unclean see on chap. 7. 2. Levit. 11. 2. c. 21. And the Lord smelled †Heb. a savour of rest a sweet savour x i. e. Graciously accepted the Person and Faith and Praise-offering of Noah and was as well pleased therewith as men use to be with a sweet smell and the Lord said in his Heart y i. e. Determined within himself and expressed so much to Noah The Hebrew preposition el sometimes signifies in as Gen. 6. 6. 1 Sam. 27. 1. Others said to his Heart i. e. spake to the Heart of Noah who is mentioned ver 20. To speak to the Heart in Scripture use signifies to comfort I will not again curse the ground z i. e. The whole Earth with this kind of curse with another deluge Otherwise God doth not hereby tye his hands that he may not either destroy a particular Land by a deluge which hath been done since or destroy the World by Fire when he sees fit as he hath declared he will do any more for mans sake for the * Chap. 6. 5. Matth. 15. 19. imagination of mans Heart is evil a The reason is this since all mens Hearts are naturally corrupt and from that filthy spring wicked actions will be continually flowing forth into the World and consequently if I should be severe to punish men according to their sins I should do nothing but send one deluge after another Or these words may be joyned with the former and the sense may be this I will not again destroy the Earth with a deluge for mans sake or for mans sin or because the imagination c. i. e. because his heart is corrupt and his actions are agreeable to it which was the cause of the last deluge Or the particle chi may be rendred although as it is frequently taken as Exod. 5. 11. and 13. 17. and 34. 9. Ios. 17. 13. Psal. 25. 11. and 41. 5. and so the sense is plain I will not again destroy the Earth although the imagination c. i. e Although I have just cause to do so from his youth Neither will I again smite b i. e. Kill or destroy as the word smiting is taken Exod. 21. 18. Numb 14. 12. and 35. 16. Deut. 28. 22 27. Amos 4. 9. any more every thing living as I have done ‖ Or From his very childhood and infancy as the Chaldee and Greek interpreters Translate it 22. †Heb. as yet all the days of the Earth While the Earth remaineth c In this estate For though it seems probable that the substance of the Earth will abide for ever after the dissolution of the World by fire yet that will be in another manner and for other purposes and then there will be no need of Seed-time or Harvest c. Seed-time and Harvest and Cold and Heat and Summer and Winter and Day and Night d Which distinction in a manner ceased in the Ark the Heavens being covered and all its lights eclipsed by such thick and black Clouds as never were before noâ—… since shall not cease CHAP. IX 1. AND God blessed a i. e. Renewed the old blessing and grant made chap. 1. 28. which might seem to be forfeited and made void by mans sin and by Gods Judgment consequent upon it Noah and his Sons and said unto them * Chap. 1. 28. and 8. 17. be fruitful and multiply and replenish the Earth 2. And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every Beast of the Earth and upon every Fowl of the Air upon all that moveth upon the Earth and upon all the Fishes of the Sea ‖ Before they loved and reverenced you as Lords and Friends now they shall dread you as Enemies and Tyrants into your hand are they delivered * For your use and service I restore you in part to that Dominion over them which you for your sins have forfeited 3. Every moving thing b Which is wholesome and fit for food and clean An exception to be gathered both from the nature of the thing and from the distinction of clean and unclean Beasts mentioned before and afterwards that liveth c This is added to exclude the use of those Creatures which either died of themselves or were killed by wild Beasts which is here forbidden implicitely and afterwards expresly See Exod. 22. 31. Levit. 22. 8. shall be meat for you d It is not a command that we must but a permission that we may eat of them A grant possibly given before the Flood but now expressed either because the former allowance might seem to be forfeited or because as men now grew more infirm and needed better nourishment so the Earth was grown more feeble by the Flood and its fruits yeilded less and worse nourishment even as the * Chap. 1. 29. green herb have I given you all things †Understand this with the limitation above mentioned The green Herbs were given before chap. 1. 29. 4. * Levit. 17. 14. Deut. 12. 23. Act. 15. 20. But Flesh with the †Heb. Soul Life thereof e i. e. Whilst it lives or taken from the Creature before it be quite dead Which was an antient practice and an effect either of luxury or cruelty which is the blood thereof f i. e. Which life or soul hath its seat in and its support from the blood and the spirits contained in it It is certain Blood is the thing which is here principally minded and forbidden and so the words may be thus translated and understood but flesh i. e. the Flesh of living Creatures hereby allowed you with the Life thereof that is to say with the blood thereof wherein its life consists Or But Flesh whilst it hath in it its Life or Soul or which is all one its Blood shall you not eat g God thought fit to forbid this partly that by this respect shewn to the blood of Beasts it might appear how sacred a thing the blood of man was and how much God abhorred the sin of Murther and principally because the Blood was reserved and consecrated to God as was the means of atonement for man which reason God himself gives Levit. 17. 11 12. and did in a special manner represent the Blood of Christ which was to be shed for the Redemption of mankind 5. And * Or For as the particle is oft taken This being the reason of the foregoing prohibition surely your blood of your †Heb. Souls Lives h Or Of your Souls i. e. Of your persons the word Soul being oft put for Person Or your Blood which is for your lives i. e. which by the spirits it generates is the great preserver and instrument of your lives and of all your vital actions and the great bond which ties your Souls and Bodies together The sense of the place is If I am thus carefull for the blood of Beasts
Rom. â—…4 19. Heb. 11. 11 12. Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women r As to those monethly effluviums peculiar to her Sex which are necessary to Conception Compare Gen. 31. 35. 12 Therefore Sarah laughed s Not from joy and admiration but from distrust and contempt as if it were incredible within herself t Heb. In her heart i. e. she secretly derided it though none but her self as she thought knew it saying * Luk. â—… 18. After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure u Not so much in the conception as in the education and fruition of a Child my * 1 Pet. 3. 6. Lord being old also 13. And the LORD said unto Abraham Wherefore did Sarah laugh saying shall I of a surety bear a Child which am old 14 * Jer. 32. 17. Zech. 8. 6. Luk. 1. 37. Is any thing too hard for the LORD x †Chap. 17. 21. at the time appointed will I return unto thee according to the time of life and Sarah shall have a son * Heb. Hid from God So the sense is though she laughed onely in her heart it is not unknown to me Or rather too wonderful for God to effect Which best suits with the following words 15 Then Sarah denied y From the sense of guilt and the discovery of her shame and the expectation of a sharp rebuke both from this person and from her husband saying I laughed not for she was afraid y From the sense of guilt and the discovery of her shame and the expectation of a sharp rebuke both from this person and from her husband and he said Nay but thou didst laugh 16 And the men rose up from thence and looked towards Sodom and Abraham went with them * 3 Joh. 6. to bring them on the way z A Civility usual then and afterwards See Act. 20. 38. and 21. 5. Rom. 15. 24. 1 Cor. 16. 11. 17 And the LORD said * Amos 3. 7. shall I hide from Abraham a q. d. I will not cannot hide it It is against the laws of Friendship to conceal my secrets from him The interrogation here is in effect a negation as elsewhere Compare 2 Sam. 7. 5. with 1 Chron. 17. 4. and Matth. 7. 16. with Luke 6. 43. See also Amos 3. 7. that thing which I do 18 Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation and all the nations of the Earth shall be * Chap. 12. 3. and 22. 18. Acts 3. 25. Gal. 3. 8. blessed in him b q. d. Seeing I have done greater things for him how can I deny him the less Compare the argument Rom. 8. 32. Gods ways are not like mens ways Former favours to men are arguments why they should do no more but to God they are motives for the adding of new ones 19 For I know him c I know him to be such an one as I am now describing Or I know this concerning him which now follows Others I love him and therefore cannot conceal this from him Words of Knowledge being oft put for Love as Ier. 1. 5. and 24. 5. Hos. 13. 5. Amos 3. 2. that he will command d Or Instruct as the word is used Levit. 14. 5. Deut. 20. 18. and 27. 3. It will not be in vain that I tell him this and give him occasion to pray and to tast my goodness in answering prayers because he will not smother these things in his own breast but manifest them to others and teach them how good God is who so readily complies with the desires and prayers of men and how terrible he is to incorrigible sinners and how evil and bitter a thing it is to sin against God And so I shall get the end I aim at in all my works which is that they may be known for the good of others that they may learn by such examples his children and his houshold after him e Who will live when he is dead He will so diligently imprint these things in their minds that they shall never forget them and they shall keep the way of the LORD f i. e Observe and walk in the way of Gods precepts q. d. He shall not lose his design or labour for what he teacheth they shall learn and practise See Psal. 51. 15 c. to do justice and judgment g i. e. To do all things that are good and right and just both to God and Men. Compare Psal. 119. 121. that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him h i. e. That Abraham and his posterity keeping the conditions of the Covenant required on their part God may without any blemish to his honour or justice give all those good things which he hath promised to them 20 And the LORD said Because * Chap. 4. 10. and 19. 13. Jam. 5. 4. the cry i Sins are said to cry when they are gross and manifest and impudent and such as highly provoke God to anger of Sodom and Gomorrha k He names only these two as being the most eminent in state and exemplary in wickedness but under them he includes the rest as appears by the story is great and because their sin is very grievous 21 I * Chap. 11. 5. will go down now and see l i. e. Enquire into the truth of the thing God here speaks after the manner of men and for the example and instruction of Judges to search into causes ere they pass sentence whether they have †Heb. made a full end done altogether m Heb. Whether they have made a consummation or accomplishment i. e. whether they have filled up the measure of their sins Compare Gen. 15. 16. Matth. 23. 32. Iames 1. 15. according to the cry of it which is come unto me and if not I will know 22 And the men n i. e. Two of them For the third stayed with Abraham as it here follows turned their faces from thence and went toward Sodom but Abraham stood yet before the LORD o The third of these persons whom now he perceived to be the Lord himself who had assumed an humane shape 23 And Abraham drew near p i. e. Approached unto God to enquire of him and to pray unto him For so the phrase of drawing near to God is used 1 Sam. 14. 36. Psal. 73. 28. Isa. 29. 13. Heb. 10. 22. and said wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked 24 * Jer. 5. 1. Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the City q i. e. in the Cities concerned as appears by ver 20. 19. 25. The singular number for the plural as is frequent as Gen. 3. 2. 1 Chron. 10. 1. compared with 1 Sam. 31. 1. and oft elsewhere Or the City Sâ—…om alone is mentioned but the rest
I have done for this people p As I have done thy People good for thy sake so do me good for thine own sake for thou art pleased and hast promised graciously to reward us according to our works and to mete to men the same measure which they mere to others CHAP. VI. 1 NOw it came to pass when Sanballat and Tobiah and Geshem the Arabian and the rest of our enemies heard that I had built the wall and that there was no breach left therein though at that time I had not set up the doors a Not all of them See on ch 3. 1 2 3. upon the gates 2 Then Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me saying Come let us meet together b To consult about the common Service of our Master the King of Persia or to make a friendly accommodation in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono c A City in the Tribe of Benjamin of which see chap. 11. 35. and 1 Chron. 8. 12. But they thought to do me mischief 3 And I sent messengers unto them saying I am doing a great work d He tells them one but not the onely nor the principal reason of his refusal because his coming might cause the work to cease not only by the neglect of it during his absence but by his death which they by this means might compass though he thought it not fit to express so much to them so that I cannot come down why should the work cease whilest I leave it and come down to you 4 Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort and I answered them after the same manner 5 Then sent Sanballat his servant unto me in like manner the fifth time with an open letter e Thereby bidding open defiance to him as before he had used secret practices and intimating that he would do that by manifest force which he had intended to do by sudden surprize in his hand 6 Wherein was written It is reported among the heathen f The neighbouring People whom you proudly and disdainfully call Heathens or Gentiles and ‖ Or 〈◊〉 ver 2. Gashmu g Called Geshem v. 1. Who affirmed it and would prove it saith it that thou and the Jews think to rebel for which cause thou buildest the wall that thou maist be their king according to these words h i. e. According to these reports or that thou maist justifie and verifie these rumours Others according to these things i. e. when these things which thou art now doing shall be finished But the first sense seems most agreeable to the use of the same words in the next verse 7 And thou hast also appointed prophets to preach of thee at Jerusalem saying There is a king in Judah i We have now a King of our own Nation and are free from the Bondage of a forreign yoke and now shall it be reported to the king according to these words Come now therefore and let us take counsel together k That we may impartially examine the matter that either thy Innocency may be cleared and false accusations may be prevented or if thou art guilty the King may be informed 8 Then I sent unto him saying There are no such things done as thou saist but thou feignest them out of thine own heart 9 For they all made us afraid l i. e. They endeavoured to do so and actually did terrifie some persons saying Their hands shall be weakened from the work that it be not done Now therefore O God strengthen my hands 10 Afterward I came unto the house of Shemajah the son of Delajah m Probably one of the chief of the Priests 1 Chron. 24. 26. the son of Mehetabel who was shut up n In his chamber adjoining to the Temple upon pretence of singular Devotion Sequestration from the World and special acquaintance and much communion with God in his retirements after the manner of the Prophets and withal of certain knowledg which he had by the Spirit of God and of Prophecy concerning their approaching danger from which they could be safe no where but in the Temple which the very heathens owned for a Sanctuary which they might not violate and he said Let us meet together in the house of God within the Temple o For the danger is so near that we cannot safely tarry here so long as to consult what to do in this juncture His design herein was partly to discourage and disgrace Nehemiah and thereby to strike a dread into all the People and give a speedy and full stop to the work partly to prepare the way for the Enemies to assault and take the City whilest Nehemiah was shut up and unable to give them any opposition partly to justifie their accusation of Nehemiah to the King by his flight upon it and partly that there by the help of other Priests who were conscious of his plot he might either destroy him or secure his person till the City by some of his complices were betrayed into the Enemies hands and let us shut the doors of the temple for they will come to slay thee yea in the night will they come to slay thee 11 And I said should such a man as I p â—… the chief Governour upon whose presence and Counsel and conduct the very Life and Being of the whole City and Nation in a great measure depends I who have professed such Resolution and Courage and Confidence in God I who have had such eminent experience of Gods gracious and powerful Assistances of his calling me to this employment and carrying me through it when our danger was greater than now it is Shall I now dishonour God and Religion and betray the People and City of God by my cowardize God forbid This is not the counsel of God nor of a Friend but a Plot of mine Enemies as it here follows flee and who is there that being as I am would go into the temple to save his life q As if I had an evil Cause or Conscience as if I were a a malefactor who fled thither for refuge as if I durst not trust God with my preservation except I went into the Temple which it is not lawful for me being no Priest to do I will not go in 12 And lo I perceived r Partly by considering the sinful Nature and pernicious consequence of this Counsel partly by the suggestion of Gods Spirit whose counsel and help I sought in this matter and partly by the event which discovered that there was no such danger from the approach of the Enemy as was pretended that God had not sent him but that he pronounced this prophecy against me for Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him 13 Therefore was he hired that I should be afraid and do so and sin s By going into a place forbidden to me and that in such a time and manner and upon such an occasion which would
