Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	tradition_n	word_n	write_a	3,323	5	10.7817	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A11649	Annotations upon the five bookes of Moses, the booke of the Psalmes, and the Song of Songs, or, Canticles VVherein the Hebrevv vvords and sentences, are compared with, and explained by the ancient Greeke and Chaldee versions, and other records and monuments of the Hebrewes: but chiefly by conference with the holy Scriptures, Moses his words, lawes and ordinances, the sacrifices, and other legall ceremonies heretofore commanded by God to the Church of Israel, are explained. With an advertisement touching some objections made against the sinceritie of the Hebrew text, and allegation of the Rabbines in these annotations. As also tables directing unto such principall things as are observed in the annotations upon each severall booke. By Henry Ainsworth.; Annotations upon the five bookes of Moses, and the booke of the Psalmes	Ainsworth, Henry, 1571-1622?	1627 (1627)	STC 219; ESTC S106799	2,398,875	1,194

Senate of Iudges which were of the chiefe or heads of the fathers of Israel 2 Chron. 19. 8. as they who here are called Priests are in v. 12. called the Priest and in 1 Chr. 4. 42. many captaines are in the Hebrew called an Head And as among the Priests one was chiefe so among the Iudges one was Prince or Ruler 2 Chro. 19. 11. The Hebrew records say When any doubt arose in any case to any one of Israel he asked of the Iudgement hall or Synedrion that was in his citie if they knew they told it him if not then he that enquired together with the Synedrion or with the messengers thereof went up to Ierusalem enquired of the Synedrion that was in the mountaine of the Temple if they knew they 〈◊〉 him if not then they all came to the Synedrion that was at the dvore of the Court-yard of the Temple if they knew they told it them and if not they all came to the Chamber of hewen stone to the great Synedrion and enquired c. Maim tom 4. treat of Rebells c. 1. s. 4. Of the thre● Synedrions in Ierusalem see the Annotations on Num. 11. 16. that shall be in those dayes From hence the Hebrewes gather that if the high Synedrion had judged and determined of a matter as 〈◊〉 right in their eyes after them another Synedrom rose up which upon reasons seeming good unto them disanulled the former sentence then it was disanulled and judgement passed according as seemed good unto these latter Thou art not bound say they to walk save after the Synedrion or Iudges that are in thy generation the time wherin thou livest Maim in Rebels c. 2. s. 1. the word of judgement that is the matter or sentence of judgement which was to be according to the Law of God vers 11. as it is said of the Priests And in controversie they shall stand in judgement and they shall judge it according to my judgements Ezek. 44. 24. Whereupon it was also said unto the Iudges Yee shall warne them that they trespasse not against the Lord and so wrath come upon you and upon your brethren 2 Chron. 19. 10. Vers. 10. according to the word or according to the sentence of the word Hebr. the mouth of the word so in v. 11. all that they informe thee or all that they teach thee to w●t agreeable to Gods Law as before is shewed from Ezek. 44. 24. And in this sense Christ said to the people of the Scribes and Pharisees sitting in Moses seat All whatsoever they bid you observe that observe and doe Matth. 23. 2 3. which he meaneth not of their owne traditions but of their doctrine according to Moses for when they taught for doctrines the commandements of men hee both reproved them himselfe and willed his Disciples to let them alone as blinde leaders of the blinde Matth. 15. 1 2 14 and charged them to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadduces that is their doctrine Matt. 16. 6 12. Here therefore the Hebrew Doctors have stumbled at the Law whiles from this Scripture they would establish not onely the written Law of God but the Law by word of mouth or by tradition the foundation whereof they make the high Synedrion which was in Ierusalem from whose judgement they held it not lawfull to decline Maimony in Rebels c. 1. Vers. 11. According to the Law or According to the mouth that is the sentence doctrine or commandement of the Law not decline from the word or not turne aside from The commandement to doc the prohibition not to decline joyned together in this Law doe shew the weight thereof the naming of the Law Iudgement Word which the Priests and Iudges should teach sheweth the rule of right judgement to be given of God in his Law Ios. 1. 7. Deut. 5. 32 33. Ezek. 44. 24. from which when the Priests departed the Lord made them contemptible and base before all the people Mal. 2. 