righteous and the wicked which they would not now perceive And with this reading the Tigurin Version also agrees so it will sound now therefore return c. to which will be reduced also that Exposition of Pelican If ye shall repent ye shall discern Others following another reading which some observe to be more correct and indeed comes closer to the Letter in the Original though that admit of both viz. convertemini and ye shall return or be converted understand it of the late and bootless repentance of those blasphemers or a conversion which they shall be forced to by what they shall then nill they will they necessarily discern and acknowledge of the different condition of those that serve God and those that serve him not With this rendring agree ours and they also who render then being converted or returning you shall discern A late very learned man would have it rendred and ye shall again see that the meaning may be Heretofore when I blessed my Church with prosperity then did appear a manifest difference betwixt the righteous and the unrighteous now because my whole Church is under affliction you deny that difference but I will make or bring againe a day wherein ye shall again perceive that difference Now all these look on the words as directed to the wicked who thought it vain to serve God as if he took no notice of what was done by men spoken to vers 13 14 15. There are who think they may be taken as directed to those that feared the Lord next before spoken of as if the meaning were that such a change of things should be that though now they could not perceive any difference betwixt themselves and the wicked yet then looking on what was come to pass they should evidently discern it and perceive Gods especial care over them and that so here is a change of the person which is not unfrequent in the Scriptures for whereas before they were spoken of in the third person they are here spoken to in the second But without nicer enquiry into the persons spoken to and the nature of the conversion or returning here mentioned of whom or whether true or false it may suffice as to the meaning to take the scope of the words to be as at first we intimated That such a conversion turning or change shall then in that day be in the face of things that all both the godly and the ungodly looking thereon shall necessarily see that there is no place for doubting of Gods Justice in his ordering of things for the punishment of the wicked and preservation of the righteous and that he alwaies doth put a distinction between them though to men judging by the present outward appearance of things it is not alwaies so apparent It shall be made beyond all doubt apparent in that day By this saith Vatablus he points out the future Resurrection and so think others as well Christians as Jews as expresly Abarbinel who therefore interprets this returning of the souls of men returning to their bodies at that day which the thing in it self is true as to a general distinction between all the righteous and all the wicked that ever were or shall be in this World At the resurrection of the dead and the general Judgement there shall be an apparent difference made between them and the one separated from the other though before in this World mingled one with another as when a Shepheard divideth his Sheep from the Goats Mat. XXV 32 and we willingly grant that the words point at that day so as to put us in mind of it and warn us to think thereon But we do not look on that as the primary and proper scope of this Prophecy but that it describes to us in the first place and as its main intent that national judgement which God threatned to the Jews and accordingly executed on them in this World shortly after the first coming of Christ or at his coming that word including all that time from his first preaching to the destruction of Jerusalem That was the day in which the distinction here spoken of was to be made and accordingly was signally made as hath been already said and will be in looking into the next Chapter wherein is both the certainty of the coming of that day and the nature or manner of it more fully declared and described in Prophetical expressions in finding the true meaning of which as well as of the present words as to the words and signification of them we may still make use of the Jewish Expositors but not as to the sense and intent For that day to be meant which we say agreeably to the words and history of the times also is meant they must by no means grant That those things belong to the time yet to come and are to be fulfilled either at a restauration of Israel and subduing their enemies at the coming of their fancied Messias which with much earnestness they long for or at the day of Judgement or to particulars at the day of death they will tell us but that they were fulfilled as manifestly they were at that long since past destruction of their Nation and holy City and Temple they must obstinatly deny or else they must grant and acknowledge as we do that Christ is already come in opposing and denying which the whole of their Religion now consists This therefore in their expounding this Prophecy are they silent of as if no such thing had been This here spoken saith Aben Ezra was spoken to the men of that generation because this is the end of all the Prophecies So say we too for after Malachi was no other Prophet sent to the Jews till John Baptist Christs forerunner and what is said therefore concerned them the People of the Jews then being and all their posterity till that time that this Prophecy was fulfilled as by succession still one People to warn them by repentance to prevent the judgement threatned and declared for that end to them by the great mercy and long suffering of God not willing that any should perish but all should come to repentance But seeing the generality of them would not be brought to repentance nor know the things belonging to their peace in that their day as Christ complains of them Luc. XIX 42 44. the judgment was so as here described then in Gods appointed time executed and such a distinction and discrimination as is here spoken of visibly to all the World made in the preservation of such among that People who feared God and beleived in Christ and the destruction of his enemies CHAP. IV. VERS 1. For behold the day cometh that shall burn as an oven and all the proud yea and all that do wickedly shall be stubble
expressed and beyond which nothing but the inexpressible terror of the conflagration of the whole World at the last day of which therefore it is as we have said usually interpreted can be imagined and nearer to which no terrible judgement in the World ever on any People executed came or can well come then this here spoken of While he saith that the day shall burn as an oven what doth it less then represent the condition of those whom the judgement spoken of shall then seize to be as if they were surrounded with fire without possibility of avoiding the fury and dire effects thereof then which nothing we know is to men more terrible as if the heavens were on fire over their heads and made an hideous noise and the Elements melted with fervent heat about them and the Earth and all the works therein were burning that we may take in and so compare with these those not unlike expressions in II Pet. III. 10 12. by which usually the terror of the day of the last general Judgement is thought to be described but in the opinion of the learned Doctor Hammond this that is here spoken of viz. that of the judgement threatn'd to the obstinate Jewish Nation The words as there so here also are such as no figurative or hyperbolical expressions that can be possibly used for setting forth a most dreadful judgement can surpass yet so great was the judgement according to this prediction executed on them as that we may look on them not as a figurative but real description of what should be What could be said less to express the face of things when their stately City and magnificent Temple were all at once on fire and none could quench it may it not well be said that the day there then burnt like an oven and in words appositely here appliable though spoken to another sense Isa. XXXI 9 that Gods fire was then in Zion and his furnace in Jerusalem To shew how in that day that day of punishment as an ancient Arabick Translator not unfitly for expressing the sense renders it that which he before said concerning a certain discrimination to be made between the righteous and the wicked should be made evident he describes in the following words the effects of it and first as concerning the wicked saying and all the proud yea and all that do wickedly all those that obstinately went on in wicked courses and contemned God and his Laws shall be stubble and the day that cometh shall burn them up saith the Lord of Hosts c. Where is now then any occasion to say as they did c. III. 15 we call the proud happy yea they that work wickedness are set up yea they that tempt God are delivered what shall now become of their happiness and of their glory when they shall be but as stubble before the fire which shall without delay or resistance be certainly consumed where is now that deliverance that they talked of how shall they deliver themselves who shall deliver them no escape shall there be found for them such utter destruction shall that day that cometh in that dreadful manner bring on them as if they were clear burnt up so that it shall leave them neither root nor branch which is apparently contrary to that being set up or built c. III. 15 This also is a proverbial speech to express utter destruction by a similitude taken from a tree destroyed not only by having its boughs and branches cut off but its roots also plucked up The Chalde Paraphrast renders it shall not leave them son nor nephew because saith Kimchi explaining it the first son is as the root and his son is as the branch but we may rather say it shall leave neither them nor their posterity the Father being the root the sons and posterity branches from him That interpretation of the Chalde being by most of the Jewish Expositors followed Abarbinel not seeing how that may be so conveniently applied to the punishment of the wicked at the Resurrection finds out another explication which he thinks more convenient viz. That what is said is concerning the good works of wicked men for which because in this World they receive their reward God will not there leave to them any root or branch of any commandment by them performed or any good work for which they may receive reward in the day of Judgement according to a saying of their Rabbins That he the most of whose works are evil and the least part good he is rewarded for his small righteousness in this World that he may be wholy punished in the World to come This he gives as his own opinion though a very far fetched one not knowing how to adapt otherwise the words of the Text to that punishment of the day of Judgement which he here thinks to be the day spoken of Other opinions he mentions also as of some that by branch is understood the infants of wicked men as if they should not be admitted into the World to come and otherwise that by root is understood the soul and by branch the body with the like neither root in this World nor branch in the World to come Among Christian Expositors also they who expound the Text concerning the day of Judgement are at some difference in applying the expression to the matter or thing signified but to them who go the way that we have chosen of expounding the Text concerning the day of the destruction of the Jews and their City by the Romans there is no difficulty but the proverbial speech may be interpreted as nigh to the letter as may be to denote Fathers and Children the wicked and their posterity Well may that day be said to have burnt them up and consumed them so as to leave them neither root nor branch when at that time Histories testify that in the Siege and taking of the City there perished of them by fire famine and sword no less then eleven hundred thousand to which if we add those vast multitudes and many thousands of others which were immediatly and within the space of few years after by the same enemies destroyed which all we may account as consumed by the time which is called that day having the authority of a Jew Kimchi himself so far to extend the notion of that day and reckon all for one continued day of destruction while he saith although it be said that the day shall burn them up yet their destruction shall not be all in one day but they shall go on in perishing and in a short time be consumed add I say those great multitudes to the former if there be need and what less can be said to express the greatness of the desolation and destruction then that they were cut off root and branch so far that it is no small wonder that there should be any remainder of them These things are manifest out of the Histories of those times especially