follows are within me i Besides those evils which are past Ch. 1. there are other miseries that are constant and fixed in me the sharp pains of my body and dismal horrours of my mind the poison whereof k Implying that these Arrows were more keen and pernicious than ordinary as being dipped in God's wrath as the barbarous Nations then and since used to dip their Arrows in poison that they might not only pierce but burn up and consume the vital parts drinketh up my spirit l i. e. Exhausteth and consumeth either 1. my vital spirits together with my blood the seat of them and my heart the spring of them as poison useth to do But I doubt the Hebrew word ruach is never used in that sense Or 2. my soul which is commonly the Spirit my mind and conscience So he tells them that besides the miseries which they saw he felt others and far greater though invisible torments in his soul which if they could see they would have more pity for him And in this sense this place is and may very well be otherwise rendred whose poison my spirit drinketh up i. e. my soul sucks in the venom of those calamities by apprehending and applying to it self the wrath of God manifested and conveyed by them * Psal. 88. 15 16. the terrours of God m Either 1. great terrours or 2. God's terrible Judgments or rather 3. these terrours which God immediately works in my soul either from the sense of his wrath accompanying my outward troubles or from the sad expectation of longer and greater torments do set themselves in array n They are like a numerous and well-ordered Army under the conduct of an irresistible General who designs and directs them to invade me on every side against me 5. Doth the wild Ass bray †Heb. at grass when he hath grass or loweth the Ox over his fodder o Thou wonderest that my disposition and carriage is so greatly altered from what it was Ch. 4. 3. 4 5. but thou mayest easily learn the reason of it from the brute Beasts the Ass and Ox who when they have convenient and common food are quiet and contented but when they want that they will resent it and complain in their way by braying or lowing See Ier. 14. 6. And therefore my carriage is agreeable to those common principles of nature which are both in Men and Beasts by which their disposition and deportment is generally suitable to their condition It is no wonder that you complain not who live in ease and prosperity nor did I when it was so with me but if you felt what I feel you would be as full of complaints as I am 6. Can that which is unsavoury be eaten without Salt p Can or do men use to eat unsavoury meats with delight or without complaint This is either 1. a reflection upon Eliphaz his discourse as unsavoury which could not give him any conviction or satisfaction But his censure of Eliphaz his speech begins not till v. 14. and then it proceeds Or rather 2. a justification of Iob's complaints of which both the foregoing and following Verses treat by another Argument Men do commonly complain of their meat when it is but unsavoury how much more when it is so bitter as mine is which is implied here and expressed in the next Verse where the sense here begun is compleated and thâ—…s general Proposition is accommodated to Iob's condition or is there any tast in the white of an Egg q Heb. in the white of a yolk i. e. which encompasseth the yolk of an Egg. 7. The things that my soul refused to touch are as †Heb. sicknesses of my meat my sorrowful meat r Heb. as the sicknesses or sorrows of my meat i. e. as my sorrowful meat which I am constrained to eat with grief of heart The particle as either 1. notes not the similitude but the truth of the thing as it is oft used as hath been formerly noted and proved So the sense is That such meat as formerly he should have abhorred to touch either for the quality of it or for his tears or ulcerous matter which mixed themselves with it he was now forced by the necessities of nature and his own poverty to eat Or 2. implies that the following words are not to be understood properly but metaphorically And so the sense may be this Those grievous afflictions which according to the principles and common inclinations of humane nature I dreaded the very touch and thought of they are now my daily though sorrowful bread I am forced constantly to feed upon them as other persons in great afflictions are said to be sed with bread of tears Psal 80. 5. and to eat ashes like bread Psal. 102. 9. Others make this a censure of Eliphaz his words as ungrateful and loathsom to him But that sense seems neither to agree with the words of this Verse nor with its scope and coherence with the former of which see the notes on v. 6. 8. O that I might have my request s i. e. The thing which I have so passionately desired and notwithstanding all your vain words and weak Arguments do still justly continue to desire to wit death as is expressed v. 9. and more largely Ch. 3. and that God would grant me †Heb. my expectation â—…he thing that I long for 9. Even that it would please God to destroy me t To end my daies and calamities together that he would let loose his hand u Which is now as it were bound up or restrained from giving me that deadly blow which I desire O that he would restrain himself and his hand no longer but let it fall upon me with all its might so as to cut me off as it follows and cut me off 10. Then should I yet have comfort x The thoughts of my approaching death would comfort me in all my sorrows This would solace me more than life with all that worldly safety and glory and happiness which thou hast advised me to seek unto God for yea I would harden my self in sorrow y i. e. I would bear up my self with more courage and patience under all my torments with the hopes of my death and that blessedness into which I know I shall after death be admitted as he more fully speaks Ch. 19. 26 27. whereas now I pine away in lingring and hopeless miseries Or I would burn i. e. I am content to burn in sorrow Or I would pray as this word signifies in Hebrew Writers and praying may be here put for praiâ—…ng or worshipping of God as it is frequently used in Scripture in or for my sorrow or pain Then I would worship God and say Blessed be the Lord's Name for these afflictions as I did for the former Ch. 1. 20 21. let him not spare z But let him use all severity against me so far as to cut
and my Cause and not according to the rigours of his justice 16. If I had called p i. e. Prayed as this word is commonly used to wit unto my Judge for a favourable sentence as he now said and therefore it was neeedless here to mention the Object of his Calling or Prayer and he had answered me yet would I not believe that he had hearkned unto my voice q I could not believe that God had indeed granted my Desire though he had done it because I am so infinitely below him and obnoxious to him and still full of the tokens of his displeasure and therefore should conclude that it was but a pleasant Dream or Fancy and not a real thing Compare Psalm 126. 1. 17. For he breaketh me r This is the Reason of his foregoing Diffidence that even when God seemed to answer him in words yet the course of his actions towards him was of a quite contrary nature and tendency with a tempest s As with a Tempest i. â—… unexpectedly violently and irrecoverably and multiplieth my wounds without cause t Not simply without any desert of his or as if he had no sin in him for he oft declares the contrary but without any evident or special cause of such singular Afflictions i. e. any peculiar and extraordinary guilt such as my Friends charge me with 18. He will not suffer me to take my breath u My pains and miseries are continual and I have not so much as a breathing-time free from them but 〈◊〉 me with bitterness x My Afflictions are not only long and uninterrupted but also exceeding sharp and violent contrary to the common course of God's Providence 19. If I speak of strength y If my Cause were to be decided by power lo he is strong z i. e. stronger than I. and if of judgment a If I would contend with him in a way of right who shall set me a time to plead b There is no superiour Judge that can summon him and me together and appoint us a time of pleading before him and oblige us both to stand to his Sentence and therefore I must be contented to sit down with the loss 20. If I justifie my self c If I plead against God mine own Righteousness and Innocency mine own mouth shall condemn me d God is so infinitely wise and just that he will find sufficient matter of condemnation from my own words though spoken with all possible care and circumspection or he will discover so much wickedness in me of which I was not aware that I shall be forced to joyn with him in condemning my self if I say I am perfect e If I were perfect in my own opinion If I thought my self compleatly righteous and faultless it f i. e. My own mouth as he now said Or he i. e. God who is easily understood by comparing this with the former Verses where the same he is oft mentioned shall also prove me perverse 21. Though I were perfect yet would I not know my soul I would despise my life g i. e. Though God should acquit me in Judgment and pronounce me perfect or righteous yet would I not know i. e. regard or value as that word is oft used my soul i. e. my life as the soul frequently signifies as Gen. 19. 17. Iob 2. 6. Iohn 10. 15 17. and as it is explained in the following branch where life is put for soul and despising for not knowing and so the same thing is repeated in differing words and the latter clause explains the former which was more dark and doubtful according to the usage of sacred Scripture So the sense is Though God should give sentence for me yet I should be so overwhelmed with the dread and terrour of the Divine Majesty that I should be weary of my life And therefore I abhor the thoughts of contending with my Maker whereof you accuse me and yet I have reason to be weary of my life and to desire death Or thus If I say I am perfect as the very same Hebrew words are rendred v. 20. i. e. If I should think my self perfect yet I would not know i. e. not acknowledge my soul I could not own nor plead before God the perfection and integrity of my soul but would onely make supplication to my Judge as he said v. 16. and flee to his grace and mercy I would abhor or reject or condemn my life i. e. my conversation So the sense is I would not insist upon nor trust to the integrity either of my soul and heart or of my life so as to justifie my self before the pure and piercing Eyes of the all-seeing God 22. This is one thing h In the other things which you have spoken of God's greatness justice c. I do not contend with you but thi one thing I do and must affirm against you therefore I said it i I did not utter it rashly but upon deep consideration he de stroyeth the perfect and the wicked k God sends afflictions promiscuously upon good and bad men Compare Psal. 73. 2 c. Eccles. 9. 2. Ier. 12. 1 c. 23. If the scourge slay suddenly l Either 1. If some common and deadly Judgment come upon a people which destroys both good and bad Or 2. If God inflicts some grievous and unexpected stroke upon an innocent person as it follows he will laugh at the trial of the innocent m As he doth at the destruction of the wicked Psal. 2. 4. His outward carriage is the same to both he neglects the innocent and seems not to answer their prayers and suflers them to perish with others as if he took pleasure in their râ—…ne also But withal he intimates the matter and cause of this laughter or complacency which God takes in their afflictions because to them they are but trials of their saith and patience and perseverance which tends to God's honour and their own eternal advantage 24. The earth n i. e. The possession and dominion of men and things on earth is given o To wit by God the great Lord and disposer of it by his providence into the hand of the wicked p Into their power As good men are scourged v. 23. so the wicked are advanced and prospered in this world he covereth the faces of the Judges thereof q i. e. He blinds their eyes that they cannot discern between truth and falshood justice and unrighteousness He. Who Either 1. the wicked last mentioned who either by power or by gifts corrupts the Officers of justice Or rather 2. God whom the pronoun he designed all along this Chapter Who is oft said to blind the minds of men which he doth not positively by making them blind but privatively by withdrawing his own light and leaving them to their own mistakes and lusts Or by Iudges he may here mean
as a King v. 34. the Mighty c Even the stout hearted Mariners or Passengers who use to be above fear are afraid by reason of breakings d Either 1. Of the Sea caused by his motion which dasheth the Waves in pieces one against another Or rather 2. Of their Mind and State by reason of their great danger and distress which is expressed by this very word Psal. 60. 2. Ionah 2. 4. they purifie themselves e Either 1. Naturally that being the usual effect of great terrour See Ezek. 7. 17. Or rather 2. Morally as this word is generally used Those Mariners who ordinarily live in a gross and general neglect of God and of Religion are so affrighted with this imminent danger that they â—…ry unto God in their trouble as is said in like case Psal. 107. 28. and endeavour to purge their Consciences from the guilt of their sins by confessing and seemingly forsaking of them and to make their Peace with God and obrain his favour and help by their Vows and Promises and Prayers 26. The Sword of him that layeth at him f That approacheth to him and dare strike at him cannot hold g Heb. cannot stand i. e. either 1. Cannot endure the stroke but will be broken by it Or rather 2. Cannot abide or take hold of him or be fixed in him but is instantly beaten back by the excessive hardness of the skin which cannot be pierced by it as may be gathered from this and other passages before and after it This also seems better to agree to the Crocodile whose skin no Sword nor Dart nor Musquet Bullet as others add can pierce than to the Whale whose skin is easily pierced as Experience sheweth in our Whales except the Whale here spoken of were of another kind which is not impossible the spear the dart nor the ‖ 〈◊〉 habergeon h Or Breast-plate As offensive Weapons cannot hurt him so defensive Weapons cannot secure a Man from him But men that go upon the design of taking either Whales or Crocodiles do not use to fortifie themselves in that manner Some therefore take this to be another offensive Weapon a kind of dart as this word signifies in the Arabick Language which is but a Dialect of the Hebrew and from which the true signification of many Hebrew words must be gathered 27. He esteemeth iron as straw i He neither fears nor feels the blows of the one more than of the other and brass as rotten wood 28. The arrow k Heb. the son of the bow as it is elsewere called the Son of the quiver Lam. 3. 13. the Quiver being as it were the Mother or Womb that bears it and the Bow as the Father that begers it or sendeth it forth cannot make him flee sling-stones l Great stones â—…ast out of Slings which have a great force and efficacy of which see on 2 Chron. 26. 14. are turned with him into stubble m Hurt him no more than a blow with a little stubble 29. Darts are counted as stubble he laugheth at the shaking of a spear n So far is he from fearing it and fleeing from it that he scorns and desies it 30. †Sharp 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 Sharp stones are under him he spreadeth sharp-pointed things upon the mire o According to this Translation the sense is His Skin is so hard and impenerable that the sharpest stones are as easie to him as the mire and make no more impression upon him But the words are and may be otherwise rendred as continuing the former sense They to wit the Arrows Darts or Stones cast at him are or fall under him like which Particle is oft understood sharp shreads or fragments of stones he spreadeth sharp pointed things to wit the pieces of Swords or Darts which were flung at him and broken upon him upon the mire The fragments of broken weapons lie as thick at the bottom of the Water in the place of the fight as little stones do in the mire or as they do in a Field after some fierce and furious Battle Or thus with him or for him i. e. For his defence are sharp stones he spreadeth himself like an harrow or threshing instrument which is filled and fortified with Iron in the mire or mud in the bottom of the Water So he doth not describe his resting-place but rather his Back which he not unfitly compares to sharp stones or threshing Instruments because the Darts or Stones cast at him pierce no more into him than they would do into them if they were thrown at them 31. He maketh the deep p The deep Waters or the Sea which is called the deep Psal. 107. 24 Ionah 2. 3 as it is explained in the next Clause to boil like a pot q To swell and foam and froth by his strong and vehement motion as any Liquor doth when it is boiled in a pot he maketh the sea r Either the great Sea the proper place of the Whale Psal. 104. 25. or the great River Nilus which is called a Sea both in Scripture as Isa. 11. 15. and in other Authors of which see my Latin Synopsis as Euphrates is called the Sea of Babylon Isa. 21. 1. Jer. 51. 36. or Lakes or Pools which are most frequently called Seas both in the Old and New Testament as every one knows And in such Lakes the Crocodiles are no less than in Nilus as it is attested by Herodotus and Strabo and others like a pot of ointment s This Clause seems to be added very emphatically to intimate that this Leviathan causeth not onely a vehement commotion but also a great fragrancy in the Sea or Waters where it is Which though it was not observed by the Ancients yet is unanimously affirmed by later Authors upon their own knowledge and experience that it â—…asts a perfume like Musk of which see the Names and Words of the Authors in my Latin Synopsis 32. He maketh a path to shine after him one would think the deep to be hoary t When he raiseth himself to the top of the Waters he doth as it were plow it up and make large furrows and causeth a white froth or foam upon the Waters 33. Upon earth u Either 1. strictly so called as it is distinguished from the Sea or Rivers There is no Land-creature comparable to him for strength and courage Or 2. largely taken No Creature equals him in all points Or upon the dust as the word properly signifies i. e. Among all things that creep in the dust among which this may in some sort be numbred for the shormess of its feet But this were no great honour to it to be the chief of creeping things and therefore the former Translation seems more proper for the present design of magnifying this Creature above all others there is not his like ‖ Or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 themselves without fear who is made without fear x Fears