7 8 9. Vers. 12. the man that will doe presumptuously or in presumption proudly as the Greeke translateth in pride the Chaldee in wickednesse It is opposed unto ignorance and errour Exod. 21. 13 14. By the man here here to be meant either private person or inferiour Iudge that proudly disobeyed the sentence of the highest Councell but the Hebrewes referre it chiefly to the Rebellious Elder or Iudge and whereas they brought their owne traditions or law by word of mouth within the compasse of the Law to be taught as is noted on vers 10. they except the Sadduces which had beene from their youth trained up in their fathers opinions and never received the traditions of the Pharisees that such were not to dye by this Law for not obeying the doctrine which the high Court taught by tradition as also from this word will doe they teach that the rebellious Elder was not guilty of death for holding in judgment contrary to the decree of the high Synedrion or for teaching others so to hold unlesse hee teach them to do the thing or doe it himselfe Yet though he were free from death the Magistrates might beat him or otherwise punish him Maim in Rebel c. 3. s. 1. c. the Priest that is the Priests as in v. 9. for by their mouth every controversie and every stroke was to bee tried Deut. 21. 5. standeth to minister so in Ezek. 44. 24. in controversie they shall stand in judgment see the notes on Deut. 10. 8. there before Iehovah or there unto Iehovah as in Deut. 21. 5. the Greeke translateth in the name of the Lord. or unto the Iudge that is the Iudges as is noted on v. 9. And by this disjunctive or the Iudges are distinguished from the Priests forementioned shall die the manner of his death the Hebrewes say was strangling and they that put him to death were the chiefe Iudges When witnesses come and testifie that he hath done according to his teaching or that hee hath taught others to doe it they determine his sentence of death in the judgment hall that is in his Citie and take him and carrie him up from thence to Ierusalem And they put him not to death in the Iudgment hall that is in his citie c. but carrie him up to the high Synedrion in Ierusalem and keepe him untill the feast and strangle him at the feast as it is said and all the people shall heare and feare c. Maimony in Rebels o. 3. s. 8. See also the notes on Deut. 13. 11. the evill the evill doer as the Childee explaineth it agreeable also to the Greeke see Deut. 13. 5. Vers. 14. and shalt say that is if thou shalt say I will set over mee a King Thus God who had set Iudges over his people permitteth them also to have a king if they saw it so meet and would and should doe this thing after an holy and orderly manner But when they sought it amisse it displeased the

red-mould or earth because of it his body was created Gen. 2. 7. It was the name of the woman also Gen. 5. 2. and so of all mankind usually called Adam and Adams sonnes Gen. 9. 6. Psal. 11. 4. our image the image of the holy Trinity whereby man in nature knowledge righteousness holinesse glory c. resembled God his makers See Gen. 9. 6. I am 3. 9. Colos. 3. 10. Ephes. 4. 24. 1 Cor. 11. 7. 2 Cor. 3. 18. The Hebrew Doctors say The excellent knowledge or reason that is found in the soule of man it is the forme of man and for this forme it is said Let us make man in our image c. R. Mos. Maimony in Misn. treat Iesudei hatorah chap 4. sect 8. Also this Image and likenesse is said to be in man for the understanding minde which is in him such as is not in other living creatures R. Menachem Rakanat on Gen. 1. The Heathens opinion agreed hereunto as Proclus saith The mind that is in us is an image of the first mind that is of God Man is also called of the Hebrewes Olam Hakaton of the Greekes Microcosmos that is A little world for the hath in him the beauty of thing without life even the chiefest as of the Sun Moon and Stars c. Eccles 12. 2. Gen. 37. 8. 9. Ezek. 28. 13. 14. he hath growth as plants Gen. 38. 11. and 49. 22. sense and sensible properties with beasts Gen. 49. 9. 17. 2 Sam. 23. 20. reason and wisedome with Angels 1 Sam. 14. 20. But the image of God in him excelleth all Letthem have that is man and woman with their posterity for if the root bee holy so are the branches Rom. 11. 16. Adam had Gods image and glory for him and his if hee had stood in his integrity but falling hee lost them from him and his Rom. 5. 12. 17. 18. 19. Howbeit in the dominion and glory of man and woman there is inequality 1 Cor. 11. 7. 8. 9. 1 Timoth. 2. 12. 13. Vers. 27. Created By reason of the excellency of man above all earthly things and of Gods image in him the name Creature is appropriated unto him as often in the Hebrew Doctors writings so by Christs and his Apostles every creature that is every man Mar. 16. 15. Coloss. 1. 23. So all living for all men Gen. 3. 