out of Josephus's History of the Jewish War in the sixth Book according to the Greek division the seventh according to the Latin and Eusebius lib. 3. c. 5. as to the main and first part concerning the destruction of the City and those multitudes that were then there gathered together and perished and as to the gleanings of that day as we may call the following destructions of the Jews out of such other Historians as relate the great variety of miseries and calamities which one on the back of another befell them by their pride as it is here called and obstinate behaviour towards the Lord pulled on them If any have not opportunity of consulting those Histories he may without farther trouble find enough collected out of them by D r Hammond in his Annotations on the New Testament in which he applies several things which by reason of the dreadfull expressions in which they are set down or denounced are usually by Interpreters applied to the last general Judgement and destruction of the whole World particularly to this day of Jerusalem which we look on as here meant to shew that if what is here said in the highest language that a scene of horror may be represented by be applied to what was then really done there will be found no great hyperbole or figurative exceeding in it but rather a plain draught or description before hand according to which things were afterward acted By what hath been said appears what little reason there was to account the proud happy and those that work wickedness set up and that God delighted in them because at that time they were suffered to prosper but whether there were any profit in serving God and keeping his Ordinances and what should be done for them by which any might discern betwixt the righteous and the wicked that part of the question remains yet unanswered for if they perish with the wicked be involved in one common judgement with them what is their case yet better then theirs To this therefore a full answer follows in the next words 2 ¶ But unto you that fear my Name shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings and ye shall go forth and grow up as calves of the stall But unto you that fear my Name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings c. In these words is safety and happiness assured to the righteous in the day that the wicked shall be miserably destroyed so that there shall be a manifest discrimination between them What S. Peter saith The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation and to reserve the unjust unto the day of Judgement to be punished II Pet. II. 9 which he infers from two examples before given viz. his saving Noah when he brought in the Floud upon the World of the ungodly And his delivering just Lot when he turned the Cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes and brought them to utter destruction by fire from Heaven ver 5 6 7. is here manifestly asserted in that the same day which shall come as a burning oven to the proud wicked ones to burn them up and destroy them shall be to those that fear the Name of the Lord as a glorious day wherein the benigne Sun shall arise with his best influences of comfort to them to cherish and refresh their drooping spirits It is well known that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tsedakah here rendred righteousness is used to signify both justice or righteousness and also benignity or mercy and both significations will to this place well agree for that Salvation and comfort then to be reached forth to the righteous is a demonstration both of justice and mercy by it shall be declared the righteousness of God whose justice those wicked ones questioned saying where is the God of Judgement c. II. 17 in that he now rewardeth them for their obedience when he punisheth those that would not obey and by it also his mercy in sparing them though perhaps having many defects in them in that day of Judgment as a man spareth his own son that serveth him as he promiseth c. III. 17 And this would be a clear sense if we should no farther press the letter of the words then so by way of similitude to denote that the same time which should be to the wicked a day of utter destruction consuming them as fire should be by the justice and mercy of God to the godly as a fair day wherein the Sun doth kindly arise and benignly and largely impart his light as Drusius explains the expression for the comfort of men and other creatures a gracious and comfortable day a day of saving health to them so Kimchi not unaptly notes that the words import that they should be delivered from all evil and rejoyce with a good or glad heart But Interpreters think it not enough to stop here but farther enquire who is meant by this Sun and Christians generally agree that Christ who is Luke I. 78 called the day-spring or rising Sun is by this title meant and this day here spoken of being the day of his coming as it is c. III. 2 called he being entitled a Sun his coming in it may be well called his rising Why Christ may be so called many reasons may be and are brought by Interpreters But among them to our purpose in this place and according to our understanding of the time here spoken of the most agreeable will be because as by the Suns rising those things which before were covered in darkness are discovered and made apparent so by his coming in this manner both Gods justice and his mercy to them that feared his Name which before was not so discernible while he suffered them to be mixed with the wicked yea insulted over by them as if he did not own them more then others nor take any peculiar care of them so that they sate as it were in the shadow of death should now be made conspicuous to all in his freeing them from their oppressions delivering them from those judgements by which the wicked were destroyed and signally rewarding them for their obedience so that they that sate before in darkness now should see a great light and joyfully walk in it Such a difference should be in their condition from what it was before as that it might well be said The Sun of righteousness of justice and mercy was risen to them and that with healing in his wings i. e. his comfortable raies or beams as all agree by wings here to be meant The ordinary Sun kindly arising in the morning may at any time be said to bring healing in his wings to diffuse and communicate health by his raies both to men and other creatures which after his setting and in his absence all the night seem to droop languish to be sick and out of order and those that are so otherwise in that while to be more so Whence the
Jews have a proverbial speech which may serve something to illustrate this expression The Sun ariseth the infirmity decreaseth that is As the Sun riseth so infirmities decrease Much more of this Sun might it be said that he did at his arising to those that feared the Lord bring healing with him in his wings to them in that day of distress worse then the darkest night the shadow of death it self which without his arising to them would necessarily have swallowed up them too in destruction and could not but by the apprehension of it make them as even sick at heart according to what he said c. III. 2 who may abide the day of his coming So terrible should it be that all mens hearts should fail for fear in contemplation of those things that should come on them yet even then in regard of his solitary effects that his coming should have toward them that feared his Name he bid them when these things these terrible things should begin to come to pass to look up and lift up their heads for that their redemption then drew nigh their deliverance from the persecutions by the unbeleiving Jews which they had endured and from the dangers which threatned them as except by his extraordinary Providence inevitable and his making that which was for the destruction of his enemies occasion of comfort and prosperity to them may well be termed healing But we may not confine it only to the rescue of their persons and preservation of their bodies nor the outward joy that they should find from that but look on the inward spiritual comfort and the healing of their broken hearts and fainting spirits in preserving them from failing by fear and despair as a greater part of it and therefore not unfitly doth Grotius interpret this arising of the Sun of righteousness with healing in his wings of the Collation of the holy Spirit which Christ should send to his to shine in their hearts and bring perfect health to their minds that spirit of comfort the only true comforter In regard of both these viz. both his rescuing and delivering those that feared his Name and protecting and delivering them from their outward fears and dangers and persecutions and his inward illumination and comforting of them by his good Spirit shewing himself in all waies a Sun and shield to them was this Prophecy that he should arise to them with healing in his wings evidently and abundantly made good to them in that day And certainly in all respects doth that title of the Sun of righteousness agree to Christ the fountain of true heavenly light who enlightneth every man coming into the World Joh. I. 9 and whom God hath set forth to declare his righteousness Rom. III. 25 26. and the Author of all true comfort who giveth to his such joy as shall swallow up all worldly sorrow Joh. XVI 20 such joy as no man can take from them v. 22. and never leaveth his comfortless Joh. XIV 18 but sendeth to them from the Father the comforter the Spirit of truth Joh. XV. 26 to abide with them for ever and to dwell in them and to be in them Joh. XIV 16 17. and in the same regard likewise may he be said to arise or come with