of Iâ—…dah Isa. 48. 1. and consequently of Iacob or Israel See also Prov. 5. 18. Isa. 51. 1. And this sence seems to be confirmed by the following Verse wherein this fountain is distributed into its several streams the Tribes of Israâ—…l But these words may be and are by some joyned with the former either thus Bless the Lord for the fountain of Israel i. e. for that fountain which God hath opened to Israel for the purging away of sin and uncleanness as it is expressed Zech. 13. 1. even the Blood and Spirit of Christ and all those spiritual Blessings which God confers upon his people in his Sanctuary and by his Ordinances which are oft compared to waters as Isa. 12. 3. Ezek. 47. 1. and to a Fountain or Wâ—…ll as Ioel 3. 18. Ioh. 4. 14. See also Prov. 14. 27. Ier. 2. 13. Or thus Bless the Lord who is of the fountain of Israel i. e. who though he be the most high God yet according to the flesh is descended from Israel as is noted Rom. 9. 5. But the first sence seems most natural and easie 27 There is x Present in this solemn pomp of carrying the Ark to Zion under the conduct of David their King little y That Tribe is called little partly because it was the youngest as being descended from Iacob's youngest Son Benjamin and principally because it was exceedingly diminished and almost extinguished under the Judges Iudg. 20. and 21. He mentions this Tribe partly because they were nearest unto Iudah and to the place whither the Ark was going and partly to note their reconciliation and submission to David against whom they had stood out with more obstinacy than any other Tribe as having been so long used to govern and loth to part with the Regal Dignity which was by God's appointment first scared among them Benjamin z with their ruler a With the Prince of their Tribe who marched in the head of them Heb. the ruler i. e. the Tribe which had lately swayed the Sâ—…epter but now submitted themselves to David and waited upon him in this Expedition But the first sence seems the truâ—…st beause the Princes of all the following Tribes are here mentioned the princes of Judah ‖ Or with their company and their council b Their Counsellors or rather their company as it is in the Margent the people of that Tribe who waited upon them in that action Which may seem to be here noted to intimate that though the Princes onely of the following Tribes be named yet the people are comprehended under them and were present with them in that solemnity the princes of Zebulun and the princes of Naphtali c He mentions these Tribes either 1. Because they excelled in Learning and Knowledge as is gathered from Gâ—…n 49. 21. Deut. 33. 19. Iudg. 5. 14. Or 2. Because they were more hearty and forward in complying with David and in his service than the rest as may 〈◊〉 from the great number of them which came from the ends of the Land to David in Hebron 1 Chron. 12 33 34. Or 3. Because they lived in the remotest parts of the Land of Canaan And so by naming two of the nearest Tribes and two of the furthest he leaves it to be understood that the other Tribes also did come upon this occasion as is manifest from 2 Sam. 6. 15 19. and 1 Chron. 13. 2 5 6 8. and 15. 3 28. 28 Thy God d Having spoken of Israel and of their sâ—…veral Tribes v. 26 27. he now directeth his speech to them hath commanded e i. e. Hath ordained or effectually procured as this word is oft used as Levit. 25. 21. Deut. 28. 8. Psal. 42. 8. and 44. 4. thy strength f All that strength and power which thou Last put forth at any time in fighting with thine Enemies and which is now greatly increased by the recollection and union of all the Tribes under one head which is the work of God himself without whom all the differences and animosities which had for many years been among them could never have been composed and quieted strengthen O God that which thou * Psal. 57. 2. hast wrought for us g Seeing therefore all our strength is in thee and from thee alone we pray unto thee for the continuance and increase of our strength and that thou wouldst proceed to finish that good work which thou hast begun among us by preserving and confirming and perpetuating this blessed union and by giving us a more full and universal deliverance from our Enemies 29 Because of thy temple h Either 1. The old Tabernacle which then was which is oft called by this name But that was now at Gibeon not at Ierusalem Or rather 2. The Temple which Solomon should build which David knew should be very magnifical of same and of glory throughout all Countries as he saith 1 Chr. 22. 5. and such as would command esteem and reverence even from Heathenish Princes and people and that not onely for its most splendid and glorious Structure but especially for the wonderful works of the God of that Temple wrought by him on the behalf of his people and in answer to the Prayers made in the Temple of which see 1 King 8. 41 42 43. at Jerusalem * Psal. 72. 10. shall kings i Kings of the Gentiles which was done in part in the times of Solomon and Hezekiah 1 King 10 11 24 25. 2 Chron. 32. 23. and afterwards by others but more fully when the Lord Christ was come into his Temple according to that Prophecy Mal. 3. 1. and had built a better temple instead of it even the Christian Church to which the Kings and Nations of the earth were to flow in great abundance according to the â—…enour of many Prophecies in the Old Testament bring presents unto thee 30 Rebuke k To wit really humble and chastize those that will not bring presents to thee as the Kings did v. 29. till they see their error and submit themselves as it here follows ‖ Or the beast if the reeds the company l So this word signifies here above v. 11. and 2 Sam. 23. 11. Psal. 74. 19. Or the beast or wild beast as this word is elsewhere used i. e. the beasts the singular being put for the plural so the sence is the same of spear-men m Heb. Of the reed i. e. that use Spears or Arrows which may be called reeds either because in length and form they resemble reeds or because anciently they were made of reeds And this sence seems favoured by the last words of this Verse in which he explains this and the other Metaphors of Warriors Or the reed may be taken properly and by the beast of the reed he may understand the King of Egypt who then a was very potent and a most idolatrous King and a great and old enemy to the true Râ—…ligion and to the
them and with vehement desire to enjoy them and with the deferring and disappointment of his hopes See Prov. 13. 12. for the courts c To enter into the outward Court with the people and to see what is done by the Priests in the inner Court and to joyn with them in their Religious Exercises of the LORD my heart and my flesh crieth out d With a doleful cry of which this word is used also Lament 2. 19. which elsewhere and commonly signifies a joyful shout The sence is my soul and body are pained or the passion of my heart maketh my tongue cry out for the living God 3 Yea the sparrow hath found an house e i. e. An habitation to wit a nest as it here followeth and the swallow a nest for her self where she may lay her young even thine altar f Or nigh as this Hebrew Particle eth is elsewhere used and as it is rendred by the Septuagint and the Chaldee Iudg. 4. 11. thine Altar Heb. Altars that of Burnt-offerings and the other of Incense At or near which these Birds might well and truly be said to have their Nests because they were either in some part of the Tabernacle or Temple in which the Altars were or in some buildings belonging or near at least to it O LORD of hosts my king and my God 4 Blessed are they that dwell in thy house g That constantly or frequently resort to and abide in thy house either the Priests and Levites who kept continual watch there or other devout Jews who were there perpetually as Anna Luk. 2. 37. they will be still praising thee h For they are continually employed in that blessed and glorious work of praising and serving thee in the place which thou hast appointed for that end Selah 5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee i Who trusteth in thee as his onely strength and refuge and portion Or who hath strength in or rather for as the Hebrew prefix Beth is frequently used as hath been noted again and again thee i. e. Who hath or who useth for having is sometimes put for using of which see Mat. 13. 12. 1 Cor. 7. 2. ability of body and mind for thee and for thy service or for that Journey which here he seems to insinuate and in the following Words and Verses he particularly describes For it must be considered that all the Males of Israel were obliged to come to the Tabernacle or Temple thrice in a year Exod. 34. 23 24. and that some of them lived at a great distance and consequently were to take a long and troublesome Journey which also might at some times and places be accompanied with hazards and other inconveniences and therefore such as wanted either courage or bodily strength might be discouraged or hindred from undertaking it and from the enjoyment of God in his solemn and publick worship Which though in some cases it might not be their sin yet surely it was a great affliction and infelicity and consequently it was a blessed thing to be freed from those impediments as the Psalmist here observes in whose heart are the ways of them k i. e. Of those men for though man be the singular number it is understood câ—…llectively of all that sort or company of men But these words of them are not in the Hebrew and as some Learned Men have observed seem to disturb or darken the sence Others therefore seem to render the words better and more agreeably to the Hebrew Text in whose heart are thy which Pronoun is oft understood ways to wit those ways which lead to thy house or the ways so called emphatically or by way of eminency the ways of or to Zion as they are called Lam. 1. 4. as is evident from the seventh Verse of this Psalm So the meaning is Blessed are they whose thoughts and affections are much and strongly fixed upon the high ways and their journeys to Zion who have both strength of body as is said in their former branch and readiness of heart as is here added to go to Zion which are the two qualifications requisite for that journey Blessed are they whose hearts are set upon Zion and their journeys thither that are continually or from time to time stirring up and bespeaking themselves and others as they did Ier. 31. 6. Arise ye let us go up to Zion unto the Lord our God As when a man's heart is knit in true friendship to one that lives at some distance from him he is oft thinking with great desire and delight of the place where he dwelleth and of the way leading to it 6 Who passing l Or being used to pass for he seems not to speak of one particular act but of a common course or custom through the valley ‖ Or Of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 make 〈◊〉 a well c. of Baca m A place so called which some Jewish and other Writers affirm to have been a very dry place and therefore incommodious for Travellers in those hot Countries and in hot seasons Which place may be here mentioned not exclusively to other ways and passages for this high way being but one and on one side of Ierusalem could not be a general way for all the Israelites thither but synecdochically for all places of like nature which made their journey to Ierusalem unpleasant or inconvenient But their zeal for God's service did easily overcome this and other difficulties Or the valley of tears as this valley might be called for the trouble or vexation which Travellers found there by reason of drought or otherwise make it a well n Or wells i. e. they dig divers little pits or wells in it for their relief This trouble they willingly undertook rather than to neglect the opportunity of going up to Ierusalem at their solemn times And possibly they did this not onely for themselves but for the benefit of other Travellers who came after them whereby they shewed both their piety and charity the rain also †Heb. covereth filleth the pools o God recompenseth their diligence in making pits or little pools or cisterns with his Blessing sending rain wherewith they may be filled and the thirsty Travellers refreshed Possibly the words may be thus rendred which is more agreeable to the order of the Hebrew Text yea or also and so the Hebrew Particle Gam hath that emphasis which as some Learned Interpreters observe is not given to it in other Translations They do not only make little pits or wells as it was now said but also pools or cisterns for this Hebrew word is by the Learned rendred both ways which so the Relative Particle is to be understood as it is very frequently in many Texts of Scripture the rain filleth or may fill i. e. which may receive and keep the rain which God sendeth for the refreshment of these Travellers whose great numbers made the provision of water more necessary But it is
unrighteous decrees which they have made in form of Laws Or by false pretences of law Or against law against all right and the laws both of God and men 21 They gather themselves together against the soul f Against the life as the soul commonly signifies and as the next clause explains it They are not satisfied with the spoil of their estates but do also thirst after their lives of the righteous and condemn the innocent blood g They shed the blood of those innocent persons whom they have wickedly condemned Innocent blood is here put for the blood or life of an innocent person as it is also 1 Sam. 19. 5. Mat. 27. 4. 22 But the LORD is my defence and my God is the rock of my refuge 23 And * Psal 7. 16. he shall bring upon them their own iniquity h i. e. The fruit and punishment of their sins and shall cut them off in their own wickedness i Either in the midst of their sins Or by their own wicked devices the mischief whereof he will cause to fall upon their own heads yea the LORD our God k The God of Iacob of whom they said that he did not see nor regard them but now they find the contrary proved to their cost shall cut them off PSAL. XCV The Author of this Psalm was David as is affirmed Heb. 4. 7. and although the Psalm be delivered in general terms as an invitation to mankind to yield unto the true God that praise and worship and obedience which he requireth and deserveth yet it hath a special reference to the days of the Messiah of which Christians have no great reason to doubt seeing it is so understood by the Hebrew Doctors themselves as also by the Apostle Heb. 3. 7 c. and especially Heb. 4. 3 4 5 6 7 8 9. where he not onely expounds it of those times but proves that it cannot be meant of the former times and state of the Church 1 O Come let us a He speaks to the Israelites whose backwardness to this work in the times of the Gospel was foreseen by the spirit of God which dictated this Psalm sing unto the LORD let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation 2 Let us †Heb. 〈◊〉 his face Isai. 3â—… 33. come before his presence b Which he will then afford us in a singular manner in his Son the Messiah in and by whom he will be visibly present with the Sons of men with thanksgiving and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms 3 For * Psal. â—…6 4. 135. 5. the LORD is a great God and a great King above * Psal. 86. 8. all gods c Above all that are accounted and called Gods Angels and Earthly Potentates and especially the false gods of the Heathens which upon Christs coming into the World were struck dumb and could no more deliver their Oracles as Platarch and other Heathens observed with admiration nor deceive the World but were forced to give place to the true God and to the knowledge and worship of him alone which was propagated among all Nations by the Gospel 4 †Heb. in 〈◊〉 In his hand d Under his Government are the deep places e Those parts which are far out of mens sight and reach and much more those that are at mens disposal of the earth ‖ Or the 〈◊〉 of the hills 〈◊〉 his the strength of the hills f The strongest or highest Mountains are under his feet and at his disposal The fence of the Verse is All the parts of the Earth whether high or low are subject to his power and providence and therefore it is not strange if all the Nations of the Earth be brought to the acknowledgment of him and if the Gentiles receive his Gospel is his also 5 †Heb. whos 's the sea is The sea is his and he made it and his hands formed the dry lands 6 O come let us worship and bow down let us kneel g By which expressions he teacheth that even in Gospel times God is to be glorified and worshipped as well with the members of our bodies as with the faculties of our Souls before the LORD our maker 7 For he is our God h In a peculiar manner and therefore it will be most unreasonable and abominable for us to forsake him when the Gentiles submit to his law and * Psal. â—…9 1â—… 80. 1. 10â—… 3. we are the people of his pasture i Whom he feedeth and keepeth in his own proper Pasture or in the land which he hath appropriated to himself and the sheep of his hand k Which are under his special care and conduct or government which is oft expressed by the hand as Numb 4. 28. and 31. 49. Judg. 9. 29. * Heb. 3. 7. 4. 7. to day l i. e. Forthwith or presently as this word is used Deut. 4. 4 8. and 27. 9. Ios. 22. 16 18 c. Or this day in this solemn day of grace or of the Gospel which the Psalmist speaks of as present according to the manner of the Prophets And this word though belonging to the following clause as appears from Heb. 3. 7. may seem to be thus placed to shew that it had some respect to the foregoing words also For the sence of the place may be this We Jews are or shall be the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand God will still own us for his people this day i. e. in the days of the Messiah if this day or in that time we shall hear his voice Otherwise God will reject us and receive the Gentiles in our stead if ye will hear his voice m If you will hearken to his call and obey his further commands Which may be added as a necessary caution and admonition to the Israelites that they might understand and consider that Gods presence and favour was not absolutely necessarily and everlastingly fixed to them as they were very apt to believe but was suspended upon the condition of their continued obedience which if they violated they should be rejected and the Gentiles performing it should be received to his mercy And this clause may be connected either 1. with the former words as the condition of their interest in God as their God as was now said Or 2. with the following Verse If you are willing to hearken to Gods call delivered by his Son take the following counsel 8 Harden not your hearts n By wilful disobedience and obstinate unbelief rebelling against the light and resisting the Holy Ghost and his clear discoveries of the truth of the Gospel * Exod. 17. 2 7. Numb 14. 2â—… 20. 13. Deut. 6. 16. as in the †Heb. conâ—… tion provocation o As you did in that hold and wicked contest with God in the Wilderness Or As in Meribah which was the