20. because the most excellent life is in man male or a male and a female meaning one and not moe females for a male This beginning of mans creation Christ alledgeth against unlawful divorces and taking moe wives then one Mar. 10. 6. See also Malac. 2. 15. And when a thing is set downe thus singularly it is often to be restrained unto one This the Scripture sheweth in repeating matters as a loase of bread and a flagon of wine 1 Chron. 16. 3. which another Prophet writeth thus one cake of bread and one flagon of wine 2 Sam. 6. 19. So the Law him shalt thou serve Deut. 6. 13. Christ restraineth to him onely Mat. 4. 10. Vers. 28. subdue it or keepe it in subjection the Greeke translateth exercise dominion over it Subduing meaneth such a prevailing and possessing as a master hath over servants Ier. 34. 11. 16. 2 Chr. 28. 10. Neh. 5. 5. For this state of man made a little lower then the Angels but crowned with glory and honor and set over the works of Gods hands David laudeth the Lord in Psal. 8. Vers. 31. everything or as the Greeke translateth all things very good or vehemently good and so pleasing and profitable see before in vers 4. This sheweth that sinne and evill was not of God or by the worke of his hands but came in after by the creature it selfe falling from God Eccles. 7. 31. the sixt day According to this number of dayes in the creation of the world the Hebrew Doctors haue guessed at the number of yeares that the world should continue they say it is a tradition of Rabbi Elias Six thousand yeeres shall the world be and then it shall bee destroyed Two thousand empty that is before the promise unto Abraham two thousand the Law the time of Circumcision and two thousand the dayes of Christ and for our iniquities say they which are many they that are past of them are past that is the yeeres are past and the Christ is not come Thalmudin Sanhedrin chapt Chelek This conjecture some doe the more regard both because it is a testimony that the Christ is long since come even by the Iewes owne tradition and because it is written one day is with the Lord as a thousand yeeres and a thousand yeeres as one day 2. Pet. 3. 8. We may compare with these six dayes the six ages of the world as they are manifestly distinguished in Scripture The first from Adam to Noes flood which was often generations this is called the old world 2 Pet. 2. 5. The second from the Flood unto Abraham which was also of ten generations at him the new Testament beginneth the genealogie of Christ Mat. 1. 1. 2. The third from Abraham to David fourteene generations The-fourth from David unto the captivitie of Babylon fourteene generations The fift from the captivitie of Babylon unto Christ fourteene generations all which are so reckned by the Holy Ghost in Mat. 1. 17. The sixt is the age after Christ called the last dayes Heb. 1. 2. the last time 1 Pet. 1. 20. 1. Ioh. 2. 18. after which remaineth the Rest or Sabbatisme for the people of God to begin at our Lords second comming and to continue for ever 1 Thessal 4. 16. 17. CHAPT II. The seventh day is sanctified for a Sabbath 4 The manner of the Creation 8 The planting of the Garden of Eden 10 and the River thereof 17 The tree of knowledge onely forbidden 19 Adam nameth the creatures 21 The making of Woman and institution of mariage ANd the heavens and the earth were finished and all the host of them And in the seventh day God had finished his worke which he had made and he rested in the seventh day from all his worke which he had made And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it because in it hee had rested from all his worke which God had created and made These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created in the day that Iehovah God made the earth and the heavens And every plant of the field before it was in the earth and every herbe of the field before it grew-up for Iehovah God had not caused-it-to-raine upon the earth and there was not a man to till the ground And a myst went-up from the earth and watred the whole face of the earth And Iehovah God formed man dust of the earth and inspired his nostrills with the breath of life and man was a living soule And Iehovah God planted a garden in Eden eastward and there hee put the man whom he had formed And Iehovah God made to grow-up