healing in his wings to them as in all other waies also diffusing health in all kinds When he was here on Earth great multitudes from all parts flocked to him to be healed of their diseases and they that were vexed with unclean spirits and they were healed And the whole multitude sought to touch him for â—here went vertue out of him and healed them all Luke VI. 17 18 19. And the woman w ch had been twelve years diseased with an issue of blood did not doubt but to find the effects of that vertue who therefore coming behind him touched the hemme of his garment for she said within her self If I may but touch his garment I shall be whole Mat. IX 20 21. and she did accordingly find it for straight-way she was healed of that plague And Jesus perceived though he saw not the woman that vertue had gone out of him and she before all acknowledged it Mar. V. 28 29 30. c. and Luk. VIII 44 c. on which passage in Mat. IX Grotius notes that it may well be looked on as having reference to at least good correspondence with this place The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bicnapheiha rendred in his wings being capable of being rendred in fimbriis in the hemmes or borders of his garment as he observes it to be elsewhere rendred and it may be not unworthy of consideration But withall that healing vertue in him shewed it self not more in the healing bodily distempers then the worse maladies of the Soul as appears in his words when he cured some bodily diseases in saying not Be well or healed arise and walk but thy sins be forgiven thee Mat. IX 2 5. that they might know that he had power to forgive sins v. 6. and was no less a Physitian of sick distressed souls then of diseased bodies In all regards then as we said doth the title of the Sun of righteousness arising with healing in his wings well agree to Christ our Saviour and all things that those words can give us to expect from him that is so described have been and are by him abundantly made good â—o have those that faithfully believe in him and rely on him alwaies found and shall find But as to this present place the words seem limited to those benefits of outward preservation and inward comfort which those that feared the Lord were in that day of discrimination which the Lord saith he would make to expect according to his promise here made and did accordingly find with what more he adds in the following words for expressing his goodness to them But before we proceed to them we may here take notice of a strange conceit of the Jews which they here bring for explication of what is here said concerning that day that shall burn as an oven and devour the wicked and that Sun of righteousness which shall arise to them that fear the Name of the Lord and how the discrimination shall be made between them The Sun they tell us is now inclosed in a case or sheath besides that God out of a Pool before him deads his force with water that so he may not burn up the World but at the day of Judgement he shall be unsheathed and so coming forth in his full strength shall as he now doth in melting some things and hardning others shew contrary effects according to the difference of the subjects that he hath to work on and so burn up the wicked as stubble but heal the godly of all those bodily defects and imperfections with which they shall then arise This is the 〈◊〉 of what they say as improved to its best meaning by Abarbinel But what tolerable meaning it may have
require or they also who take this day to include all the time between Christs coming in the flesh till his last coming at the day of Judgement Yet the learned Grotius thinks that the words literally and as without any thing of figure in them understood may be looked on as made good at that time inasmuch as after the destruction of Jerusalem wherein so many were consumed by fire such of the Christians as did after come thither did really tread on their ashes And so some of the ancient Jews who understood this day of the last day of Judgement have found out a device to tell us how this shall then also be literally made good viz. in that the bodies of the wicked ordinary sinners at least after they have been tormented in Hell flames for twelve months shall then be consumed to ashes and the wind shall scatter them under the soles of the feet of the righteous according to what is here said A pretty invention for such as will believe it on their authority But I do not see that the soberer among them do otherwise they would probably have made more use of it in their Expositions of this place Abarbinel indeed makes mention of it but tells us that the simple meaning in these words is to shew That if we see the way of the wicked to prosper and the righteous to go mournfully behold that is it which happeneth in this dark World but when the Lord of Hosts shall arise a Sun and shield in his divine day and shall judge all living he shall give to every one according to his waies and according to the fruit of his doings Neither R. Salomo nor Aben Ezra nor David Kimchi mention it at all the last of these thus expounding the words He saith that now the wicked bear rule over you but in that time ye shall trample them under the soles of your feet What he saith ashes is a proverbial or comparative expression because he had before said that the day that should come should burn them up It appears then that he did not think that ashes here ought literally to be meant but to denote the vileness and contemptibleness of their condition Neither find we any mention of it in R. Tanchum who though he differ from what we follow in that he looks on the things spoken as not yet fulfilled but to come yet affords us words which we may well make use of in our way which though he put at the end of the Chapter yet may here conveniently be put as having respect to what hath been said already more then to what follows and they thus sound Consider saith he the great wisdome in the expression of the Prophetical revelation however it be to be understood that whereas there is for the righteous a reward in this World and in the World to come and for the wicked on the contrary punishment in this World and in the World to come these passages of Scripture are fitted to both intentions at once according to an outward or literal sense and an inward meaning As to the outward meaning it expresseth what shall be in the daies of Messiah to wit that punishment shall then encompass the wicked and they shall be consumed together and be burnt up as he saith Behold the day cometh burning as an oven but as for the righteous of Israel the light of divine Providence shall arise upon them and they shall be healed by the manifestation of truths from that grief which they sustained by reason of their being hidden from them and that is it which he saith And there shall arise to you that fear my Name the Sun of righteousness and healing in his wings c. But as to the inward meaning it signifies as to those that feared the Lord and thought on his Name viz. which sincerely did so after their knowledge of him and walking in his waies that there should be to them an everlasting duration in his presence which is that writing down of their righteousness in a book of remembrance before him and they should be a peculiar to him among mankind which is what he saith And they shall be to me saith the Lord of Hosts in the day which I shall make or when I shall do this a peculiar c. But as for the wicked to them shall the day come burning as an oven which is the punishment of the World to come accordingly as our wise men have declared as likewise what is said and the day that cometh shall burn them up And by day he expresseth both happiness and misery for two different meanings or reasons 1. happiness in regard of the light which is found in the day after the darkness of the night like that clearness of apprehension that shall accrue to the perfected soul after its separation from grose matter i. e. the matter of the body then misery by reason of extreme heat that is found in the day proportionable to the grievousness of that condition and the extremity of the pain thereof as he likewise compares it to fire saying burning like an oven And because the wicked shall be burnt with that fire whereas the degree of the righteous shall be exalted he compareth them also to ashes under their feet saying and ye shall tread down the wicked for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet and he explains his comparing happiness to light in what he saith And there shall arise to you that fear my Name the Sun of righteousness c. And that is an intellectual light which shall accrue by the right disposition of the Soul and the rectification of the deeds by the clearness of the shining of which the Soul shall find rest and be healed from the pains of the distraction of the senses and their disturbance or strugling or contrary motions that is it which he saith with healing in his wings And to like purpose saith Isaiah c. LVIII 8 Then shall thy light break forth as the morning and thy health shall spring forth speedily and thy righteousness shall go before thee the glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward We beg of the Lord therefore that he will assist us for attaining to those inward or hidden promises by hastning the outward or visible ones that our knowledge and worship of him may be sincere and that may occasion to us an encrease of appropinquation to his Majesty or bring us nearer to him and that may be made good to us which he saith Isaiah XXXV 3 4. strengthen ye the weak hands and confirm the feeble knees say to them that are of a fearfull heart Be strong fear not behold your God will come with vengeance c. These are his words which if opportunity serve we shall at the end of these Notes set down in his own language I thought convenient to give them at length though perhaps not all to our present purpose because though he be out in the