Physicians observe and Experience sheweth ‖ Or to a medicine like a medicine * Ch. 15. 13. 12. 25. but a broken h Sad and dejected spirit drieth the bones i Wasteth the marrow of the Bones and the moisture and strength of the Body 23 A wicked man k Whether Judge or Witness taketh a gift out of the bosom l In secret as this Phrase is expounded Prov. 21. 14. being privily conveyed from the bosom of the giver into his own bosom to pervert the ways of judgment m To give or procure an unjust sentence 24 * Eccles. 2. 14. 8. 1. Wisdom is before him n Or in as the particle peth is used Deut. 2. 7. and is here rendred by divers Interpreters the face or countenance The sense is either 1. His Wisdom appears even in his gestures and looks which are modest and composed and grave Or 2. Wisdom is before him or in his sight as the mark at which he aims or as the rule by which he constantly walketh and ordereth all his steps from time to time minding his present duty and business that hath understanding but the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth o The sense of this clause also is either 1. His folly appears in his light and unsteddy and disorderly carriage and looks Or 2. His mind is wavering and unsettled he neither proposeth a right and certain end to himself nor is he constant in the use of fit means to attain it he neglects his present business and true interest and wanders hither and thither in the pursuit of earthly vanities minding most those things which are remotest from him and least concern him 25 * Chap. 10. 1. 15. 20. 19. 13. A foolish son is a grief to his father and bitterness to her that bare him p This he said before Prov. 15. 20. and elsewhere but he here repeats it as a point of great moment and constant use and as a powerful motive to oblige both Children to carry themselves wisely and dutifully to their Parents as they would not be thought to be unnatural or inhumane and Parents to educate their Children prudently and religiously at least for their own comfort if not for the publick good 26 Also q This particle seems to have relation to the next foregoing Proverb to imply that it is a very evil thing for Children to cause grief to their Parents as it is also to do what here follows †Heb. to mulct or fine to punish the just r For Parents or Princes or Rulers to whom alone this power belongs to punish innocent and good men is not good s is highly evil and abominable as is implied See above v. 20. and Prov. 16. 29. 17. 10. c. nor to strike princes for equity t Nor to smite Magistrates either with the Hand or Tongue for the execution of Justice as condemned persons are apt to do Or as some learned Interpreters render it Nor for Princes to strike any man for equity or for doing his duty or what is just So this clause best agrees with the former Besides it belongs to Princes or Magistrates to punish or strike 27 * Jam. 1. 19. He that hath knowledg spareth u Heb. restraineth as at other times so especially when he is provoked to passion in which case fools utter all their mind his words and a man of understanding is of ‖ Or a cool spirit an excellent spirit x Which he sheweth by commanding his passions and bridling himself from hasty and unadvised speeches Or as others render it is of a cool Spirit calm and moderate not easily provoked humble as the Chaldee renders it patient or long-suffering as the LXX and Arabick Interpreters render the words Or as others sparing Heb. precious which is put for rare or scarce 1 Sam. 3. 1. Prov. 25. 17. Isa. 13. 12. of his breath i. e. of his speech as this very word is used Prov. 29. 11. Isa. 11. 4. compared with 2 Thes. 2. 8. 28 * Job 13. 5. Even a fool when he holdeth his peace is counted wise y Because he is sensible of his own folly and therefore forbears to speak leâ—…t he should discover it which is a great point of true Wisdom and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding CHAP. XVIII 1 ‖ Or He that separateth himself seeketh according to his desire and intermeddleth in every business THrough desire a man having separated himself seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom a According to this interpretation the sense is Through desire of it to wit of Wisdom which is easily understood out of the end of the verse such Ellipses being frequent in Scripture a man having separated himself being sequestred from the company and noise and business of the World betaking himself to retirement and solitude as men do that apply themselves to any serious study seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom i. e. useth all diligence that he may search and find out all solid knowledg and true Wisdom And this earnest desire and endeavour to get true Wisdom within a mans self is fitly opposed to the fools contempt of Wisdom or to his desire of it not for use and benefit but only for vain ostentation which is expressed in the next verse Although coherence is little regarded by Interpreters in the several Verses and Proverbs of this Book But this verse is otherwise rendred in the margin of our English Bible and by divers others He that separateth himself either 1. From his friend Or rather 2. From other men who affects singularity is wedded to his own Opinion and through self-conceit despiseth the opinions and conversation of others seeketh according to his desire seeketh to gratifie his own Inclinations and Affections and chuseth those opinions which most comply with them and intermeddleth for this word is used in a bad sense Prov. â—…7 14. 20. 3. and it is not found elsewhere save in this place in every business as proud and singular persons are commonly pragmatical delighting to find faults in others that they may get some Reputation to themselves by it Heb. in every thing that is thrusting themselves into the actions and affairs of other men Or as this last clause is and may be rendred and contendeth Heb. mingleth himself for words of that signification are commonly used for contending or fighting as Deut. 2. 5 9 19. Isa. 36. 8 Dan. 11 10. with or against for the Hebrew prefix beth oft signifies against all Reason or Wisdom whatsoever any man speaketh against his opinion and desire though it be never so reasonable and evident he rejecteth it and obstinately maintains his own opinion 2 A fool hath no delight in understanding b In getting â—…ound and saving knowledg either by his own sâ—…udy or by the instructions of wise and good men but that
Images or to the Spirits of dead Men which are supposed to dwell and speak in them 20 * Luk. 16. 29. To the law and to the testimony q Let this Dispute between you and them be determined by God's Word which is here and in many other places called the law to signifie their Obligation to believe and obey it and the testimony because it is a Witness between God and Man of God's Mind and Will and of Man's Duty and so these two Titles contain two Arguments against these Idolatrous Practices if they r Your Antagonists that â—…eek to pervert you v. 19. speak not according to this word it is because there is †Heb. no morning no light in them s This proceeds from the darkness of their Minds because they are blind and will not see and God hath shut their Eyes that they cannot see But these Words are by divers Learned Interpreters understood not as a Declaration of their Ignorance but a Commination and Prediction of their Misery light being most commonly used in Scripture for Comfort and Happiness and darkness for Sorrows and Calamities And this sence seems to be much favoured by the following Passages And then the Words may be thus rendred Assuredly for the Hebrew Particle asher is frequently used as a Note of Asseveration as 1 Sam. 15. 20. Psal. 10. 6. 95. 11. c. as hath been more than once observed before no light or morning-light shall be for that may as well be understood as is to them a Night of Misery shall come upon them and they shall never have a Morning of Deliverance from it they shall be swallowed up in endless Calamities 21 And they t The Idolatrous and Apostatical Israelites shall pass through it u Or iâ—… it to wit their own Land which is easily understood out of the Context and from the Phrase it self the Pronoun Relative being put without an Antecedent as it is in other Places which have been formerly noted They shall either pass through it into Captivity or wander hither and thither in it like distracted men not knowing whither to go nor what to do whereas if they had not forsaken God they might have had a quiet and setled abede in it hardly bestead x Sorely distressed as this Word is used Gen. 35. 16. Iob 30. 25. and hungry y Destitute of Food and of all Necessaries which are oft signified by Food and it shall come to pass that when they shall be hungry they shall fret themselves and curse their king z Either because he doth not relieve them or because by his foolish Counsels and Courses he brought them into these Miseries and their God a Either 1. the True God or rather 2. to Idols to whom they trusted and whom they now find too late unable to help them and look upward b To Heaven for help as Men of all Nations and Religions in great Calamities use to do 22 And * Chap. 5. â—…0 they shall look unto the earth c Finding no help from Heaven they turn their Eyes downward looking hither and thither for Comfort and behold trouble and darkness dimness of anguish and they shall be driven to darkness d Many Words expressing the same thing are put together to signifie the variety and extremity and continuance of their Miseries CHAP. IX NEvertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation a The Words thus rendred contain a Mitigation of the foregoing Threatning And so the sence of the Verse may be this The Calamity of this Land and its Inhabitants shall be great yet not such as that which was brought upon the Kingdom of the Ten Tribes by the King of Assiria who at first indeed dealt more gently with them but afterwards quite rooted them out and carried them away into a dreadful Captivity from whence they were not to return no not when the Messiah came into the World for after this Darkness of which I have now spoken there shall come a glorious Light as it follows in the next Verse The Dutch Interpreters take it in the same sence and render the Words thus But the Land that was distressed shall not be utterly darkned To the same purpose they may be thus rendred according to the Hebrew But darkness shall not be i. e. shall not abide or continue for to be is sometimes put for to abide or continue to be as 1 Sam. 12. 14. Prov. 23. 5. Mat. 17. 4. Heb. 8. 4. unto her to wit the Land which by the consent of Interpreters is understood here as it was ch 8. 21. to whom this distress is or shall be She shall be distressed and darkned as I said before ch 8. 22. but not irrecoverably nor for ever Some understand the Words to be an aggravation of the Darkness or Misery threatned ch 8. 22. rendring the Words thus for the dimness shall not be c. And so the sence is This shall not be so sleight an Affliction as that which besâ—…l them by Pul 2 Kings 15. 19. nor as that which succeeded it by Tiglath-Pileser who at the desire of Ahaz did about this time make another Invasion into the Land of Israel 2 Kings 15. 29. and was an heavier Stroke than the former but this shall be far heavier than either of them But the former sence seems better to agree both with the following Verse and with Mat. 4. 13 14 15. where these Words are expoanded as a Promise and said to be fulfilled by Christ's preaching the Gospel in these Parts when at the first b In the first Invasion which the King of Assyria made upon Israel he c To wit God who is oft understood in such Cases and who is here supposed to be the Author or Inflicter of this Judgment Or it is an Impersonal Speech he afflicted for was aflicted than which nothing is more common in the Hebrew Language lightly afflicted d Either 1. by Pul or rather 2. by Tiglath-Pileser who at this time invaded and subdued these Parts as is expressed 2 Kings 15. 29. the land of Zebulun and the land of Nephtali e These Parts are particularly mentioned because this Storm fell most heavily upon them but under them the other Parts of the Land are understood by a common Figure called Synechdoche and afterward did more grievously afflict her f Either 1. by Tiglath-Pileser or rather 2. by Shalmaneser who took Saâ—…aria and carried Israel into Captivity 2 Kings 17. 5 6. Of which Calamity though yet to come the Prophet speaks as if it were past as the manner of the Prophets is by the way of the sea g In that part of the Land which bordereth upon the Sea to wit the Lake of Genesareth which is very commonly called a sea as Mat. 4. 18. Ioh. 21. 1. c. and upon which the Portions of Zebulun and Nephtali bordered ‖ Or on
they were in perpetual fear of further Severities and Sufferings at the pleasure of their cruel Lords and Masters and from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve 4 That thou * Hab. 2. 6. shalt take up f Into thy Mouth as it is fully expressed Psal. 50. 16. this ‖ Or taunting speech proverb against the king of Babylon and say How hath the oppressour ceased g This is spoken by way of Astonishment and Triumph Who would have thought this possible the ‖ Or exactness of gold golden city h As they used to call themselves which therefore he expresseth here in a Word of their own Language ceased 5 The LORD hath broken * Psal. 125. 3. the staff of the wicked and the scepter of the rulers i This is an Answer to the foregoing Question It is God's own Work and not Man's and therefore it is not strange that it is accomplished 6 He who smote the people in wrath with †Heb. a stroke without removing a continual stroke he that ruled the nations in anger k With Rigour and not with Clemency as many Conquerours have done is persecuted and none hindreth l Neither the Babylonians themselves nor their Consederates could withstand the Power of the Medes and Persians 7 The whole earth m The Inhabitants and Subjects of that vast Empire who groaned under their cruel Bondage is at rest and is quiet they break forth into singing 8 Yea the fir-trees rejoyce at thee and the cedars of Lebanon n Which were felled down for the service of her Pride and Luxury but now are suffered to stand and flourish It is a Figure usual in Sacred and Profane Writers called Prosopopâ—…ia saying since thou art laid down no fâ—…ller is come up against us 9 ‖ Or the grave Hell o Or the grave as the same Word is rendred v. 11. and in innumerable other places to which he elegantly ascribeth Sense and Speech as Poets and Oratours frequently do from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming it stirreth up the dead for thee even all the †Heb. leaders ‖ Or great goats chief ones p Heb. the he-goats which lead and govern the Flock of the earth it hath raised up from their thrones q From their several Graves which he seems to call their thrones by way of Irony or Derision the onely Thrones now lest to them Thrones both paved and covered with Worms as is noted v. 11. in stead of their former Thrones made of Ivory or Silver and adorned with Gold and Precious Stones all the kings of the nations 10 All they shall speak and say unto thee Art thou r Who wa st King of Kings and far superiour to us in Power and Authority that didst neither fear God nor reverence Man that didst stay whom thou wouldest and keep alive whom thou wouldest Dan. 5. 19. become also weak as we art thou become like unto us 11 Thy pomp is brought down to †Heb. hell the grave s All thy Glory is lost and buried with thee and the noise of thy Viols t All thy musical and melodious Instruments which were much used in Babylon Dan. 3. 5 7 10. and were doubtless used in Belshazzar's Solemn Feast Dan. 5. 1. at which time the City was taken to which possibly the Prophet here alludes the worm is spread under thee u In stead of those rich and stately Carpets upon which thou didst frequently tread and the worms cover thee 12 How art thou fallen from heaven x From the heighth of thy Glory and Royal Majesty as Kings are sometimes called gods in Scripture so their Palaces and Thrones may be fitly called their heavens ‖ Or O day-star O Lucifer y Which properly is a bright and eminent Star which ushers in the Sun and the Morning but is here metaphorically taken for the high and mighty King of Babylon And it is a very usual thing both in Prophetical and in Profane Writers to describe the Princes and Potentates of the World under the Title of the Sun or Stars of Heaven Some understand this Place of the Devil to whom indeed it may be mystically applied But as he is never called by this Name in Scripture so it cannot be literally meant of him but of the King of Babylon as is undeniably evident from the whole Centext which certainly speaks of one and the same Person and describes him as plainly as Words can do it son of the morning z The Title of son is given in Scripture not onely to a Person or Thing begotten or produced by another but also in general to any thing which is any way related to another in which sence we read of a son of stripes Deut. 25. 2. the son of a night Ionah 4. 10. a son of perdition Ioh. 17. 12. and which is more agreeable to the present Case the sons of Arcturus Iob 38. 32. how art thou cut down to the ground which didst weaken the nations 13 For thou hast said in thine heart I will ascend into heaven a I will advance my self above the State of a weak and mortal Man Great Monarchs are easily induced be their own vain Imaginations and the Flattery of their Courtiers to entertain an Opinion of their own Divinity so far that many of them have received and required Divine Worship to be paid to them I will exalt my throne above the stars of God b Either 1. above all other Kings and Potentates whom God hath set up or 2. above the most eminent Persons of God's Church and People who are frequently called stars as Dan. 8. 10. Revel 1. 16 20. 12. 1. which sence the next Words favour I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation c I will establish my Royal Throne upon Mount Sion where the Jews meet together to worship God in the sides of the North d This is added as a more exact Description of the Place of the Temple which stood upon Mount Moriah which was Northward from the Hill of Zion strictly so called and was a part of the Hill of Zion largely so called See on Psal. 48. 2. 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds e To wit into Heaven as he said v. 13. I will be like the most high f In the uncontrollableness of my Power and the universal Extent of my Dominion over all the Earth 15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell to the sides of the pit 16 They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee g As hardly believing their own Eyes because this Change seemed impossible to them and consider thee saying Is this the man that made the earth h All the Nations of the Earth to tremble that did shake kingdoms 17 That made the world as a wilderness and destroyed the cities