wash all the haire of his head for by sentence of the law it is as his body and any uncleane that are baptised in their clothes it will serve the turne because the water passeth through them and they part it not from the body and so the menstruous woman that is baptised in her clothes it is lawfull for her to company with her husbād If there be any thing that part betweene the body or vessell and the water as if clay or any like thing cleave to the flesh of man or to a vessell it is uncleane still as it was and the baptising profiteth them nothing Maimony in Mikvaoth ch 1. s. 2. 7. 12. This rinsing and washing of the hands in water figured the cleansing of the body and spirit from all filthinesse 2 Cor. 7. 1. Heb. 10. 22. So the Apostle saith Clense your hands ye sinners and purifie your hearts yee double minded Iam. 4. 8. Vers. 12. of earth or of potters earth such as potbakers burne in the kill see the notes on Lev. 11. 33. All vessells that are uncleane are made cleane by water save vessels of potters-earth and vessells of glasse such have no cleannesse but breaking Maim in Mikvaoth ch 1. s. 3. Earthen vessells somtime signify reprobate persons Psal. 2. 9. Ier. 19. 11. so the breaking of these might figure the destruction of ungodly men the rinsing and scouring of other vessels signifying the purging of repentant beleeving sinners by the blood of Christ and waters of his word and spirit Or if it be applied generally as all men are earthen vessells it figured the utter abolishing of sin uncleannes by death as is shewed on Lev. 11. 33. of wood or of other strong matter as of silver bra●●e copper and the like About tho washing of vessells the Iewes have these rules that nothing must part the vessell or any part of it and the water as pitch clay or the like that cleaveth to the vessell that if a vessell bee turned the mouth downward and baptised it is as if it were not baptised because the water so comes not to all parts of it Likewise a vessell full of any liquor except water and baptised it is as if it were not baptised Maimony in Mikvaoth c. 3. s. 1. 12. 18. Vnto the ordinances of the Lord for washing men and vessels that were uncleane the Pharisees after added traditions of their owne washing when they were not uncleane for except they washed their hands oft they did not cate and when they came from the market except they were baptised they did not eate and many other things they had received to hold the baptising of cups and of pots and of brazen vessells and of beds For these Christ blamed them that they layd aside the commandement of God and held the tradition of men Mark 7. 4. 8. yea so farre proceeded they in their superstition that they said whosoever eateth without washing of his hands he is as one that lyeth with a harlot abusing for this that scripture in Prov. 6. 28. as R. Menachem on Deut. 8. alledged from the Talmud in Sotah Vers. 13. shall be cleansed that is healed but the meanes of healing are not declared save that by the rites and sacrifices following God would teach thē that his grace in Christ maketh them whol by the Prophet he saith I will save you from all your uncleannesses Ezek. 36. 29. and from all your filthines and from all your idols will I clense you Ezek. 36. 25. which cleansing is shewed to be by pardoning iniquities Ier. 33. 8. and by creating a cleane heart in sinners Psal. 51. 12. so that they come unto Christ in faith as the woman that had an issue of blood and had spent all her living on Physicians but could not be healed of any when she touched the border of Christs garment her issue stanched and Christ said unto her Thy faith hath made thee whole Luke 8. 43. 44. 48. seven daies for his cleansing to try whether he be perfectly cured and cleane and to lead him in mystery unto the day of Christ and Sabbath or rest from sin under him for so the number seven signified as is noted on Exodus 12. 15. Levit. 4. 7. And from hence the Hebrewes gather he must count seven cleane daies and be baptised in the seventh and bring his offring in the eight If he see any appearance of his issue though it be at the end of the seventh day after he is baptised all that he hath done is nothing but he must begin againe to reckon seven cleane dayes after the day of the last appearance of his issue Maimony in Mechosrei capporah ch 3. sect 1. bathe or wash his flesh which the Greek translateth wash his bodie See vers 5. living water that is as the Chaldee expoundeth it spring or fountaine water whereof see the notes on Levit. 14. 5. The Hebrewes explaine this law thus The man that hath an issue is not elensed but in a fountaine for loe it is said of him In living water but the woman that hath an issue and other uncleane either men or vessells are baptised though in a gathering of waters Maimony in Mikvaoth c. 1. s. 5. The Pond or gathering of water called in Hebrew Mikveh whereof see Levit. 11. 36. was requisite for the cleansing of other uncleane persons that needed baptising All uncleane either men or vessells c. were not cleansed but by baptising in waters gathered-together upon the ground By the law they might baptise in all waters gathered together into one place so many as would suffice to baptise the whole body of a man The quantitie their wise men determined to bee fortie Seahs of water the Seah was more then our English pecke as is noted on Gen. 18. 