hearken they should inevitably pull on themselves destruction 4 ¶ Remember ye the law of Moses my servant which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel with the statutes and judgements Remember ye the Law of Moses my servant c. Aben Ezra's Gloss on these words is not amiss Remember the Law of Moses c. i. e. saith he keep or observe it for it will teach you the way of the fear of the Lord and so when the mentioned day shall come ye shall be delivered But the other Jews go wider as by considering their words we shall perceive Abarbinel thus gives the coherence of these words with the former Forasmuch as the worship or service of God which should bring them to that last true reward at the Resurrection was the worship according to the Law and Commandments and that great rebellion which should bring to that punishment which he mentions is the omission or rejection of the Law therefore he subjoyns to this which he hath said Remember the Law of Moses my servant to declare to them that by means of that they should attain to the reward and true prosperity That in which he errs in this Exposition is in that he refers what is here spoken to the day of the Resurrection which belongs to that day of Jerusalems Visitation the evil of which that they might prevent or in it find deliverance he commends to them the remembrance and observance in the mean while of the Law of Moses as a faithful rule seeing they should after this have no more Prophets to direct them till his sending to them Elias at the approach of that day Much in like kind errs R. Tanchum viz. in mis-timing the things spoken of saying That this was given as a Precept to those of the Captivity he commanding it to Israel by the hand of this Prophet because after him Prophecy should cease from among them by reason of the obscurity of the Captivity and the meaning saith he is that he that would attain to the happiness spoken of and deliverance from punishment ought necessarily to obey the commands of the Law continued or delivered down among them In which Exposition he passeth over the time to which properly belonged what is spoken viz. that between this Prophecy and the coming of the Eliah here meant wherein Prophecy as he observes should and did cease among them and so the coming of that day of Judgement and discrimination to fasten it on times w ch did not begin till after the completion of this Prophecy according to its proper and primary meaning viz. since the destruction of Jerusalem David Kimchi is not content to run on in the like error but strives to justify it by accusing Christians of error in misinterpreting the words his Exposition runs thus He saith untill the day of Judgement come remember ye in every generation the Law of Moses my Servant to do all or according to all that is written in it Which I commanded unto him in Horeb i. e. as I commanded him in Horeb not according to the words of the Christians which say that it was given for a time according to the literal sense but an Interpreter Jesus came and interpreted it spiritually this Text is an answer to them His meaning seems this That here is a command that till the last day of Judgement they should precisely keep the Law of Moses according to all that was written in it and according to the letter of what was written just as it was given to him and from him to them and that therefore the words refute the Christians who say that the Law was to endure but for a time according to the literal meaning of it but that the literall meaning was to yeild to a spiritual meaning according to which Christ interpreted it But we say that this man frames an argument on false grounds and that the text makes not against us as he would have it and hath in it an answer to and refutation of them not of us who embrace them both according to the letter from which he departs and the true meaning of them which he perverts First in that he saith that here is a command that they should remember the Law of Moses in every generation untill the day of the last Judgement If he mean as manifestly he doth the day of the last Judgement it is manifest that what is spoken hath not primarily respect to that but to that day of Gods National Judgement to be executed on the Jews continuing in obstinate rebellion against him that was the day of the Lord in this Chapter of this Prophecy and the foregoing properly spoken of as we have shewed though so described as to represent to us and necessarily to put us in mind of the last general Judgement too Besides the words are indefinitly spoken without referring to any set time if we will enquire till what time they may seem to bind that will most conveniently be answered to from the next following words viz. till he send Eliah the Prophet before the coming of the day of the Lord warning that till his coming they should look to the Law of Moses as their Director So that hence is no evident ground from which to conclude the perpetuity of the Law against such as should deny it That it should last in force till that day is as much as can from these words be concluded and that which our Saviour saith The Law and the Prophets were untill John since that time the Kingdome of God is preached Luke XVI 16 Farther in that he saith according to all that is written in it and as I commanded him in Horeb meaning that every thing in the Law was just as it is written in it and every thing punctually in that manner and according to the letter as it was commanded is his gloss whereas in the Text it is only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which I commanded and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as which though in it self it may seem to make no great difference yet according to his meaning it manifestly doth according to what he adds not according to what the Christians say that it i. e. the Law was given for a time only to be observed according to the letter as it sounds but that Jesus came and interpreted it spiritually and so hereafter it were to be observed or understood according to that spiritual and not its literal meaning For answer to all this we might bid him only to clear himself by answering to what is said Jer. XXXI 31 32. Behold the daies come saith the Lord that I will make a new Covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah not according to the Covenant which I made with their Fathers c. whence we may conclude with the Apostle Heb. VIII 8 that in that he saith a new Covenant it is manifest that the first was to be made old that the new might take place
But to deal more distinctly with him in that he finds fault with the words of the Christians let him take from Christ himself what they say think not that I am come to destroy the Law and the Prophets I am not come to destroy but to fulfill For verily I say unto you till Heaven and Earth pass one jot or one title shall in no wise pass from the Law till all be fulfilled Mat. V. 17 18. What is here spoken any way derogatoty to the Law of Moses is not here the perpetuity of the Law as plainly asserted as the Rabbin himself could assert it but then his gloss 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all just as it is written is not to be admitted as if every thing were still so to be observed as at first it was and just as it was given to Moses as if all things in it were of like moment and equally essential for in it were diverse things which were to be fulfilled and being fulfilled could require no farther observance such were those ceremonious parts of it which were types and shadows and could not but by the coming of the substance which was Christ have an end put to them and necessarily be done away not by being mean while violated but completed The other more substantial parts viz. the moral precepts are so far from being abrogated by him as that being purged from all those corrupt glosses and Traditions of the Jews by which they were almost made void and of none effect they have not only their true meaning and extent given them but are backt and confirmed anew by his authority and commended to the perpetual observance of all his followers And for what he looks on as a fault to be objected that we affirm that Christ interpreted the Law spiritually as if it were no more literally to be understood I know not what he would make to be the force of his objection but to conclude against themselves that they are carnal and so would not have any thing of the Law so understood as to cross their carnal minds or to require any more then the carnal performances of the outward man which to think appears to have been from of old their error and such as they are willing still to continue in For the Law is spiritual Rom. VII 14 and alwaies so was that which made it not to be so understood and not to have answerable effects was the carnality of men not the fault of the Law If Christ vindicated it from the wrong by them done to it by their gross and false understandings and require the obedience of the inward as well as outward man shall that be accounted an injury to it or a destroying of it if he mean that we say that the former types and shadows directed to more then was by them outwardly performed and that what was by them really meant was by and in him completed and fulfilled in a more excellent manner when he appeared to put away sin by the Sacrifice of Himself and so to make all other Sacrifices useless and by the sprinkling of his Blood to put an end to such other carnal ordinances as were imposed on them till the time of reformation only if I say by what he calls interpreting the law spiritually he means any of these things he speaks of that which was a restoring the Law to its true meaning and a perfecting not a violating of it so that in these words is no answer as he tells us it is against any thing that Christians say but they shew of him and those of his Religion that they themselves do not duly remember the Law of Moses which God commanded by him nor consider or understand aright what that commanded them If they would duly look into it and apply the Prophecies thereof to what they concerned and the types thereof to what was signified by them they could not but perceive that by them they were directed to Christ and belief in him against whom they now urge them This were sufficient for answer to him even the bare setting down the words of Christ and his Apostles which shew that they taught nothing derogatory to the Law of Moses or by which they might be thought to violate any command given either here or elsewhere for due observance of it if there were here any occasion given to him of cavilling in that kind against them but we look on this which by occasion of his objection we have hitherto said as a mere digression there being however he hath sought occasion no occasion as we have already intimated by the words rightly understood given to him as will appear by the scope of them duly considered which we may in brief thus summe up The Lord having by this Prophet reprooved the Jews for many sins both by the Priests and People committed wherein they shewed great contempt or neglect of the Law by Moses given unto them for which he delayed yet to punish them or did but lightly punish them giving them time to repent and for that they for the generality or most of them took thence occasion rather to applaud themselves in their wicked courses then to repent of them and to speak stout words against him as if he delighted in sinners and their waies and were not a God of Judgement nor had respect to them that served him and therefore it were in vain to serve him and having told them that he would in due time make it manifest that he took all the while due notice of what they wickedly did and said and would for that end send both his Messenger to prepare the way before him and the Lord the Messenger of the Covenant who should bring all their doings to an exact trial and so he would come near to them in Judgement and bring on them such a day of discrimination betwixt the righteous and the wicked wherein the wicked among them should be utterly destroyed and the godly who hitherto seemed to be neglected find Salvation and deliverance and to move them therefore to repentance having described the terror of that day doth here as it were warn them that if this would not move them they should not as they had hitherto had have any more Prophets to call on them but be left only to that Law which they had hitherto so much neglected for their Director which was indeed a sufficient Director to them and had they duly hearkned to it as they ought they had not hitherto had such need of other Prophets to call upon them and mind them of their duty But now seeing he hath resolved to send them no more in that kind till he send his Messenger whom he calls Eliah to prepare the way before him at the approach of that great day of discrimination which he hath threatned he urgeth on them a due remembrance of that Law and serious heed and observance of all commanded in it as the only way whereby to prepare them for