it of any other person and affirm that they are smitten with blindness in this matter Moreover this place is expressly interpreted of Christ Matth. 12. 18 c. And to him and to him onely all the particulars here following do truly and evidently belong as we shall see whom I uphold c Whom I will assist and enable to do and suffer all those things which belong to his Office to do mine elect d Chosen by me to this great work of Mediation and Redemption to which he is said to be sealed and sent Iohn 6. 27. 29. and predestinated 1 Pet. 1. 20. and chosen of God 1 Pet. 2. 4. in whom my soul * Mat. 3. 17. 17. 5. Eph. 1. 6. delighteth e Or as this same word is oft rendred is well pleased both for himself and for all his people being fully satisfied with that Sacrifice which he shall offer up to me I * Chap. 11. 2. John 3. 34. have put my Spirit upon him f I have furnished him with that abundance and eminency of gifts and graces which are necessary for the discharge of his high and hard employment he shall bring forth g Shall publish or shew as this word is translated Mat. 12. 18. shall bring to light what before was hid in his breast or in his Fathers bosome judgment h This word is very ambiguous and elsewhere is put for punishment which cannot be meant here because the whole context speaks of his mercy and sweetness and not of his severity but here it is clearly put for Gods Law as this very word is expounded here below ver 4. and as it is frequently used in the Holy Scriptures as Psal. 119. and elsewhere which also best agrees with the bringing forth or publishing of it here mentioned publication being necessarily required and constantly used about Laws And this interpretation is confirmed by the following words to the Gentiles For the great things which Christ published unto all the World both Iews and Gentiles was nothing else but the Law and Will and Counsel of God concerning mans salvation and the way and means of obtaining it to the Gentiles i Not onely to the Iews to whom the knowledge of Gods Laws had been hitherto appropriated but to the Heathen Nations of the World 2. He shall not cry k Either 1. In a way of contention as anger is oft accompanied with clamour Eph. 4. 31. Or 2. In a way of ostentation It seems to be meant both wayes by comparing this place with Mat. 12. 16 17 20. He shall neither erect nor manage his Kingdom with violence and outward pomp and state as worldly Princes do but with meekness and humility nor lift up l His voice which is easily understood out of the following clause and from many other Scriptures where that word is added to this verb to compleat the Phrase nor cause his voice to be heard in the street m As contentious and vain-glorious persons frequently do 3. A bruised reed shall he not break n He will not break it to pieces but rather will strengthen and binde it up It is a common figure whereby more is understood than was expressed and one contrary is left to be gathered from another of which many instances have been given in former Texts The sence is plainly this Christ will not deal roughly and rigorously with those that come to him but he will use all gentleness and kindness to them passing by their greatest sins bearing with their present infirmities cherishing and incouraging the smallest beginnings of grace comforting and healing wounded consciences and the like and the ‖ Or dimly burning smoaking flax shall he not †Heb. quench it quench o The same thing is repeated in other words to give us the greater assurance of the truth of it That wiek of a Candle called Flax metonymically because it is made of Flax which is almost exstinct and doth onely smoke and not flame he will not utterly quench but will revive and kindle it again * Psal. 94. 15. he shall bring forth judgment unto truth p Iudgment may be here taken either 1. For the Law or Will of God or the Doctrine of the Gospel which he will bring forth i. e. publish which he will do unto or in or with or according to for this preposition is used all those wayes truth i. e. truly and faithfully not concealing nor corrupting it as false teachers commonly do So this is a character like that which is given to Christ Mat. 22. 16. Thou art true and teachest the way of God in truth And thus this phrase of bringing forth Iudgment is taken here as it is ver 1. Or 2. for the Cause which is debated or for the sentence which is given in the cause as this word is most frequently used which he will bring forth i. e. bring to light or discover or publish and this he will do according to truth and equity and not unjustly and partially as corrupt judges use to give sentence against the poor and meek In this sence this very phrase of bringing forth Iudgment is taken Psal. 37. 6. And this sence seems to be favoured both by the consideration of the quality of the Persons to whom this judgment is here implied to be brought forth who are called bruised Reeds and smoaking Flax whereby they are supposed to be Persons discouraged and oppressed and in a contest with themselves or with their spiritual adversaries about the state of their Souls as also by comparing this place with Mat. 12. 20. where these very words are quoted and thus rendred Till he send forth Iudgment unto Victory i. e. till judgment or sentence be given for him in which case a man is said to be victorious in Judgment If it be said for the former interpretation that it seems most reasonable to understand Iudgment here as it is understood ver 1. and 4. and bringing forth Iudgment here as it is taken ver 1. it may be truly and fairly answered that it is a very common thing in Scripture for the same words or phrases to be used in several sences not onely in two Neighbouring verses but sometimes also in the very same verse whereof I have formerly given divers instances 4. He shall not fail nor be †Heb. broken discouraged q Though he be thus meek and gentle yet he is also couragious and resolute against all the great and many difficulties and conflicts to which he will be exposed and will not give over till he have finished his work Or as others render the words He shall not be darkned This glorious light shall not be eclipsed or obscured Or He shall shine forth brightly and gloriously as the Seventy render this word nor broken by all the attempts and vigorous indeavours of his enemies who design it till he have set judgment in the earth r Till he hath
fire with which enemies use to consume places brought under their power and with his chariots with a whirle-wind a with a sudden sweeping Judgment that like a whirl-wind shall destroy this people to render his anger with fury b With fury that is with fervor for â—…ury properly so taken is not in God ch 27. 4. but God sometimes executes justice and Judgment more smartly and severely and his rebukes c By rebâ—…kes he means punishments for it is said God will execute them with flames of fire They had contemned the rebukes of his law now God will rebuke them with fire and sword with flames of fire 16 For by fire and by his sword will the Lord plead d This kind of rebuking is also called a pleading with them so he threatens to plead against Gog with Pestilence and blood Ezek 38. 22. God at first pleads with sinners by words but if he cannot so prevail he will plead with them in a way by which he will overcome by fire pestilence and blood with all flesh e Thus he threatens to do with all sinners or with all the wicked Jews and the slain of the Lord shall be many f To the fire he threatens to add the Sword so as the slain of the Lord that is those whom God should cause to be slain should be many 17. * Ch. 65. 3 4. They that sanctifie themselves and purifie themselves in the gardens g That the Jews might not think that the Judgments threatned concerned only the Heathen he tells them they concerned them the Idol Worshippers amongst them and not Idolaters only but such as broke his laws about meaâ—…s which he had prohibited them to Eat Those that sanctified and purifyed themselves in gardens gardens in which they Worshipped Idols ch 1. 29. 65. 3. 4. Kings 14. 23. 15 13. the word translated gardens signifieth such as were thick planted with trees and had groves in them where they set their Idols 1 King 15. 13. hence the Idol is called the Grove 2 Kings 23. 6. they had also in these Gardens Pools where they washed themselves in a way of preparation for their Idol-Worship as the Priest by Gods Ordinance was to bath himself Num. 19. 7. ‖ One after another behind one tree in the midst h 〈◊〉 one 〈◊〉 the trees or one by one behind the Trees Some think that Achar is here a proper name of an Idol behind which or behind whose Temple these Idolaters were wont to purifie themselves These Gardens were places too as well for brutish Lusts as Idol-Worship as may be learned from 1 Kin. 14. 24. 2 Kin. 23. 7. and they by these washings thought to make themselves clean eating swines flesh i Eating Swines flesh forbidden Lev. 11. 7. Deut. 14. 8. and the abominations k And the abomination either any abominable things or all those Beasts forbidden the Jews for meat Lev. 11. 9 10 c. Some think a particular abominable thing is here meant think it is the Weasel which Lev. 11. 29. is joined with the Mouse which is here next mentioned The word which we translate Mouse being no where â—…ound but there and here and 1 Sam. 6. 4 5 11 18. some think it is not that creature we call a Mouse because a Mouse is properly no creeping thing but the word Lev. 11. 29. signifyeth a creeping thing they therefore think it rather signifieth some Serpent It is a matter of no great consequence The sense is that God would not only destroy the open and gross Idolaters and superstitious persons but all those also who had made no Conscience of yielding Obedience to the Law of God in such things as seemed to them of a minute nature and such as they easily might have yielded Obedience to he saith that they shall all perish together In the day of Judgment the Idolatrous Pâ—…n and Papist and the leud and disobedient Protestant shall fare alike It will be an hard thing for a thinking Soul to see how Baptism and a membership in the Christian Church should save men from Gods Wrath without Holiness more than Circumcision and Membership in the Jewish Church and the mouse shall be consumed together saith the LORD 18 For I know their works their thoughts l The Hebrew is thus word for word And I their works and their thoughts coming together all nations and languages and they shall come and see my Glory So that it is necessary for Interpreters to supply some words to make out the sense And the sense will differ according to the Nature and sense of those supplied words We supply the Verb know as Amos 5. 12. others supply I have noted Others make it a question And I should I endure their thoughts and their works Others But as for me O their works and their thoughts Some make these words for I know their works and their thoughts it shall come one sentence and to relate to the judgments before threatned v. 15 16 and the latter words a new sentence and a promise of the call of the Gentiles If we thus divide the words into two sentences the former part doth but assert the certainty of the Judgment that should come upon this People and the confirmation or reason of it from the Omniscience and Iustice of God They have done these things and I know it and am of purer eyes than to behold iniquity I know I have marked their thoughts and works before mentioued O the vileness of them Should I suffer should I endure them No. It shall come either the Judgments before threatned shall come or it shall come to pass that I will cast them off and then I will gather all nations c. it shall come m So as it shall come may either refer to the threatning of Judgments in the former part or the promise of calling the Gentiles in the latter part of the verse Others make the verse one entire sentence and the sense thus seeing I know their works c. or when the time shall come that I shall let them by my vengeance know that I know their works I will gather all Nations and Languages that I will gather all nations n I will call the Gentiles into my Church and and tongues and they shall see my glory o My Oracles my holy Institutions and Ordinances which hitherto have been locked up in the Church of the Jews Rom. 3. 2. and been their glory shall be published to the Gentiles Psal. 97. 6. Isa. 40. 5. 19 And I will set a sign amongst them and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations p It is on all hands agreed that this Verse is a Prophecy of the conversion of the Gentiles to Tarshish Pul and Lud that draw the bow to Tubal and Javan to the Isles afar off q Tarshish Pul Lud Tubal Iaâ—…an to Europe Asia and Africa to all
could have made all things at once was pleased to divide his work into six days partly to give us occasion more distinctly and seriously to consider Gods works and principally to lay the Foundation for the weekly Sabbath as is clearly intimated Gen. 2. 2 3. and Exod. 20. 9 10 11. 6. ¶ And God said * Psal. 136. 6. Jer. 10. 12. 51. 15. Let there be †Heb. expansion a Firmament q Or An Extension or a Space or place Extended or stretched out and spread abroad like a Tent or Curtain in the midst of the Waters r i. e. Between the Waters though not exactly in the middle place as Tyrus is said to sit or be situated in the midst of the Seas Ezek. 28. 2. Though it was but a little space within the Sea But of these things see more in the next verse and let it divide the Waters from the Waters 7. And God made the Firmament s The Firmament here is Either 1. The Starry Heaven so called not from its solidity but from its fixed durable and in a sort incorruptible and unchangeable nature Or 2. The Air called here The expansion or extension because it is extended far and wide even from the Earth to the third Heaven called also The Firmament because it is fixed in its proper place from whence it cannot be moved unless by force and divided the Waters which were under the Firmament from the Waters which were above the Firmament t The Waters under the Firmament are Seas Rivers Lakes Fountains and other Waters in the bowels of the Earth The Waters above the Firmament or above the Heavens as they are called Psal. 148. 4. are either 1. A Collection or Sea of Waters placed by God above all the visible Heavens and there reserved for ends known to himself Or rather 2. The Waters in the Clouds for the Clouds are called Waters Psal. 18. 11. and 104. 3. and are said to be in Heaven 2 Sam. 21. 10. Matth. 24. 30. and the production thereof is mentioned as an eminent work of Gods Creation Iob 35. 5. and 36. 29. Psal. 147. 8. Prov. 8. 28. which therefore it is not credible that Moses in his History of the Creation would omit which he doth if they be not here meant and these are rightly said to be above the Firmament i. e. The Air because they are above a considerable part of it and it was so u As God commanded and ordered it so it was done and setled 8. And God called the Firmament Heaven And the Evening and the Morning were the second day 9. ¶ And God said * Job 26. 10. 38. 8. Ps. 33. 7. 104. 9. 136 6. Prov. 8. 29. Jer. 5. 22. Let the Waters under the Heaven x Both the great Abyss or deep of Water which is shut up in the bowels of the Earth Gen. 7. 11. Ps. 24. 2. and 33. 7. and 136. 6. as also the Sea and Rivers all which are here said to be gathered together into one place because of their Communication and mixture one with another be gathered together unto one place and let the dry land appear y For hitherto it was covered with Water v. 2. 2 Pet. 3. 5. And it was so 10. And God called the dry land Earth and the gathering together of the Waters he called Seas z Not Sea but Seas because of the differing quantity and nature both of several Seas and of the Rivers and other lesser collections of Waters all which the Hebrews call Seas and God saw that it was good a The separation of the Waters was begun on the Second day v. 6. c. but not perfected till this Third day Therefore Gods approbation of that work is not mentioned there but here only 11. And God said Let the Earth bring forth b The sence is For the present let it afford matter out of which I will make grass as mans Rib afforded matter out of which God made Woman and for the future let it receive vertue or power of producing it out of that Matter which I have made and suited to that end †Heb. tender Grass Gr. Herb. Grass c That which groweth of it self without Seed or Manuring and is the food of Beasts the Herb yielding Seed d For the propagation of their several kinds to wit mature and perfect Herbs which alone yield Seed So afterwards God made man not in the state of Childhood but of grown and perfect Age. and the Fruit-tree yielding Fruit after his kind e i. e. According to the several kinds of Fruits whose Seed is f Now is by my constitution and shall be for the future in it self g i. e. In some part of it self either in the root or branch or leaf or bud or fruit The sence is Which is sufficient of it self for the propagation of its kind without any Conjunction of Male and Female upon the Earth And it was so 12. And the Earth brought forth Grass and Herb yielding Seed after his kind And the Tree yielding Fruit whose Seed was in it self after his kind And God saw that it was good h This clause is so often added 〈◊〉 â—…ew that all the disorders evil and hurtful qualities that 〈◊〉 are in the Creatures are not to be imputed to God who made all of them good but to mans sin which hath corrupted their Nature and perverted their Use. 13. And the Evening and the Morning were the third Day 14. ¶ And God said Let there be * Deut. 4. 19. Psal 136. 7. Lights i To wit more glorious Lights than that created the first Day which probably was now condensed and reduced into these Lights which are higher for place more illustrious for Light and more powerful for influence than that was Note here that Herbs and Trees were created before the Sun whose influence now is necessary for their production to shew that God doth not depend upon the means or upon the help of the Creatures in his operations in the Firmament of the Heaven to divide †Heb. between the Day and between the Night the Day k i. e. The artificial day reaching from Sun-rising to Sun-setting from the Night And let them be for Signs l For the designation and distinction of times as months weeks c. as also for the signification of the quality of the weather or season by the manner of their rising and setting Matth. 16. 2. By their Eclipses Conjunctions c. And for the discovery of supernatural and miraculous effects of which see Ios. 10. 13. Esa. 38. 8. Luc. 21. 25 26. Act. 2. 19 20. and for Seasons m By their Motions and Influences to produce and distinguish the four Seasons of the year mentioned Gen. 8. 22. And to shew as well the fit Times and Seasons for Sowing Planting Reaping Navigation c. as for the observation of set