6. Such a pond or bath they say became unlawfull to wash in by change of the colour of the water onely not by change of tast or change of smell Running waters that flow from a spring are as the spring it selfe for any matter Standing water is not allowable for men that have the issue nor for the Lepers nor for the water of purification Numb ●9 17. These things and sundry the like Maimony hath recorded in Mikvaoth ch 1. s. 1. and c. 4. s. 1. and c. 7. s. 1. and ch 19. s. 13. Among the Latines spring and running waters were called also living as Attrectare nefas donec me flumine vivo Abluero Virgil Aeneid 2. This living water figured the blood spirit of Christ for he hath washed us frō our sins in his owne blood Rev. 1. 5. from his throne proceedeth a pure river of water of life into his Church Rev. 22. 1. his mouth and Law is a will of water of life Prov. 10. 11. and 13. 14. Iohn 4. 10. and the Spirit which they that beleeve in him doe receive is as rivers of living water Iohn 7. 38. 39. These cleane waters when God sprinkleth upon sinners they shall be cleane

they did bite like a Lion and in 2 Sam. 23. 13. the place before mentioned by Tlatha gibbaraja three mighty men it expresseth both readings Now seeing all these have thus done before mee how is it that I onely should haue such blame imputed ●nto mee Obiect You make God like unto Ianus Bifrons the idoll with two faces to looke two divers wayes at once in these divers and contrary readings of the same Text. Answ. 1. A Turke or Infidell might thus object against all Christian translations which sometime read one contrary to another sometime contrary to themselves and sometime give both readings as before is shewed 2. A Iew may so object against the new Testament which alleaging the testimony of the Prophet thou Bethlehem Ephratah art little Mic. 5. 2. expresseth it by the negative thou Bethlehem art not the least Mat. 2. 6. 3. If it please God in the same speech to looke divers or contrary wayes in divers respects What is man that hee should pleade against the Lord There is no absurdity to a modest minde whether with the Greeke and other common Interpreters we reade the negative in the ●ine He hath made us and not we or the affirmatiue in the margine He hath made us and his 〈◊〉 are Psal. 100. 3. as the Chaldee Hierom and some other doe explaine it Whether according to the line we reade Though he slay me should I not trust or after the margine Though he slay me I will trust in him Iob 13. 15. for both these are one in effect as hath not my hand ●●de all these things Act. 7. 50. is the same that My hand hath made all these things Esay 66. 2. So in 1 Sam. 2. 3. the negative in the line may be referred unto men the affirmative in the margine unto God as Peter Martyr accordeth them So other seeming contrarieties in Esay 9. 3. 49. 5. 63. 9. and other places have beene both by Christian and Iewish Expositors reconciled by referring them to divers things or persons Yea thus the Holy Ghost himselfe teacheth us for in 2 Sam. 23. 18. Abishai is said to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 have the name among the three but after in 〈◊〉 Chron. 11. 20. it is written that he had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not the name among the three and so Iunius and A 〈◊〉 Montanus translate it The reason hereof is that the Scripture speaketh of two threes the first and the second among the second he had the name Howbeit he attained not unto the first ●●ree as is expresly said in 2 Sam. 23. 19. To signifie this God by the latter Prophet saith he 〈◊〉 ●●t the name yet noteth therewith in the margine that he had the name 1 Chron. 20. and sheweth the reason in vers 21. Of the three to wit the latter three he was more honourable 〈◊〉 the two and was their captaine howbeit he attained not to the three to wit the first three Thus we see how both readings are approved of God himselfe and even such as in shew may 〈…〉 me one repugnant to another The like I have before shewed in sundry other places Object many Hebrew Bibles want thes readings you speake of as that by Sebast. Munster the great Edition by Plantine those by Rob. Stephanus Raphelengius and R. Isaak bar Shim●on so that we may say with as good reason as you that the Hebrew hath them not Answ. It followeth not because some have printed the Bible without these marginall notes therefore they were not in the originall Copies Some of our latter small English Editions have none of the marginall notes or signification of both readings to say therefore that the Translators affixed no notes of those divers readings as in the former Editions are to be seene were to doe them