hath been spoken on Chap. III. 1 That which is added in this verse concerns the time of his coming viz. that he should be sent before the coming of the great and dreadfull day of the Lord. That day is the same which is spoken of chap. III. 2 called there the day of his coming and his appearing and vers 17. the day which the Lord shall make or according to our Translation the day wherein he shall make up his jewels and in this Chapter ver I. the day which shall come burning as an oven and shall burn up the wicked as stubble but wherein to those that fear the name of the Lord the Sun of righteousness shall arise with healing in his wings and again ver III. the day which the Lord should make or wherein he should do what he had spoken so signal a day as that it may above others be called the day of the Lord as shewing more of his power and presence then ordinary daies though all his And that day we look upon as we have before shewed to be that day or time which should end in the dreadful destruction of Jerusalem so comprehending under it as we have said on ch III. 2 all the time from Christs first beginning to preach to the Jews to that destruction of them and their City And all this may be called the day of his first coming to distinguish it from that which is usually called his second coming viz. his coming at the last day to judge all the World Otherwise if we will more nicely distinguish and confine the day of his first coming to his birth and the second to his coming at the day of doom to judge the World this will be to be accounted a middle day or coming between those two as the learned D r Hammond calls it on Mat. XXIV ver 3. and Luke IX 31 for vengeance on his enemies and deliverance of his Servants But it may seem convenient to comprehend as we said all that time from his first manifestation till his executing that fearfull National Judgement on the Jews under one notion of his first coming For though that which makes these titles of great and dreadfull is most signally appliable to that day of vengeance yet all along in his preaching and foretelling and threatning them with that doom as certain to come if they continued obstinate and would not repent as if it were already present is that which may deservedly denominate this whole time a great and dreadful day to them John the Baptists words wherein he describes it and forewarns of it found no less as Mat. III. 2 where he begins his preaching with Repent ye for the Kingdom of God is at hand and ver 7. O generation of Vipers who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come and ver 10. Now the axe is laid to the root of the trees therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewen down and cast into the fire and ver 12. where he tells them of Christs coming with his fan in hand The day or time thus described is a day of terror and that so described is the day of Christs first coming then already begun Our Saviours own preaching and behaviour while he was on Earth was likewise very troublesome to the unbelieving Priests Scribes and Pharisees their quiet by both he disturbes by continual minding them of and sharply reproving them for their sins and hypocrisy and denouncing to them many sad woes for them with severest threats ye Serpents ye generation of Vipers how can ye escape the damnation of Hell Matt. XXIII 33 and telling them Behold your house is left unto you desolate ver 38. i. e. the desolation of your Temple City and Nation is irreversibly at hand as certainly shall it be as if it were already done Againe when of that stately admired frame of their Temple w ch his Disciples shewed him as a thing to be wondred at he saith Verily I say unto you there shall not be left one stone upon another which shall not be thrown down Matt. XXIV 2 and likewise that the daies should come upon Jerusalem that her enemies should cast a trench about her and compass her round and keep her in on every side and should lay her even with the ground and her children within her and should not leave in heâ— one stone upon another because she knew not the day of her visitation i. e. because she would not repent upon all his calls Luke XIX 43 44. and that generation he saith should not pass till all these things were fulfilled Mat. XXIV 34 and Luke XXI 32 within the the life time of some that there were then alive all that he said should be certainly fulfilled That time in which these and like dreadfull things were spoken by him who spake as one having authority as the People acknowledged Mat. VII 29 the Lord himself then on Earth whose words were as things done may well be called a great and dreadfull day of the Lord at least an awfull day or day to be feared as some would have it rather rendred how much more when we shall look on it as concluded before that generation was passed away within a matter of 40. years with the fearfull and total destruction of Jerusalem so that comprehending all that time both of Christs being on Earth come in the flesh wherein he threatned such destruction to the Jews and of his coming in that short space after his leaving the Earth to execute what he had threatned under the name of his first coming we say that by the day here called the great and dreadfull day of the Lord that is meant If any shall so distinguish the parts of this time as to call the time of his being on Earth the day of his first coming and the destruction of Jerusalem a distinct coming from it that which we say is that by the great and dreadfull day here meant seems chiefly to be understood that of Jerusalems destruction though we think it better to joyn both these together under the notion of one day as we have said and that which we would evince is that it is not literally and primarily meant of the day of the last Judgement as divers would have it especially they who will have by Elias to be meant Elias in person the one opinion depends much on the other A chief argument of such of them as are Christians seems that taken from the Epithet it self given to this day because it is called a dreadfull day which they say is proper to the day of the last Judgement whereas the day of his first coming is not so called but an acceptable time and day of Salvation But sure by what hath been already said it appears that the day of his first coming taken as reaching to the destruction of Jerusalem as we do take it may well so be called and was indeed so To the same purpose
and so likewise to have that notion in the title of Antiochus Epiphanes who he thinks was not called so much illustrious as terrible But this neither makes much for or against our purpose in giving the meaning To the day spoken of may well agree either of those Epithetes it was terrible and dreadfull and therefore notable and perhaps there was anciently that communication of significations between those roots in the Hebrew as to justify both 6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children and the heart of the children to their fathers lest I come and smite the earth with a curse And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children and the heart of the children to their fathers c. As in the former verse we had him whom God in mercy would send to them for preventing their utter destruction described by his title of Eliah the Prophet and by the time of his coming before the coming of the great and dreadfull day of the Lord so in this we have him described by his office viz. that he should turn the hearts of the father◠to the children and the heart of the children to their fathers to which are added the good effects which should be produced by his performance of that office viz. the preventing of Gods coming and smiting the Earth with a curse These words are referred to by the Angel Luke I. 16 17. with a farther explication of them and applyed to John the Baptist thus and many of the children of Israel shall he turn unto the Lord their God and he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just to make ready a People prepared for the Lord. That these words are there referred to is manifest and the person spoken of so expresly declared to be John the Baptist called therefore Eliah because he should come in the spirit and power of Elias that there can be no reason why that should be doubted or disputed of among Christians or Elias in person or any other by that name called should be expected by vertue of them as before we have said As concerning the meaning of the words by which his office is expressed whatever they think concerning the person it will be indifferent to all to enquire They must have the same meaning whosoever they are applyed to whether by Jews or Christians For the meaning of them therefore we may look what they do or ought to agree in comparing them one with another To which enquiry it will be convenient to premise an observation concerning that word or preposition which in our Translation is rendred to and is in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Al viz. that it is as Grammarians observe and examples convince of divers uses and significations It signifies most usually above over on but not only so but withall to with for by near against in and other like of which examples accurre in the Hebrew Text. And according to the words with which it is joyned and the thing spoken of is the signification thereof to be discerned and distinguished Again concerning the appellations and titles of fathers and children that they are not only attributed to those that are so by nature but to others also who for other respects or relation one to another have those names given them as older people that of fathers younger that of children and so learned men or teachers are looked on as common fathers in respect to their disciples or such as learn of them or are instructed by them and the like This concerning the nature of those words being observed will help us to judge of such Expositions as are given of the whole sentence The signification of the forementioned preposition which our Translators choose to give it in this place is to or unto which it often manifestly hath elsewhere as Joshua II. 8 she came up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Alehem to them and I Sam. II. 11 went 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to his house with many other places And it is likewise embraced by most of Interpreters but then accordingly as they apply it to fathers and children and their different understanding of what is meant by them do they differ in giving the meaning They that understand them of such as should be them together in present being whether natural fathers and children or others who might be called by that title as ours seem to do take his office so as here described to consist in taking away such discords and differences as should be betwixt them and settling peace and love and charity among them so as that their hearts should be propense and kindly affectioned one to another and they should be of one heart