Be it so that I have slain a man and that a young man why do you concern your selves in it It is to my own wounding and hurt not to yours I must suffer for it not you Some take this to be a sorrowful confession of his bloody crime q. d. I have murdered a man to my wounding c. i. e. to my utter ruine or to the wounding and grief of my Heart and Conscience But this seems not to agree either with the quality of Cains Family or with the temper of Lamechs Person or with the scope of the Holy Ghost in this place which is to describe not the vertues but the crimes of that wicked race According to the Marginal Translation the sense may be this fear not for me for if any man though in his youth and strength should assault me and give me the first wound he should pay dearly for it and though I were wounded and weakned the remainders of my strength would be sufficient to give him his deaths wound The words also may be otherwise rendred the particle chi being taken interrogatively as it is Isa. 29. 6. and 36. 19. and elsewhere Have I slain a man to my wounding and or or a young man to my hurt i. e. that thereby I should deserve such a mortal wound or hurt to be inflicted upon me by way of retaliation You have therefore no cause of fear either for my sake or for your own 24. If Cain shall be avenged o If the slaughter of Cain shall be punished in him that shall kill him whosoever he be seven-fold truly Lamech seventy and seven-fold p i. e. My death shall be much more certainly and severely revenged by God upon any man that shall murder me These words may be either 1. A profane scoffe q. d. Since Cain my Father and pattern in murther was so far from being punished by the hand of God that he had a special protection from him that no man should dare to touch him I whose murther is not so hainous as his was shall not fare worse than he and therefore have no reason to fear either God or Men. Or 2. An argument or ground of his security q. d. I am not onely secured by my own puissance but by God's Providence which certainly will be more watchful over me who have not committed any such horrid crime than over him that killed his own innocent Brother 25. And Adam knew his Wife again and she bare a Son and called his name †Heb. Sheth Seth q She gave the name but not without Adams consent Gen. 5. 3. For God said she r By divine inspiration hath appointed me another seed s Note that the word Seed is used of one single person here and Gen. 21. 13. and 38. 8. Which confirms the Apostles argument Gal. 3. 16. in stead of Abel t To succeed his Father Adam as Abel should have done in the Priesthood and Administration and care of Holy things in the Church of God whom Cain slew 26. And to Seth to him also there was born a Son and he called his name †Heb. Enosh Enos u Which properly signifies a miserable man to note the great wickedness and wretchedness of that Generation which the Hebrew Writers generally observe then began men ‖ Or to call themselves by the name of the Lord. to call upon the Name of the LORD x To pray unto God to Worship God in a more publick and solemn manner Praying being here put for the whole Worship of God as Gen. 12. 8. and 26. 25. and in many other places According to the marginal version the sense is this Then when the World was universally corrupt and had forsaken God and his service good men grew more valiant and zealous for God and did more publickly and avowedly own God and began to distinguish and separate themselves from the ungodly World and to call themselves and one another by the Name of God i. e. the Sons Servants or Worshippers of God as they are expresly called and that as it seems upon this occasion Gen. 6. 2. And in this sense this phrase is elsewhere taken as Isa. 43. 7. and 44. 5. and 65. 1. Some render the place thus Then began Men to profane the name i. e. the Worship of the Lord by Idolatry or Superstition But this seems neither to agree with the Hebrew phrase nor to suit with this place where he speaks of the posterity of Seth who were the Holy Seed and only Church of God then in the World CHAP. V. 1. THis is the * 1 Chron. 1. 1. book a i. e. The List or Catalogue as this word is taken Nehem. 7. 5. Matth. 1. 1. as it is also put for any short writing as for a bill of Divorce as Deut. 24. 1 2. of the Generations of Adam b i. e. His posterity begotten by him the word being passively used But he doth not here give a compleat list of all Adams Children but only of his godly Seed which preserved true Religion and the Worship of God from Adam to the Flood and from whose Loins Christ came Luke 3. In the day that God Created Man c This is here repeated to note the different way of the production of Adam and of his posterity his was by creation from God theirs by Generation from their Parents in the likeness of God made he him d See Gen. 26. 27. 2. Male and Female created he them e See Gen. 1. 26. Math. 19. 4. Mark 10. 6. and blessed them f With power to propagate their kind and with other blessings See Gen. 1. 28. and called their Name Adam g Which name is given both to every man as Gen. 9. 6. Psal. 49. 20. and to the first man as Gen. 2. 23. and to the whole kind both the Man and the Woman who are called by one name to shew their intimate Union and Communion in all things in the day when they were created 3. And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years h After he was created in which time he begat other Sons and Daughters as appears from what was said before and begat a Son in his own likeness after his image i Either 1. In regard of the natural frame of his Body and Soul But this was so evident of it self that the mention of it had been frivolous Nor is there any reason why that should be said of Seth rather thâ—…n of Cain or Abel Or 2. In regard of his corruption q. d. a weak sinful mortal man like himself For Adams image is here plainly opposed to the likeness of God wherein Adam is said to be created ver 1. And this is fitly said of Seth to signifie that although he was a worthy and good man and Adam excepted the most eminent person of the whole Church of God yet he no less than wicked Cain was begotten and born in sin
Gods powerful presence some way or other manifested to them and by the prospect and hope of Gods blessing to accompany and follow his own Ordinance as God had said unto him 24 And Abraham was ninety years old and nine when he was circumcised in the flesh of his fore-skin 25 And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin 26 In the self-same day was Abraham circumcised and Ishmael his son 27 And all the men of his house born in the house and bought with money of the stranger were circumcised with him CHAP. XVIII 1 AND the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre and he sate in the tent door a Waiting for strangers which might pass that way for whom no publick places being provided in those times and places vertuous persons used to entertain them in their houses See Heb. 13. 2. in the heat of the day b The time when Travellers especially in those hot Countries used to divert and refresh themselves 2 * Heb. 13. 2. And he lift up his eyes and looked and lo three men c As they seemed to be though indeed they were Angels in mens shape stood by him and when he saw them he ran to meet them from the tent door and bowed himself toward the ground d A respect usually paid to persons of quality such as these seemed to be 3 And said My LORD if now I have found favour in thy sight * pass not away I pray thee from thy servant e He directeth his speech to one who by the Majesty of his countenance and the respect which the other two shewed him seemed to be the chief of them 4 Let a little water I pray you be fetched and wash your feet f A practise usual in those parts Gen. 10. 2. and 24. 32. 〈◊〉 43. 24. Iohn 13. 4 5. 1 Tim. 5. 10. because they used to travel either barefooted or only with sandals to cover and â—…cure the bottom of their feet and rest your self under the tree 5 And I will fetch a morsel of bread and †Heb. 〈◊〉 comfort ye your hearts after that ye shall pass on for therefore †Heb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are ye come to your servant g Not that he saith or thought that this was their design but an effect of Divine Providence the meaning is therefore hath God directed you this way that I might have an occasion of performing my duty to you which I chearfully embrace And they said so do as thou hast said 6 And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah and said †Heb. 〈◊〉 make ready quickly three measures h Containing each the third part of an Ephah See Eâ—…od 1â—… 36. of fine meal knead it and make cakes upon the hearth i Upon the Coals or in the warm cinders or in an oven He had doubtless other bread ready but he would have new bread for them which he thought most grateful 7 And Abraham ran unto the herd and fetcht a calf tender and good and gave it unto a young man and he hasted to dress it 8 And he took butter and milk and the calf * To wit the choicest parts of the calf which he had dressed and set it before them and he stood by them k To wait upon them as the word standing is used Nehem. 12. 44. Ier. 52. 12. under the tree and they did eat l Either seemingly as the Scripture oft speaks of things according to appearance or really they received the meat into the bodies which they assumed where it was consumed by a Divine power 9 And they said unto him m i. e. One of them in the name of all said Which he did not for his own satisfaction for he who knew her name knew also where she was but to give occasion for the following discourse Where is Sarah thy wife And he said Behold in the tent n In her Tent For Men and Women had then their several Tents or Appartments 10 And he said I will certainly return unto thee o Not in a visible shape but with my powerful and effectual presence to fulfill my promise †Heb. to the living time according to the time of life p This time may respect either 1. Abram and Sarah in the time of Life i. e. when you shall be both alive and in health But that it belonged to them it might seem better to understand it thus in the time when God shall restore life i. e. vigour and activity to you for till then both Abrahams body and Sarahs Womb are expresly said to be dead Rom. 4. 19. to which deadness this Life may be opposite and the time of restoring this lost power of Generation may well be called a time of Life it being a kind of life from the dead and an impowring of him for a vital action from which he was before disenabled and for the conveying of Life to a Child and perpetuating his own life in him Or 2. to the Child according to the time of Life i. e. in the time which is usual for the Conception Quickning and Bringing forth of a living Child Which interpretation recieveth some countenance from 2 King 4. 16. where we have the same phrase Or 3. To the year according to the time or this time of Life or living time i. e. when this time or season of the year shall revive i. e. return or be restored As Cities and Buildings are said to be revived when they are Repaired or Rebuilt as 1 Chron. 11 8. Nehem. 4. 2. And this season might more properly be said to revive and be called the time of Life because it may be gathered from the heat ver 1. and their refreshing themselves under the shadow of a tree that it was the Spring time when Herbs and Plants and Trees which seem to be dead in the Winter recover and shew forth their Life and Vigour and so the sense may be this according to this time which is a time of Life or reviving wherein as the beauty and Fruits of the Earth will be renewed and revived so thou and Sarah shall be revived or receive as it were a new Life in the Son that shall be born to you This sense seems more probable than either of the former because he speaks of a certain set or appointed time v. 14. Rom. 9. 9. Gen. 21. 2. and that time was about a year after this as may appear by comparing Gen. 17 24. and Gen. 21. 5. and lo * Chap. 17. 19 21 and 21. â—… Sarah thy wife shall have a son And Sarah heard it in the tent door which was behind him q i. e. At the back of the Angel that spoke with him Which is here added to shew that he knew her laughter not by the sight of his Eyes but by his all-seeing Knowledge 11. Now * Chap. 17. 17.
Which was an inferior kind of Wife taken according to the common practise of those times subject to the Authority of the principal Wife and whose Children had no right of inheritance but were endowed with gifts See Gen. 21. 14. and 25. 6. whose name was Reumah she bare also Tebah and Gaham and Thahash and Maachah m A name common both to Man as 2 Sam. 10. 6. and Woman as 1 King 15. 13. CHAP. XXIII 1. AND Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty years old these were the years of the life of Sarah a This is the peculiar honour of Sarah the Mother of the faithful 1 Pet. 3. 6. to have the years of her life numbred in Scripture 2 And Sarah died in Kirjath-arba b Or The City of Arba so called probably from a giant or great man called Arba who lived and ruled in those parts See Ios. 14. 15. and 15. 13. the same is Hebron c It is objected against this Scripture that this City was not called Hebron till Ioshua's time Ios. 14. 15. but this is a mistake Ioshua doth not say so but onely that the name of Hebron before or in old time as this very particle is rendred Deut. 2. 20. and elsewhere So the sense is The most antient name of it was Kiriath-Arba Nor doth Ioshua there give any account or reason of this change of the name at that time or upon that occasion as the sacred Writers use to do in such cases but rather supposeth that Hebron was the name of it before he came thither and how long before that time he doth not express in the land of Canaan and Abraham came ‖ Into Sarah's Tent. See Gen 18. 6 9. to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her d According to the laudable custom of all ages and nations to manifest their sense of Gods hand upon them and of their own loss See Gen. 50. 3. Deut. 34. 8. c. 3 And Abraham stood up from before his dead e To shew his moderation in sorrow and to take care for her burial according to his duty and spake unto the sons of Heth saying 4 I am a stranger and a sojourner with you give me a possession of a burying-place f The priviledge of burial hath been always sought and priz'd by all Nations whom nature and humanity teacheth to preserve the bodies of men which have been the Temples of reasonable and immortal souls from contempt and violation so especially by Christians as a Testimony and Pledge of their future Resurrection See Numb 33. 4. Deut. 21. 23. Iob 5. 26. For which cause Abraham desires a distinct burying place separated from the Pagan people with you g In Canaan There he and after him other Patriarchs earnestly desired to be buried upon this account that it might confirm their own and their Childrens Faith in Gods Promise and animate their Children in due time to take possession of the Land See Gen. 25. 9. and 47. 29 30. and 50. 13 25. Exod. 13. 19. Heb. 11. 22. that I may bury my dead out of my sight h So she that before was the desire of his eyes Ezek. 24. 16. is now being dead become their torment 5 And the children of Heth answered Abraham saying unto him 6 Hear us my LORD i Here is a conjunction of the plural and singular number because though but one person spake yet he spake in the name of the whole community thou art †Heb. a prince of God a mighty prince k Heb. A Prince of God Great and excellent persons or things are oft expressed by adding the name of God See Gen. 13. 10. Or by Prince of God they understand a Prince favoured and beloved of God amongst us in the choice of our sepulchres l For each Family had a distinct Sepulchre bury thy dead none of us shall with-hold from thee his sepulchre but that thou mayest bury thy dead 7 And Abraham stood up and bowed himself m i. e. Shewed a civil respect to them in testimony of his thankfulness Religion allows and requires civility and those gestures which express it to the people of the Land n To the Governours of the people who managed all publick affairs in the peoples name and stead and for their good even to the children of Heth o So called from Heth the Son of Canaan Gen. 10. 15. 8 And he communed with them saying if it be your mind p Heb. If it be with i. e. agreeable to your soul that is your will or good pleasure For so the Soul is sometimes taken as Deut. 23. 24. Psal. 27. 12. and 41. 2. that I should bury my dead out of my sight hear me and intreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar 9 That he may give me the cave of ‖ Or double cave Machpelah q Which seems to be the proper name of the place ver 17 19. so called from its duplicity because the cave was double either one for Men and another for Women Or the one served onely for an entrance into the other which was the burying place which he hath which is in the end of his field for †Heb. full money as much money as it is worth r Heb. For full money 1 Chron. 21. 22 24. i. e. for money of full weight answerable to its worth he shall give it me for a possession of a burying-place amongst you 10 And Ephron dwelt s Heb. Did sit to wit at that time as one of the chief oâ—… rulers of the People 〈◊〉 so the word sitting is oft used as we shall see hereafter amongst the children of Heth. And Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the * Heb. â—…rs audience of the children of Heth even of all that went in at the gates of his City t Either where he was born or at least where he lived saying 11 Nay my Lord hear me the Field give I thee and the cave that is therein I give it thee in the presence of the sons of my people give I it thee bury thy dead 12 And Abraham bowed down himself before the people of the land 13 And he spake unto Ephron in the audience of the people of the land saying But if thou wilt give it u It is a short speech and something must be supplyed Either if thou wilt give or resign it to me Or if thou be the Man of whom I speak For though Abraham knew his name he might not know him by face nor that he was then present I pray thee hear me I will give thee money for the Field x He prudently chose rather to buy it then to receive it as a gift partly because it would be the surer to him and his ver 17 20. and partly because he would not have too great obligations to his Pagan Neighbours take it of me and I will bury my dead