wrong 2 Many Hebrew Bibles are printed also and heretofore written without any prickes vowels or accents if wee shall hereupon conclude therefore the Hebrew hath them not and they are not of Divine authority we magnifie the Iewish Rabbins greatly in accepting their expositions for Scripture For all men that know that tongue know also that without the vowels and accents many words and sentences may otherwise be interpreted than they are And all Translators in all languages doe now follow the Hebrew as it is vowelled 3. The Editions spoken of by Munster Plantine and the rest such of them as I have seene have the vowels which properly belong to the words in the margine and agree not with the words in the line as in 2 King 6. 25. and 10. 27. and 18. 27. and many other places which argue those bookes to be unperfect which have vowels to be read with consonants that are not expressed or fit for them 4 If the marginall readings be omitted some Scriptures will not easily be read with any true and perfect sense as in Ezek 42. 16. five cubits for five hundred so 2 Chron. 11. 18. 1 King 12. 33. Psal. 22. 17. 1 Sam. 4. 13. and other like which no Interpreter that ever I saw hath expounded without the margine 5 Munster who is first named omitteth not the marginall readings wholly for in the Hebrew Bible which he set forth with his Latine version and annotations there hee conjoyneth both line and margine in his translation 2 Sam. 23. 13. and 1 King 22. 48. and often he expresseth both the line and margine in his Hebrew and translateth after the margine as in 2 Sam. 23. 18 20 21. 2 King 19. 31 37. and elsewhere Object But the Massorites Bible have a thousand superstitions more which by like warrant are there recorded unto us as divine traditions c. The Thalmudists also have another vile practise their al tikri in changing and altring the reading of the Scripture according to their lust as in Gen. 2. 4. Psal. 3. 7. and 68. 18. c. Answ. It cannot be shewed for ought that I know that ever the Iewish nation received the other Masoriticall notes or the al tikries for part of the Canon or text of Scriptures as they have done all the bookes of the old Testament with the Keries in the margine which they reckon 848 in number Neither can it be shewed that Translators old or new have rendred them for divine Scripture as I have before shewed all of them to have translated the Keries or marginall readings in very many yea in the most places Neither are those notes and al tikries approved by the Holy Ghost in other Scriptures as sundry of the margina●l readings are before shewed to be Neither have the Thalmudists or any Iew to my knowledge put the al tikri for the word in the Text but leave the Scripture intire as it is give the other but as their glosse or exposition after that their manner of phrase which is not to be approved And the Massorites many notes have their Grammaticall use for the Hebrew tongue though the Bible is perfect without them and translations in other languages

neede them not Object If these divers readings were written by the Spirit of God as you will have it then must they bee for our learning and instruction for increase of our comfort and hope Rom. 15. 4 but if you cannot shew that there is a certaine and sure way to gather necessary doctrine from the● for our edification then have wee no reason to thinke with you that they are any part of the Scriptures of God or written by the Spirit of God Answ. All Translators old and new will have many of them to bee written by the Spirit of God as by their versions and notes hath beene manifested yea and the Spirit of God him-selfe by other Prophets hath confirmed sundry of them and they are all for ought that hath beene yet shewed of equall authority 2 If I or another man cannot shew a sure way to gather necessary doctrine from every one of them it followeth not that therefore a sure way could not heretofore or cannot now or shall not here after bee shewed by any 3 From many of them both doctrine and comfort hath soundly beene gathered by sundry men the like I doubt not may be done from the rest as God shall furnish men with more abundan●● of his Spirit Object If it were true that Keri and Chethib were both written by the Spirit of God c. then doe you herein declare your selfe to be guilty of great sinne treachery and unfaithfull dealing with the Scriptures in that you doe leave out divers parts of the same at your pleasure c. as in Gen. 8. 17. and 10. 19. and 25. 23. and 27. 