and one soul among themselves as it is said of the believers Act. IV. 32 and with one consent hearken to God and receive the truth preached to them So that this disposition and behaviour which it is here said it should be the work of the promised Elijah to work in their hearts may seem as a learned Jew observes contrary to that which in the Prophet Micah is described as being found among them in his time Chap. VII 6 the son dishonoureth the Father or that which on their not hearkning to him our Saviour saith should be in after times the father shall be divided against the son and the son against the father Luke XII 53 Such dissensions among them in those times here spoken of are observed to have been caused and fomented by the several Sects that were among them as of Sadduces and Pharisees and the like which had such ill influence as to banish those due respects which ought to have been betwixt parents and children superiors and inferiors or whosoever under the title of father and son may be comprehended and that love and charity which should have been betwixt all orders and degrees of men whose hearts Eliah i. e. John Baptist coming in the spirit and power of Eliah should be sent to reduce if possible to better order to mutual agreement among themselves and joynt obedience to God This seems to have been the ancientest understanding of the words among the Jewish Doctors who summe up the meaning of them in other words saying That he should be sent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lehashvoth hammachloketh to compose dissention or reconcile differences 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Leasoth shalom binehem to make peace between them that they might all agree in the profession of one Religion and thus seem the Greek Interpreters to have understood them who instead of the second member of the sentence and the heart of the children to their fathers put for the meaning of it and the heart of a man or every one to his neighbour Against this Exposition I know not what may be excepted yet do others taking the forementioned preposition
in the same sense of to give others some he shall turn the hearts of the fathers to the children c. i. e. of the Jews to the Gentiles and of the Gentiles to the Jews which though it may be true and that John did so and it was as well an effect of his preaching and baptizing as of the Gospell yet I suppose is not the literall meaning of these words which were spoken to the Jews and more particularly concern them between themselves Others he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children c. i. e. of God to Israel and Israel to God who is called their father and calleth them sons That this is comprehended within the latitude of these words we doubt not inasmuch as we hear the Angel where he refers to these words putting as part of Johns office many of the children of Israel shall be turn to the Lord their God and indeed for that end was he to turn their hearts one to another that they might all with joynt hearts or one heart turn to the Lord. Yet can we not think that to be the literal meaning of the present words God is called their Father elsewhere but I suppose fathers here put in the plural number cannot be properly used of him Another Exposition of Camerarius who makes the meaning to be that he should reduce the hearts of the fathers to the children and of the children to the fathers i. e. Should turn or bring back the hearts of the fathers so as that they should take care of the pious education of their children whereas they had been negligent in the right instructing and disciplining of them and the hearts of the children who had been disobedient to their fathers so as to yeild due reverence and obedience to them may be well reduced to the first But as to that which others give viz. that by the fathers should be meant the old Patriarks Abraham Isaac and Jacob c. and by the children those of that generation when this Elias should come I do not understand how it can be made good To say that the hearts of the children should be turned by their conversion to the same faith that was in those ancient holy men is intelligible but how the hearts of those so long since dead should be said to be turned to those of that generation is not so easily conceived these hitherto mentioned all take 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Al here in the signification of to There are of the Jews who would have it here to signify by or by the hand or means of So R Salomon out of an ancienter Doctor shall turn the hearts of the fathers by the hand of the children i. e. Shall speak to the children to perswade their fathers to embrace the way of the Lord and on the other hand to the fathers to perswade their children The same signification of it takes Abarbinel also and gives this strange interpretation making the time spoken of to be according to his fancy after the Resurrection which he will have to be before the end of the World If any be then at that time living who hath children dead he shall by them being raised from the dead at the coming of Eliah be converted to the truth and on the contrary such children as are living by their fathers being raised that so before the end of the World all may be turned to the truth that all be not destroyed But this is so uncouth an Exposition and so little agreeing to the words as that it will be much from the purpose to speak more of it nor doth that by R Salomo mentioned agree with them there being shewed in them what God would do by the hands of his Elias not what Elias should do by the hands of others But there is yet another acception of the word which is by others both Jews and Christians preferred as giving the plainest meaning and that is by taking it here to signify not to but with as manifestly in several other places it doth As for example 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Al merorim with bitter herbs Exod. XII 8 and vers 9. his head 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with his legs and Chap. XXXV 22 and they came 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Al nasim with women i. e. as ours translate it both men and women with several like instances Thus R. D. Kimchi here will have it taken giving thus his Exposition He shall warn or call on both fathers and children together with all their heart to turn unto God and they that turn shall be delivered from the day of Judgement so that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to be looked on as signifying the same that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 im with fathers with the children and of children with their fathers all of them together So likewise R. Tanchum the meaning saith he is That he shall seek to rectify or reduce into order the Sect or People that they may be all of them of one heart in the obedience or worship of God and the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is in the signification of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with i. e. saith he he shall seek to rectify the hearts of the fathers among them with the hearts of the children and the repeating or doubling of the words viz. and the heart of the children with their fathers is for greater confirmation sake Thus say those Jews with whom do concurre as we said divers Christians also and are urgent for it so as that the words may denote that he should convert or call to repentance all of them together both old and young young and old that so they might all be a People prepared for the Lord as Luke I. 17 he speaks and readily receive him and with joynt hearts obey him This Exposition gives a clear and plain meaning and is easily reconcileable with the first mentioned both even necessarily go together viz. the converting all together one with another and one to another in obedience to God and love one to another and therefore we may well look on the words as comprehending both and that for giving a full meaning of them both ought joyntly to be taken in and so are they taken in likewise in that one word in which our Saviour elsewhere summs up that office of this Eliah here in more expressed viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall restore all things reduce all things to right order which could not otherwise be done then by turning them all one to another and one with another to the faith of Christ. In much like manner to that of our Saviours do some of the Jews likewise summe up the import of these words concerning his office whoever it be that is meant saying that he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Leyasher Israel velehacin libbam to rectify Israel and to prepare or put in good order their hearts In the forecited place Luke I. 17 where these
words of Malachi are plainly referred to the words and the heart of their children to their fathers are not put as they are here read but instead of them and the disobedient to the wisdome of the just which the learned D r Hammond in his Notes on that place shews to be as a Gloss or Paraphrase on the Prophets words to explain his expression both importing that a general reformation should be endeavoured to be wrought by the person sent for that end among the Jews for fitting them to receive the Lord Christ. From the same spirit did both expressions proceed and it will not concern us to be inquisitive why he should change his language or expressions By what he saith by his Angell there in Luke it is evident that what he here spake by his Prophet was spoken of John the Baptist and not of Eliah in his person And with what Elias-like zeal John did set himself to perform the office here designed for him appears by what we read in the Gospell of his Mission and his preaching and the time thereof and the contents and effects of it as Matt. III. Mar. I. Luke III. and Joh. I. He that shall duly consider what is in those places said of John and what he did and compare them with what is said here of the Eliah promised that he should do will easily perceive all that is here prophecied to have been already made good that there will be no ground left to him for expecting a farther completion of it by Eliah in person or any other under that name to be expected before the coming of the great and dreadfull day of the Lord here spoken of Here God saith Behold I will send Elijah the Prophet in the Gospell it is said there was a man sent from God whose name was John Joh. I. 6 and that that John was Elias which was for to come Matt. XI 14 Here that he was to be sent before the coming of the great and dreadfull day of the Lord. There the time of Johns coming is described that it was when the Kingdome of God was at hand Matt. III. 2 when the day of wrath was coming v. 7. when the axe was laid to the root of the trees and every tree that brought not forth good fruit should be hewen down and cast into the fire vers 10. when He was now coming whose fan was in his hand and he would throughly purge his floor and gather his wheat into his barn but would burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire ver 12. which expressions as we have before shewed are an evident description of the great and dreadfull day of the Lord here spoken of Here that this Eliah should turn the heart of the fathers to the children and the heart of the