there was no greater nor longer a penalty put upon the Priests than upon the people in the same case Levit. 11. and. 15. because his necessity craved some mitigation Though otherwise the Priests being more sacred persons and obliged to greater care and exemplariness deserved a greater punishment 8 * Exod. 22. 31. chap. 17. 1â—… Ezek. 44. 31. That which dieth of it self or is torn with beasts he shall not eat to defile himself therewith I am the LORD 9 They shall therefore keep mine ordinance h Either this ordinance here treated of concerning abstaining from holy things when they are unclean Or more generally that great ordinance whereby I have made them the Guardians of holy places and things to keep them from all defilement by themselves or others Heb. my watch i. e. the watch or guard which I have commanded them to keep lest they bear sin i i. e. Incur guilt and punishment for it k i. e. For the neglect or violation of it and die therefore if they profane it l i. e. Their charge or Gods ordinance about it I the LORD do sanctifie them 10 * See I Sâ—… 21. 6. There shall no stranger m i. e. Of a strange family who is not a priest as ver 12. compare Matth. 12. 4. But there is an exception to this rule ver 11. eat of the holy thing a sojourner n One that comes to his house and abides there for a season and eats at his table of the priests or an hired servant shall not eat of the holy thing o Of these parts of the offerings which fell to the priests share as the breast and shoulder 11 But if the priest buy any soul †Heb. with the 〈◊〉 of his 〈◊〉 with his money he shall eat of it and he that is born in his house they shall eat of his meat p Because they were wholly his and as such they were circumcised Gen. 17. Exod. 12. 12 If the priests daughter also be married unto †Heb. a man a stranger a stranger q i. e. To one of another family who is no priest Yet the priests wife though of another family might eat The reason of which difference is because the wife passeth into the name state and priviledges of her husband from whom the family is denominated and esteemed she may not eat of an offering of the holy things 13 But if the priests daughter be a widow or divorced and have no child and is returned unto her fathers house * chap. 10. 14. as in her youth she shall eat of her fathers meat but there shall no stranger eat thereof 14 And if a man eat of the holy thing unwittingly then he shall put the fifth part thereof unto it r Over and above the principal and besides the ram to be offered to God Levit. 5. 15. and shall give it unto the priest with the holy thing s Or and shall give unto the Priest the holy thing i. e. the worth of it which the Priest was either to take to himself or to offer to God as the nature of the thing was 15 And they t Either 1. The people shall not prophane them by eating them Or 2. The Priests shall not profane them i. e. suffer the people to prophane them without censure and punishment Both come to the same thing The people shall not do it nor the Priests suffer it shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel which they offer unto the LORD 16 Or ‖ Or lade themselves with the iniquity of trespass in their eating suffer them to bear the iniquity of trespass u i. e. Tâ—…ey i. e. the Priests shall not the negative particle being understood out of the foregoing clause as Psal. 1. 5. and 9. 18. suffer them i. e. the people to bear the iniquity of trespass i. e. the punishment of their sin which they might expect from God and for the prevention whereof the priest was to see restitution made c. The words may be rendred thus But so the Hebrew vau is oft translated they i. e. the Priests shall make them i. e. the people to bear the iniquity or punishment of their trespass or sin i. e. they shall require from them reparations in manner here expressed when they eat their holy things for I the LORD do sanctifie them 17 And the LORD spake unto Moses saying 18 Speak unto Aaron and to his sons and unto all the children of Israel and say unto them * chap. 1. 2 3. 10. whosoever he be of the house of Israel or of the strangers x Such as were Proselytes in Israel that will offer his oblation for all his vows y See on Levit. 7. 16. and for all his free-will-offerings which they will offer unto the LORD for a burnt-offering 19 Ye shall offer at your own will a male z For a burnt-offering which was always of that kind but the females were accepted in peace-offerings Levit. 3. 1. and sin-offerings Levit. 4. 32. and 5. 6. without blemish of the beeves of the sheep or of the goats 20 * Deut. 15. 21. and 17. 1. Mal. 1. 8. But whatsoever hath a blemish that shall ye not offer for it shall not be acceptable for you 21 And * chap. 3. 1. whosoever offereth a sacrifice of peace-offerings unto the LORD to accomplish his vow or a free-will-offering in beeves or ‖ Or goats sheep it shall be perfect to be accepted there shall be no blemish a To wit none of the blemishes mentioned ver 22 24. for some blemishes did not hinder the acceptance of a free-will-offering but onely of a vow ver 23. therein 22 * verse 20. Blind or broken or maimed or having a wen or scurvy or scabbed ye shall not offer these unto the LORD nor make an offering by fire of them upon the altar unto the LORD 23 Either a bullock or a ‖ Or kid lamb that hath any thing * chap. 21. 18. superfluous or lacking in his parts that mayest thou offer b Either 1. To the Priest who might according to the rules given by God either convert it to his own use or sell it and lay out the price of it upon the Temple or Sacrifices But in this sense any of the other kinds as blind or broken c. might be offered which yet are forbidden to be offered ver 22. or rather 2. To the Lord as is expressed ver 22. and 24. this being put down by way of opposition to those defects ver 22. and by way of exception from the general rule ver 21. for a free-will-offering but for a vow it shall not be accepted 24 Ye shall not offer unto the LORD that which is bruised or crushed or broken or cut neither shall ye make any offering thereof in your land 25 Neither from a strangers hand c To wit
and let us return into Egypt g This was but a purpose or a desire and yet it is imputed to them as if they had done it Nehem. 9. 16 17. they appointed a captain c. even as Abrahams purpose to offer up Isaac is reckoned for the deed Heb. 11. 17. g Stupendious madness whence should they have protection against the many hazards and provision against all the wants of the wilderness could they expect eitâ—…er Gods cloud to cover and guide them or Manna from heaven to feed them who should conduct them over the Red Sea or if they went another way who should defend them against those nations by whose borders they were to pass what entertainment could they expect from the Egyptians whom they had deserted and brought to so much ruine 5 Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces h As humble and earnest suppliants either to the people to intreat them to desist from their wicked and pernicious enterprize or rather to God by comparing this with Numb 16. 4. and 20. 6. the onely reâ—…uge to which Moses resorted in all such straits and who alone was able to still and govern this tumultuous and stiff-necked people before all the assembly i That they might be awakened to apprehend their sin and danger when they saw Mosâ—…s at his prayers whom God never used to deny and never failed to defend even with the destruction of his enemies of the congregation of the children of Israel 6 And Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh which were of them that searched the land rent their clothes k To testifie their hearty grief for tâ—…e peoples blasphemy against God and sedition against Moses and that dreadful judgment which they easily foresaw this must bring upon the 〈◊〉 and people of God 7 And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel saying The land which we passed through to search it is an exceeding good land 8 If the LORD delight in us l If by our rebellion and ingratitude we do not provoke God to loath and forsake us then he will bring us into this land and give it us a land which floweth with milk and honey 9 Onely rebel ye not against the LORD neither fear ye the people of the land for they are bread for us m We shall destroy them as easily as we do our bread or common food Compare Numbers 24. 8. Psal. 14. 4. their †Heb. shadow defence n i. e. Their counsel conduct and courage and especially God who was pleased to afford them his protection till their iniquities were full Gen. 15. 16. is utterly departed from them and hath given them up as a prey to us is departed from them and the LORD is with us o By his special grace and almighty power to save us from them and from all our enemies fear them not 10 But all the congregation bade stone them with stones and the glory of the LORD appeared p Now in extremity of danger to rescue his faithful servants and to stop the rage of the people in the tabernacle q i. e. Upon or above the tabernacle where the cloud usually resided in which the glory of God did appear upon occasion and now in a more illustrious manner as the state of things required of the congregation before all the children of Israel 11 And the LORD said unto Moses How long will this people provoke me and how long will it be ere they believe me for all the signs which I have shewed among them 12 I will smite them with the pestilence and disinherit them r This was not an absolute determination as the event shewed but onely a commination like that of Ninevehs destruction within 40 days with a condition implyed except there be speedy repentance or powerful intercession * Exod. 32. 1â—… and will make of thee a greater nation and mightier than they 13 And * Exod. 32. 12. Deut. 32. 27. Moses said unto LORD Then s i. e. In case thou dost utterly destroy them the Egyptians shall hear it for thou broughtest up this people in thy might from among them t Whereby thou didst get great honour to thy self which now thou wilt certainly lose 14 And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land u For there was much entercouse between these two nations * Exod. 15. 14. Josh. 2. 9. and 5. 1. for they have heard that thou LORD art among this people that thou LORD art seen face to face and that * Exod. 13. 21. thy cloud standeth over them and that thou goest before them by day time in a pillar of a cloud and in a pillan of fire by night 15 Now if thou shalt kill all this people as one man x i. e. Altogether or to a man and suddenly as it were by one blow as if all had but one neck then the nations which have heard the fame of thee will speak saying 16 Because the LORD was not * Deut. 9. 28 able to bring this people into the land which he sware unto them y His power was quite spent in bringing them out of Egypt and could not finish the work he had begun and had sworn to do therefore he hath slain them in the wilderness 17 And now I beseech thee let the power of my LORD be great z i. e. Appear to be great discover its greatness A real verb put for a declarative or the thing for the manifestation of the thing And this may be understood either 1. of Gods power in preserving the people and carrying them on into Canaan which sence may seem to be favoured by the foregoing verse where the Egyptians deny that God had power to do so And according to that sence he addes the following words not as an explication of this power but 〈◊〉 an argument to move him to shew forth his power fâ—…r his people notwithstanding their 〈◊〉 according â—…s or rather 〈◊〉 as the Hebrew word is oft rendred he had spoken saâ—…ing c. and so he should maintain the honour and the truth of his own name or of those titles which he had ascribed to himself Or 2. the power of his grace and mercy or the greatness of his mercy as he calls it ver 19. in pardoning of this and their other sins for to this the following words manifestly restrain it according as thou hast spoken c. where the pardon of their sins is the onely instance of this power both described in God titles ver 18. and prayed for by Moses ver 19. pardon I beseech thee c. and granted by God in answer to him ver 20. I have pardoned c. Nor is it strange that the pardon of sin especially of such great sins be spoken of as an act of power in God because undoubtedly it is an act of omnipotent and infinite goodness whence
figurative significations that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient 21 And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest who shall ask counsel for him z When he requires him to do so and in important and difficult matters See Ios. 9. 14. Iudg. 1. 1. and 20. 18. 1 Sam. 23. 9. * Exod. 28. 30. after the judgment ‖ Or by or from the judgment i. e. by seeking and receiving and communicating to him the judgment or sentence thereby given or by the judgment is here put defectively for by the breast-plate of judgment as it is called Exod. 28. 30. as the testimony is oft put for the ark of the testimony Or concerning the judgment or sentence i. e. what the mind and will of God is in the matter Or after the manner or rite for so the Hebrew word mishpat here used oft signifies of Urim †Understand and of Thummim for these two generally go together onely here as also 1 Sam. 28. 6. Urim is synecdochically put for both Urim and Thummim For the manner of this enquiry and answer see on Exod. 28. 30. before the LORD * Ordinarily in the Tabernacle near the second vail setting his face to the Ark or otherwise presenting himself as in Gods presence as Abiathar did by Davids direction 1 Sam. 23. 9. when they were both banished from the Ark. at his word ‖ i. e. The word of the Lord last mentioned delivered to him by the High-priest shall they go out and at his word they shall come in both he and all the children of Israel with him even all the congregation 22 And Moses did as the LORD commanded him and he took Joshua and set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation 23 And he laid his hands upon him and gave him a charge as the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses CHAP. XXVIII 1 AND the LORD spake unto Moses saying 2 Command the children of Israel a God here repeats some of the former laws about sacrifices not without great reason partly because they had been generally discontinued for 38 years together partly because the generation to which the former laws had been given about these things was wholly dead and it was fit the new generation should be instructed about them as their parents were partly to renew the testimonies of Gods grace and mercy notwithstanding their frequent forfeitures thereof by their horrid Apostacies and Rebellions and principally because they were now ready to enter into that land in which they were obliged to put these things in practise Deut. 12. 8. c. and say unto them My offering and * my bread â—…ev 5. 11. 〈◊〉 6 8. for my sacrifices made by fire b According to this translation the sence is My offering i. e. my offerings or sacrifices and my bread i. e. either my shewbread or rather my meat-offering made of bread or meal for my sacrifices made by fire i. e. which is to accompany my burnt-offerings Or thus My offering to wit my bread i. e. my meat-offering which was made of bread or meal which is oft expressed by this very name of Korban or offering as Levit. 2. 1. and 6. 20. but because korban signifies not onely a meat-offering but other offerings also as Lev. 7. 37 38. therefore he limits that general word by adding my bread with so the Hebrew Lamed is oft used as Gen. 46. 26. Ezra 1. 5. and 2. 63. c. my sacrifices made by fire which may be understood either 1. generally for all the sacrifices as that phrase is sometimes taken as 1 Sam. 2. 28. where it must needs be so meant because the burnt-offerings properly so called were not given to the Priest but reserved to God himself and the Priests portion lay in the other sacrifices onely or 2. specially and properly for burnt-offerings and so under them as the most eminent kind are contained in all other sacrifices as under the meat-offering here is contained the drink-offering And according to this translation and explication these words contain a full and general rule comprehending all the particulars following in this chapter as in reason they ought to do and which otherwise they do not for a †sweet 〈◊〉 1. â—… 12. 〈◊〉 a savor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 savour unto me shall ye observe to offer unto me in their due season 3 And thou shalt say unto them * This is the 〈◊〉 29. 38. offering made by fire which ye shall offer unto the LORD two lambs of the first year without spot †Heb. in a day day by day for a continual burnt-offering 4 The one lamb shalt thou offer in the morning and the other lamb shalt thou offer †Heb. betwene the two evenings at even 5 And a tenth part of an ephah of flour for a * Lev. 2. 4. meat-offering c Which was an appendix or accessory to the principal sacrifice See on Lev. 2. 1. and Numb 15. 4. mingled with the fourth part of an * Exod. 29. 40 hin of beaten oyl 6 It is a continual burnt-offering which was ordained d Or prescribed instituted by God Or made i. e. offered at that place though since omitted for 38 years in mount Sinai for a sweet savour a sacrifice made by fire unto the LORD 7 And the drink-offering thereof shall be the fourth part of an hin for the one lamb in the holy place e i. e. Upon the altar of burnt-offerings which was in the court of the Priests nigh the entrance into the Sanctuary See Exod. 29. 42. 2 Chron. 29. 7. shalt thou cause the †Heb. Shâ—…kar Gr. Sicera See Luk. 1. 15. strong wine f Heb. Shecar which though it signifie in the general all kinds of strong drink yet is here put for the most famous of that kind to wit for wine which alone was used in offerings as appears below ver 18. Exod. 29. 40. to be poured unto the LORD for a drink-offering 8 And the other lamb shalt thou offer at even as the meat-offering of the morning and as the drink-offering thereof thou shalt offer it g Or thou shalt offer with it Or with the meat-offering of the morning and with the drink-offering thereof thou shalt offer it the letter caph being put for beth which are alike in Hebrew and the words are said to be read with beth in some copies a sacrifice made by fire of a sweet favour unto the LORD 9 And on the sabbath-day two lambs h Besides that for the daily sacrifice ver 10. of the first year without spot and two tenth-deals of flour for a meat-offering mingled with oyl and the drink-offering thereof 10 This is the burnt-offering of every sabbath beside the continual burnt-offering and his drink-offering 11 And * chap. 10. 10. 1 Sam. 20. 5. in the beginnings of your months i Which though not reckoned among the solemn