3 c. Answ. 1. This reason if it be of weight woundeth not me alone but thorow my sides all ancient and latter Interpreters that have read noted or expounded some of them as is formerly manifested for none hath ever read or noted them all Though this be no excuse for me wherein I have done amisse 2 Those marginall readings doe many of them concerne the Hebrew tongue and Grammar which however they may be of great and good use for the Hebrewes and such as know that tongue yet are they not of such use in other languages When Arjeh a Lion is noted to be read Ari a Lion in 2 Sam. 23. 20. it sheweth in the Hebrew tongue an agreement with 1 Chron. 11. 22. where it is written onely Ari but in other tongues which write the name of a Lion but one way it hath not such use When Shenajim in statu absoluto as Grammarians call it is noted to be read Shene in statu constructo 2 King 17. 16. both which in English signifie two which word with us varieth not the forme as doth the Hebrew when Anu is by the margin to be read Anachnu in Ier. 42. 6. both which in our language signifie Wee when in the night Lam. 2. 19. is by the letters in the line belel and by the vowels and margin ballajlab both which signifie one thing and many the like as in 1. King 18. 5. and 19. 4. and 21 8. 2 King 7. 12. and 11. 20. and 15. 25. Esay 54 16 c. these differences may be profitably observed by them that know that first tongue but in other speeches cannot so be discerned So the order of the Hebrew Alphabet is set downe of God in some Psalmes and in Ieremies Lamentations which when the Hebrew is turned into other tongues will not so appeare And thus Hotse in Gen. 8. 17. being to be read by the vowels and margin Hojtse bring forth Gojim nations being written in the line with jod and read in the margin with vau in Gen. 25. 23. and sundry the like because they so specially belong to the Hebrew tongue and vary not in our English I have therefore omitted to speake of And if this reason be not of weight let me beare my deserved blame but let not the booke of God be accused of corruption And let the judicious and learned Reader judge of that which hath been said Of the Hebrew Records WHiles the Iewes Common-wealth did stand they had besides the writings of Moses and the Prophets which were of Publike and Divine authority other civill Monuments and private Records as all Kingdomes for the most part have for their use some of which are mentioned in the holy Scriptures Ios. 10. 13. 1 Kin. 11. 41. and 14. 19 29. But those ancient stories are now lost some that were written betweene the times of the last Prophets and the Apostles yet remaine as the two bookes of the Maccabees and that which Iunius calleth the booke of Simeon others the third of the Maccabees the writings of Iosephus Philo and the like When the second Temple was destroyed by the Romans and the Iewes Common-wealth overthrowne and their people scattered about the yeere of Christ 150. R. Iudah hannasi began to gather the private writings notes records and observations which were in the hands of the Doctors of his time and to compile them in one volume others after him added moe unto them with their own Commentaries which worke they called the Thalmud or Doctrinall In which they have recorded the practise of the Law from old time in their Common-wealth and Church according to their understanding but so as many Iewish fables vaine traditions received from their fathers and false expositions of the Scriptures are mixed with other things of better note and use The Thalmud called Ierusalemi was finished about the yeere of our Lord 230. and the other called Babeli about the yeere 500. according to the Canons and constitutions whereof the Iewes live to this day These longsome volumes were after abridged by Moses sonne of Maimon called Maimony and Rambam who lived 1200. yeeres after our Lords birth and he set downe in plainer Hebrew the expositions canons and traditions according to which they had interpreted the Law of God given by Moses and practised the same omitting the discourses fables disputes c. wherewith the Thalmud is re●erced And this Maimony is of such esteeme among the Iewish nation that of him it is said From Moses the Prophet to Moses sonne of Maimon there was none like this Moses Other Expositors they have some ancient as the Chaldee paraphrasts of which Ionathan that interpreted the Prophets is reported to be the Scholler of Gamaliel at whose feet our Apostle Paul learned the Law and Onkelos who paraphrased on the Law was not long after him Their latter Writers follow for the most part the Thalmuds and notwithstanding the many fables and falshoods that are found generally in them yet for the many good things and probable truths which from elder daies they doe record they have beene and are regarded of Christian Writers heretofore and at this day that of them it is said When they doe well they are the best Expositors and when they doe evill they are the worst Now whereas I have alleaged many of their interpretations especially from the Greeke and Chaldee