children to the fathers preach to all sorts young and old conversion and repentance there in the Gospel that John should turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God and the hearts of the fathers to the children c. Luke I. 16 17. and that he did preach to all the Baptism of repentance Marc. I. 4 Luke III. 3 and that with such power and good effect that Jerusalem and all Judea and all the Region round about Jordan went out to him and were baptized of him confessing their sins Matt. III. 5 6. and Marc. I. 5 i. e. multitudes of all sorts and conditions of People out of those places Luke III. 7 of the common sort of People ver 10. of those that might seem to have least of the fear of God before their eies least regard of or charity for other men Publicans ver 12. Souldiers ver 14. and were at greatest difference in opinion one from another Pharisees and Sadduces To all these did he instill Precepts of Charity Luke III 11. the hearts of all these it is manifest that he did turn one to another in that they agreed and were united in one common Baptism by him What can more punctually agree then the Prophecy here and the matter of fact set down in the Gospels thus paralleled do to shew that the person who is here so characterized in respect to what was to be and there to what was made good in him is one and the same and that no other ought to be expected by vertue of this Prophecy Certainly when we consider how exactly all things do concurre of what is foretold of in the Prophet and reported as done in the Gospell in the one person of John the Baptist and how all things here designed to be done by this person named Eliah were by him in a signal manner performed we shall perceive that there is little grounds for that argument which is by some here taken to prove that Eliah in person is to be expected before the day of the last Judgement because as they say John did not fulfill all that is here required in the conversion of the hearts of the fathers and children one to another or as it is summed up by our Saviour in restoring all things Matt. XVII Not to enquire what other answers may be or are given to that objection abundantly sufficient for confirmation of that Exposition which we have follow'd as to the scope and meaning of them and to shew that they do not afford any good grounds for any such argument will be the consideration of two things which would by those who draw that argument here from them be otherwise I suppose easily granted 1. That words which are put to import that such or such a thing should be effected by any do often signify rather his endeavour and the doing of what would or might be sufficient for the effecting of them then a full accomplishment as to the effect or consequents on his endeavour So that what is said that the person here spoken of should turn the hearts of the fathers to the children c. and Matt. XVII 10 that he should restore all things may well be said to be fulfilled if he did diligently that which tended to the producing and was sufficient to have produced such effects though through default in the subjects on which he was to work the hearts of all were not turned nor all things or men as some think it may though put in the neuter gender be particularly applied to them fully rectified and reduced into right order 2. That the word all is not alwaies to be taken in that extent as to comprehend every particular whether it be applied to persons things times or places but only a great number and to shew the diffusive nature of that which is said should have respect to all to be such as might be extended to more even to all that should come in its way or be offered to it or were rightly qualified to receive its operation or required to make good the truth of what is spoken of To omitt other examples which are frequent one already mentioned and
which is to our present purpose will make it evident It is said Matt. III. 5 that Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region round about Jordan went out to John and were baptized of him It will not by any be thought that every person in those places did thus but a great multitude or store of them and if more had come or his preaching had prevailed on more John was ready to perform his office to them This is thought enough to justify the expression that all the Countrey came unto him and were baptized of him Here is not in our Prophet the word all expressed but indefinitely without any number mentioned said shall turn the heart of the fathers and the heart of the children but because where Christ summs up what is here said or gives the meaning of it he adds it viz. and shall restore all things it is by them looked on as here understood and the exceptions therefore taken that by Elias is not here meant John the Baptist because to restore all things is to convert to the true Faith all Jews and Hereticks c. which John did not effect and therefore Elias in person is yet to come and do it But if we suppose that all is to be here understood surely that by all were to be meant no more then we have said i. e. many of all sorts all that should hearken to his preaching and receive his Doctrine we may learn from the Angels describing of the same office of his that is here described by this that many of the children of Israel he should turn unto the Lord their God going before him in the spirit and power of Elias to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children The all and the many do then signify the same thing in this matter And these things being observed surely by what we read of John's performance it is evident that the words here spoken of this Eliah to be sent were in and by him so far even to wonder made good that to expect another to fulfill them in greater measure is not warranted by vertue of this Prophecy He was zealous in the highest degree in performing what he was sent to do and on very many did his endeavours take effect That they did not on more on all among them without exceptions prevail was not through any defect or default in him but because as the Scripture expressly declares concerning many of the Pharisees and Lawyers many of which yet came in unto him they rejected the counsel of God against themselves Luke VII 30 the like effects w ch our Saviour who came to convert them all and to save all complains his own preaching to have had among that same People through their obstinacy saying O Jerusalem Jerusalem that killest the Prophets and stonest them that are sent unto thee how often would I have gathered thy children together even as an Hen gathereth her Chickens under her wings und ye would not Matt. XXIII 37 Some are so far from thinking that on these words can be grounded any argument to prove that the Elias here meant was not John Baptist and that it is one yet to come at the end of the World before Christs last coming as that they look on them as an argument to prove the clean contrary because this Elias is to come before the great day of the Lord and to call to conversion and repentance for which was a fit season at Christs first coming but at the last day of his coming the day of Judgement is no farther time for repentance but for reward or execution of Judgement and punishment therefore that day not this must here be meant and this Elias one already come not one then to be expected What we have said will farther be confirmed by consideration of the next words in which is declared why he should be sent to convert them viz. lest saith the Lord I come and smite the Earth with a curse As the former words concerning the Mission the time and the office of the person here named Elijah the Prophet do as we have seen exactly agree to John the Baptist and so as that they cannot so be applied to any other so do these also which declare the end for which he should be sent at that time to perform that office no less agree with those in which in the Gospell we are shewed for what end John did perform his by preaching conversion and repentance viz. That being converted they might flee from the wrath to come Matt. III. 7 and the axe being now laid to the root of the trees they bringing forth good fruit might escape from being cut down and cast into the fire ver 10. that they might be as Wheat and gathered into the Lords Garner and not as Chaffe which he should burn with unquenchable fire ver 12. Add how the Angell explains it Luke I. 17 that he should and as appears c. III. accordingly did endeavour to do turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just For what end to make ready a People prepared for the Lord a People fit to receive him and to find mercy and Salvation from him at his coming Who will not at first hearing or reading perceive that those things said concerning the end of his preaching are the very same with what is said here of this person 's performing the office he is sent for viz. that he should do it to prevent lest the Lord should come and smite the Earth with a curse or utter destruction The same words which are given even by some of the Jews for explication of this expression of the Prophet will as appositely be used for summing up the meaning of those in the Gospell Such is that Exposition of R. Tanchâ—m ` The meaning saith he is He shall fairly perswade them that he may reduce any of them who may possibly be reduced to wit such who have not evil habits so firmly rooted in their minds that they cannot return from them till the punishment which shall seize on all the rebellious transgressors overtake them Surely this which he gives for the meaning of what is here said of this person here denoted by the title of Eliah for shewing for what end he should perform his office is manifestly the meaning of what is in the Gospell said concerning the end for which John was sent to preach repentance and did preach it and baptize unto it Not much different as to the purpose is that meaning which another among them gives of these words viz. Therefore he shall warn them that they may be brought to repentance against that day come that he may not smite the whole Land or the Land with a consumption and it be a curse Thus far well and so as to shew the end which this Eliah was to aim at to be altogether the same that John did aim at and labour to effect
the Prophecy on what occasion or for what reason I know not One saith it was done in imitation of the superstition of the Jews and to conclude the whole 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that all might end in good words or words of a good sound The superstition of the Jews w ch he mentions is this that whereas the last words here and smite the Earth with a curse sound harsh in their ears and seem to bode evil that they might conclude with something more pleasing they repeat the words going before again after them viz. Behold I will send you Eliah the Prophet before the coming of the great and dreadfull day of the Lord and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children and the heart of the children to the fathers or at least some of them so as still to leave out the last harsh words which conclude with a curse The like do they do in some other Books for the same reason as at the end of Isaiah and of Ecclesiastes and the Lamentations in which after the last verse they repeat again the verse going before it And for warning thereof casting the initial letters of the names of these Books viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I T K K into an artificial word so as to be a signal or memorial of them I standing for Isaiah T for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tereasher i. e. the twelve minor Prophets of which Malachi is the last and the first K for Kinoth i. e. Lamentations the second for Koheleth i. e. Ecclesiastes they usually write or print that signal together with the words w ch they would have to be repeated all or some of them How ancient this custom was among them I know not it savors of the humor of those of ancient times among them who said to Gods Prophets prophecy not unto us right things speak unto us smooth things Isaiah XXX 10 They seem to think that the putting away from them the mention of the evil day that they might go on in their sins in security should secure them from it so inverting and frustrating to themselves Gods gracious method who that they might not perish in their security caused those words in the last place to be inculcated to them that so they might sink deep into them and work in them repentance whereby alone the evil mentioned might be prevented whereas their refusing to give that attention to them would pull it on them to their unavoidable destruction as in the example of these here spoken to it manifestly came to pass so as to be for caution to all in like kind As for the present place some are of opinion that the Jews do here repeat those words Behold I send you Eliah e. to strengthen themselves in their opinion and hope that the Messiah is not yet come but is to come If so or out of what respect soever they do it we have from the Messiah himself what to oppose to them and adde to what they would conclude with viz. But I say unto you Elias is come already and they knew him not but did unto him whatsoever they listed The Messiah also is already come and they would not know him neither but rejected him and despitefully used him for which their obstinacy that great and terrible day of the Lord is also come upon them and he hath smitten the Earth i. e. them and their Land with such a curse so terrible a destruction as makes good all that is here spoken and shews that not one word of this Prophecy is fallen to the ground but hath had its full accomplishment on them so that now they remain an ensample to all others that shall despise or neglect the means of grace offered to them as they did and putting far away the evil day will not whiles God gives them space know the things which belong unto their peace nor think of the time of their visitation For how shall any that reject the counsel of God against themselves as they did any People or Nation but expect to be smitten with the like curse as they were even in this World how shall the just God which spared not that his chosen Nation his once peculiar People the Seed of Abraham his friend spare others guilty in the like kind So that though these words were fulfilled in that destruction of Jerusalem and the Jewish Nation the People then peculiarly spoken to and intended yet may all others see in them what may concern them also even in this World But if it should so please God that any obstinately wicked and impenitent People should escape the like judgement in this World yet besides that prime and literal meaning of the words already as we said fulfilled on them we cannot but by them be put in mind of that more great and terrible day of the Lord and look on it as by this typified the judgement of which none either whole Nations or particular persons that ever lived shall escape and which shall unawares seize not on any one Land only but on the whole Earth and all therein yea and the Heavens too with greater terror then that by which this concerning the Jews is here v. 1. or elsewhere described or can by any words be expressed Wherefore seeing what God hath done and being thereby warned and by his word certainly assured what he will do what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and godliness as S. Peter will teach us to infer looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God All those admonitions to the Jews and all Gods methods toward them for preparing them for that day of his coming here mentioned equally concern us in respect of that other day of his coming by it typified and it will be necessary for us to apply them to our own concerns and to make use of them to our selves without expecting of another Elias to be sent to forewarn and convert us We have not promise of any and it would be to no purpose to have any We have Moses and the Prophets we have the admonitions of John Baptist and Christ himself and the example of the miscarriage of the Jews for not hearkning to them and if we will not hear and be warned by these neither will we be perswaded if Elias or John Baptist should rise from the dead or Christ should come again in the flesh among us to convert us Sufficient to us to make us to prepare our selves for what we are certainly to expect or leave us without excuse are those admonitions of his extending to all Generations Watch therefore for you know not what hour your Lord doth come Matt. XXIV 42 and again v. 44. Therefore be ye also ready for in such an hour as you think not the Son of Man cometh There is no generation which can assure themselves but that in it may be made good as to that other day
olim disceptatum videtur ex eorum verbis qui ad Johan Baptistam à synedrio missi percunctatum quis esset interrogarunt essetne Christus essetne Elias essetne Propheta ille Messiam ergo expectabant illi unum Davidis filium expectabant etiam vel Eliam vel prophetam aliquem inâ—ignem Nihil de Ephraimi aut Josephi filio quaerunt Facessant igitur commenta hominum indubitatae Dei veritati mendacia à se conficta praeferentium Facessat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 iste Messias Hosanna filio David Quisquis animo non praesumpta opinione corrupto prophetarum verba inspexerit quicquid ab Angelo ante Domini faciem seu Apparitoris vice mittendo expectandum erat in Johanne Baptista quicquid ab Angelo illo foederis seu ipso Messia in Jesu Christo exitum habuisse adeo ut extra dubium sit illum fuisse qui venturus erat nec alium expectandum facile perspiciet FINIS a See the Prologue to Mal. in Biâ— Mag. b Hierom. Praesat in Mal. c Chr. à Castro d See Abarbinel in Mal. è Talmud Mâ—gillah c. 1. p. 15. e Idem and Kimchi R. Solom in cap. II. 10 Ch. à Castro f Ribera g R. Ab. Ezra Kimchi R. Tanch Abarbinel h R. Tanchum i Zaâ—h IX 1 and XII 1 k Drusius on Nah. I. 1 l R. D. Kimchi R. Tanchum Abarbinel m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 n Genes XlIII 34 o See R. Sol. and the rest p The Vision of the Word of the Lord. Syr. Arab. The Prophecy of the Word of the Lord. Another Arab. q Chald. Paraph. and Arab. Vers. MS. R. D. Kimchi R. Tanchum r Abarb. s Drus. t Kimchi v R. Sol. Ab. Ezra Kimchi in Rad. x R. Tanchum y MS. Aâ—ab z Buxtorf Vindic. p. 64. a Capell Crit. Sac. p. 255. b Grot. on Ezech. 25.14 and Josephus and the Books of the Maccabees c Grot. when Nabuchadnezzar overcame also the Moâ—bâ—tâ—s and Ammonites Josephus l. 10. c. XI d R. D. Kimchi e R. Sol. Jarchi f Abarb. g See I Sam. VI. 9 h R. Tanch i R. D. Kimchi k R. Tanchum l Marginal additions in Miclal Yophi m Drusius n Tarnov o Jun. Trem. p Grot. q See how some of them explain Deut. IV. 19 r See Chris. à Castro s See Abarbinel t Drusius u R. D. Kimchi x Drusius y Hierom. and others z Drus. a Grotius Riber b And see Num. XXVIII 2 Levit. XXII 25 d See Abarbinel and Tarnov e Ribera f R. Tanchum g See Abarbinel h R. Tanchum i Hierom. k Chr à Castro Grot. Pelicanus l Kimchi and Abarb. m Chald. n Syriac Jun. Trem. o D. Kimchi R. Tanchum and see Drus. p R. Tanchum q See Leviticus V. 7 11. r Maimonides in Moâ—eh l. 3. c. 46. s See R. David Kimchi and Abarbinel t R. Tanchum u Joel II. x Kimchi y R. D. Kimchi Ribera Chr. à Castro Menoch Grot z Grot. a R. Salomo Jarchi Abarb. Drus. Tarnov c. Dutch Notes b R. D. Kimchi Vat. Drus. c Hierom. Cyril Riber Menoch Tyrin Grot. Castalio Dutch Notes Tarnov * The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chinnam signifies both for nought and in vain c. The Chalde paraprasâ—th it That you might not offer on mine Altar an abominable offering d R. Sal. Jarchi R. D. Kâ—mchi Abarb. R. Tanch e R. Sal. Jarchi Abarbinel Yalkut We chiefly follow R. Salomo's reading as being plainest out of Toraâ—h Coh nim f Josh. VII 9 as some of the Jews expound those words R. Tanchum g See Matth. III. 9 h Aben Ezra R. D. Kimchi i R. Tanchum k Se Yalkut and R. Salomo â—arcâ—â—i l Maimon Moreh l. 1 c. 36 and see R. D. Kimchi and R. Tanchum m R. D. Kimchi in rad and Micâ—al Yophi n See R. Tanchum Aben Ezra R. D. Kimchi in rad and see Akidah o Aben Dana in Miklal Yophi out of Meor einâ—im p Calv. q D r Hammond on Joâ— IV. 24 r Calv. Vatab. in 8 o. s So R. D. Kimchi makes that word and this here the same in sense t Cyril Ribera Sa Calvin t Aben Ezra u R. D. Kimchi Abarbinel x R. Tanchum y Pisc. z Abarb. a R. Salomo Jarchi R. D. Kimchi and see Abarb. who differently cites R. Salomo's words from what is read in him b Pelic. Oecol c See Calv. d Abu Walid Aben Ezra R. Tanchum e Aben Ezra f R. Tanchum g Chr. à Castro in his Paraphrase h Oecolamp Ch. à Castro i R. D. Kimchi Abarb. k Calv. l Levit. XXII 20 c. m Abarb. n R. D. Kimchi o Kimchi's Father Jun. Trem. Vatab. Duâ—ch Notes and Tarnov p R. Kimchi q See Lud. de Dieu r Abarb. s R. D. Kimchi Miclal Yophi t Abu Walid confirming it by the use of the same word Job XXXI 39 caused to go away or expire u Deut. XII 11 * And of this reading S. Jerome takes notice x Aben Dana in Miclal Yophi y Aben Ezra see Buxt Lex in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 z In radic 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Capel Crit. pag. 222. d Grot. e Out of Aben Dana in Miclal Yophi f Calvin g See Isa. lXI 8 h Drus. b Doway Bibl. Jerom. Ribera Tirin Menoch c. i Abarb. k R. Tanch m R. Tanch n R. D. Kimchi o Tarnov and Chr. à Castro p Calv. Vatab. Edit 4 o 8 o Sa. l R. D. Kimchi q Riber Menoch r Tarn s Vatab. t R. D. Kimchi Abâ—rb v R. Salomo Jarchi x Jam. I. 25 y R. Tanch R D. Kimch Rad. in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 z R. D. Kimch Drus. Calv. a Abarb. b Tarn c Grot. Jerom. d Calv. See Drus. and Luâ— de Dieu e Abu Walid f Hagg. II. 18 19. g R. Tanch h Aben Ezra Kimch and Abarb. i Cal. Tarn k Chald. Greek Arab. Vulg. Lat. Arab. MS. l R. Tanch Ribera m Calv. n Abu Walid R. D. Kimchi in rad o Abarb. p Calv. q Drus. r See Chr. à Castro Dutch Notes Stokes s Doway Transl. t Riber u Deut. XVIII 3 x Rib. Menoch Grot. y Lyra Chr. à Castro Tirin z Aquila See Nobil a See Joel I. 13 and II. 14 b Abarb. c Arias Mont. d Christ. à Castro e R. Tanch g Hierom. Riber Grot. c. h Capell and see Schindler in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i Menoch l R. Tanch m Jun. Trem. Pisc. n Aben Ezra R. Tanch o Grot. Tirin p Stokes q Pareus R. Salomo MS. r Lyra. s Calv. t Lud. de Dieu f See Abu Walid in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 k Drus. u Jun. Trem. x Abarb. Grot. y Glass Gâ—am pag. 655. z R. D. Kimchi Vat. Munst. Rib. Tirin Menoch Dutch Notes Stokes Bishop Hall's Paraph. a Calv. b Jun. Trem. Tarn c Abarb. d Grot.