digested the books of Moses into this order and inserted some very few passages to accommodate things to their own time and people 15 And * Num. 32. â—…9 I gave Gilead o i. e. The half part of Gilead as appears from ver 12 13. See on Numb 32. 40. unto Machir p i. e. Unto the children of Machir son of Manasseh for Maâ—…hir was now dead 16 And unto the Reubenite and unto the Gadite I gave from Gilead even unto the River Arnon half the valley q Or rather to the middle of the River for the word rendred half signifies commonly middle and the same Hebrew word signifying both a valley and a brook or river it seems more reasonable to understand it of a River as the same word is here rendred in the next foregoing clause of this verse than of a valley which was not mentioned before especially seeing there is here an article added which seems to be emphatical and to note that River to wit now mentioned Adde to this that there was no such valley much less any half-valley belonging both unto the Reubenites and Gadites But according to the other translation the sense is plain and agreeable to the truth that their Land extended from Gilead unto Arnon and to speak exactly to the middle of that River for as that River was the border between them and others so one half of it belonged to them as the other half did to others And that this is no subtil device as some may think it but the truth of the thing and the reall meaning of the place will appear by comparing this place with two others 1. with Ios. 12. 2. where the same thing is expressed in the same words in the Hebrew which are here though our translatours render the self-same words there from the middle of the River which here they render half of the valley and where the bounds of Sihons Kingdom which was the same portion here mentioned as given to Reuben and Gad are thus described from Aroer which is upon the baâ—…k of the River of Arnon and from the middle of the River and from half Gilead even unto the river Iabbok which is the border of the children of Ammon 2. With Deut. 2. 36. From Aroer which is by the brink of the River of Arnon and from the city that is by the River or rather as the Hebrew hath it in the River i. e. from Ar which was the chief city of the Moabites and therefore denied to the Israelites as is here implyed and more fully expressed Deut. 2. 9. which City was seated in an Island in the middle of the River So that here we have a just and full reason why the border of this Land given to Reuben and Gad is so nicely and critically described here even to the middle of a River which although in truth and strictness it be the bound of those Lands which are divided by a River yet is not usually expressed in the deleription of borders either in Scripture or other Autnours because here was an eminent City of the Meabites in the middle of this River which by this curious and exact description is excepted from their possession as God would have it to be and the border even unto the river Jabbok r The meanning seems to be this And the border to wit of their Land was which 〈◊〉 substantive is commonly understood or went 〈◊〉 as the phrase is Iâ—… 15. 6 7 c. from thence to 〈◊〉 from the River Arâ—…on even unto the River Iabbok for so indeed their border did proceed * Num 21. 24. Josh. 12. â—… which is the border of the children of Ammon s Object This was the border between them and the 〈◊〉 as is evident and therefore not the border of the Ammonites 〈◊〉 It bordered upon the 〈◊〉 in one part and upon the Ammonites in another part to wit in that part which is remoter from Iordan and so both are true 17 The plain t The Low Country towards Iordan also and Jordan and the coast thereof from Chinnereth u Of which see on Numb 34. 1â—… Ios. 12. 3. even unto the sea of the plain x i. e. That salt Sea as it here follows which before that dreadful conflagration was a goodly plain called the plain of Iordan Gen. 13. 10. even the salt sea ‖ Or â—…nder the springs of Pisgah or the hill under Ashdoth Pisgah y The proper name of a City of which Ios. 13. 20. eastward 18 And I commanded you z To wit the Reubenites and Gadites mentioned ver 16. to whom he now turns his speech by an Apostrophe at that time saying The LORD your God hath given you this land to possess it * Num. 32. 20. ye shall pass over armed before your brethren the children of Israel all that are †Heb. sons of power meet for the war a In such number as your brethren shall judge necessary See Ios. 1. 14. and 4. 13. 19 But your wives and your little ones and your cattle for I know that ye have much cattle shall abide in your cities which I have given you 20 Until the LORD have given rest b A peaceable and fixed possession unto your brethren as well as unto you and until they also possess the land which the LORD your God hath given them beyond Jordan and then shall ye * Josh. 22. 4. return every man unto his possession which I have given you 21 And * Num. 27. 18. I commanded Joshua at that time saying Thine eyes have seen all that the LORD your God hath done unto these two Kings so shall the LORD do unto all the Kingdoms whither thou passest 22 Ye shall not fear them for the LORD your God he shall fight for you 23 And I besought the LORD at that time saying 24 O LORD God thou hast begun to shew thy servant thy greatness and thy mighty hand for * Psal. 8â—… 8. and 89. 6. what God is there in heaven or in earth that can do according to thy works and according to thy might 25 I pray thee let me go over c For he supposed Gods threatning might be conditional and reversible as many others were and see the good land that is beyond Jordan that goodly mountain d Or that blessed mountain which the Jews not improbably understand of that mountain on which the Temple was to be built For as Moses desired and determined to prepare an habitation for God Exod. 15. 2. and knew very well that God would chuse a certain place for his habitation and to put his name there Deut. 12. 5. So he also knew that it was the manner both of the true worshippers of God and of Idolaters to worship their God in high-places and particularly that Abraham did worship God in the mount of Mâ—…a Gen. 22. 2. and therefore did either reasonably conjecture that God would chuse
mentioned v. 8. were to be decided And the High-Priest was commonly one of that number and may seem to be understood here under the Priests whereof he was the chief and unto the judg t This Iudge here is either 1. The supream civil Magistaate who was made by God the keeper of both Tables and was by his Office to take care for the right administration both of justice and of Religion who was to determine causes and suits by his own skill and authority in civil matters and by the Priests direction in spiritual or sacred causes But this seems obnoxious to some difficulties because this Judge was obliged to dwell in the place of Gods Worship which the civil Magistrate was not and oft times did not 2 This Judge is one whose Office it was to expound and teach others the Law of God as it here follows v. 11. therefore not the civil Magistrate Or 2. The High-Priest who was obliged to live in this place to whom it belonged to determine some at least of those controversies mentioned v. 8. and to teach and expound the Law of God And he may be distinctly named though he be one of the Priests partly because of his eminency and superiority over the rest of them as after all Davids enemies Saul is particularly mentioned Psal. 18. title and partly to shew that amongst the Priests he especially was to be consulted in such cases But this also seems liable to objections 1. That he seems to be included under that general expression of the Priests and Levites 2. That the High-Priest is never in all the Scripture called simply the Iudge but generally called the Priest or the High-Priest or chief-Priest or the like and it is most probable if Moses had meant him here he would have expressed him by some of his usual Names and Titles and not by a strange Title which was not likely to be understood 3. That divers controversies between blood and blood plea and plea stroke and stroke were not to be determined by the High-Priest but by other Persons as appears by Exod. 18. 22. Deut. 1. 16 17. Or 3. The Sanhedrim or Supreme Councel which as was said before consisted partly of Priests and partly of wise and learned persons of other tribes as is confessed by all the Iewish and most other writers And so this is added by way of explication partly to shew that the Priests and Levites here mentioned as the persons to whom all hard controversies are to be referred are not all the Priests and Levites which should reside in Ierusalem but onely such of them as were or should be Members of that great Councel by whom together with their fellow-Members of other Tribes these causes were to be decided partly to intimate that that great Councel which had the chief and final determination of all the abovesaid controversies was a mixed assembly consisting of wise and good men some Ecclesiastical and some Secular as it was most meet it should be because many of the causes which were brought unto them were mixed causes As for the Conjunctive particle and that may be taken either disjunctively for or as it is Exod. 21. 15 17. compared with Matt. 15. 4. and Numb 30. 5 6. compared with Matt. 12. 37. and Levit. 6. 3 5. 2 Sam. 2. 19. 21. or exegetically for that is or to wit as Iudg. 7. 24. 1 Sam. 17. 40. and 28. 3. 2 Chron. 35. 14. and so the sence may be the Priests the Levites or the Iudge as it is v. 12. or the Priests the Levites that is the Iudge or the Iudges appointed for this work And though the word Iudge be of the singular number and may seem to denote one person yet it is onely an Enallage or change of the number the singular for the plural Iudges which is most frequent as Gen. 3. 2 7. and 49. 6. 1 Sam. 31. 1. 1 King 10. 22. and 2 King 11. 10. compared with 2 Chron. 9. 21. and 23. 9. and in the Hebrew 1 Chron. 4. 42. where divers Officers are called one Head And so it is most probably here 1. Because the following words which belong to this run altogether in the plural number they they they c. here and v. 10 11. 2. Because here is the same Enallage in the other branch the same person or persons being called the Priests here and the Priest v. 12. 3. Because for the judge here is put the Iudges Deut. 19. 17. where we have the same phrase used upon the same or a like occasion the men between whom the controversie is shall stand before the Lord before the Priests and the Iudges which shall be in those dayes Nor is it strange but very fit and reasonable that so many persons being all united in one body and to give judgment or sentence by the consent of all or the greatest part should be here called by the name of one Iudge as indeed they were and for that reason the Priests are spoken of in the plural number because they were many as also the other members of that Assembly were and the Iudge in the singular number because they all constituted but one Judge that shall be in those dayes and enquire and they shall shew thee the sentence of judgment u Heb. The word or matter of judgment i. e. the true state and right of the cause and what judgment or sentence ought to be given in it 10 And thou shalt x i. e. Thou shalt pass sentence for he speaks to the inferiour Magistrates as was before noted who were to give sentence and came hither to be advised about it do according to the sentence which they of that place which the LORD shall choose shall shew thee and thou shalt observe to do y It is very observable that this place doth not speak of all controversies of faith as if they were to believe every thing which they should teach but onely of some particular matters of practise and strife between man and man to which it is plainly limited v. 8. And they are not here commanded to believe but onely to do which is thrice repeated according to all that they inform thee 11 According to the sentence of the law which they shall teach thee z These words are a manifest limitation of the foregoing assertion that they were to do according to all that the Judge or Judges informed him And they seem to limit and regulate 1. The Judges in their sentence that they shall not upon pretence of this supreme Authority put into their hands presume to teach or direct otherwise than the Law prescribes 2. The people in their obedience that they shall not simply obey them in all things but so far forth as their sentence is according to the Law and Word of God but not when their commands are evidently contrary to Gods Law for then say even Popish Commentatours on this place they must obey God rather than Man And this
cannot be denyed by any man of sence upon supposition that this place speaks of and this power given to the Priest or Judge reacheth to all controversies or questions of faith and manners as the Papists would extend it For put case these Priests or Judges should give a sentence directly contrary to the express words of Gods Law Thou shalt worship a graven Image as Aaron did in the case of the calf thou shalt prophane the Sabbath thou shalt dishonour thy Father and Mother thou shalt Murder Steal commit Adultery c. I ask were the people in this case bound to do as the Judge determined or not If any say they were such a bold and wicked assertion must needs strike all sober Christians with horrour and if they say they were not then this must needs be taken for a limitation But if this place speak onely of particular suits between man and man as is apparent from the notes on v. 8. And in all such cases although the Judge be hereby confined and tied to his rule in giving the sentence yet it seems but fit and reasonable that people should be bound simply to acquiesce in the sentence of their last and highest Judge or else there would have been no end of strife and according to the judgment which they shall tell thee thou shalt do thou shalt not decline from the sentence which they shall shew thee to the right hand nor to the left 12 And * Hos. 4. 4. the man that will do presumptuously a i. e. That will proudly and obstinately oppose the sentence given against him This is opposite to ignorance and errour Exod. 21. 13 14. †Heb. not to hearken and will not hearken unto the priest that standeth to minister there before the LORD thy God or unto the judge even that man shall die and thou shalt put away the evil b Either 1. The evil thing that scandal that pernicious example Or 2. That evil refractary pernicious person whose practise herein tends to the dissolution of all Government and the ruine of the Common-wealth of Israel from Israel 13 And all the people shall hear and fear and do no more presumptuously 14 When thou art come unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee and shalt possess it and shalt dwell therein and shalt say I will set a King over me c He onely foresees and foretells what they would do but doth not seem to approve of it because when they did this thing for this very reason here alledged he declares his utter dislike of it 1 Sam. 8. 7. like as all the nations that are about me 15 Thou shalt in any wise set d i. e. Appoint or instal If you will chuse a King which I shall suffer you to do I command you to observe this in your choice him king over thee whom the LORD thy God shall chuse e Approve of or appoint So it was in Saul and in David God reserved to himself the nomination both of the Family and of the person See 1 Sam. 9. 15. 10. 24. and 16. 12. 1 Chron. 28. 4 5. One * Jer. 30. 21. from among thy brethren f Of the same nation and Religion partly because such a person was most likely to maintain true Religion and to rule with righteousness gentleness and kindness to his subjects and partly that he might be a fit type of Christ their supream King who was to be one of their brethren shalt thou set king over thee thou mayest not set a stranger over thee g To wit by thy own choice and consent but if God by his providence and for their sins should set a stranger over them they might submit to him as appears from Ier. 38. 17. Ezek. 17. 12. Mat. 22. 17. which is not thy brother 16 But he shall not multiply horses to himself g To wit excessively beyond what the State and Majesty of his place required Hereby God would prevent many sins and mischiefs as 1. Pride of heart and contempt of his people 2. Oppression and Tyranny and the Imposition of unnecessary burdens upon his people 3. Carnal confidence which by this means would be promoted See Psal. 33. 17. Prov. 21. 31. 4 Much commerce with Egppt as it here follows which was famous for Horses as appears from Exod. 14. 23. 1 King 10. 26 28. 2 Chron. 1. 16. and 9. 28. Isa. 31. 1 3. Ezek. 17. 5. nor cause the people to return to Egypt h Either for habitation or for trade This God forbad to prevent 1. Their unthankfulness for their deliverance out of Egypt 2. Their confederacies with the Egyptians their trusting to them for aid which they were very prone to and their infection by the Idolatry and other manifold wickednesses for which Egypt was infamous 3. Their multiplication of Horses as it here follows to the end that he should multiply horses forasmuch as the LORD hath said i When or where Answ. Either implicitely when he shewed his dislike of their return to Egypt as Exod. 13. 17. Numb 14. 3 4. or expresly at this time The Lord hath now said it to me and I in his name and by his command declare it to you unto you * chap. 28. 68. Hos. 11. 5. ye shall henceforth no more return that way k In the way that leads to that place 17 Neither shall he multiply wives to himself l As the manner of other Kings was that his heart turn not away m To wit from God and his law Either 1. To Idolatry and Superstition to which women are oft times prone and especially such women as he was likely to chuse even the Daughters of Neighbouring and Idolatrous Kings and Princes as Solomon did Or 2. To other manifold sins and violations of his duty to his people either by neglect and contempt of his business through effeminacy and sloath or by oppressing his people and perverting justice to comply with the vast and exorbitant desires of his Wives m Least this should lift up his heart in confidence and pride which God abhorrs and beget in him a contempt of his people and least it should encline or engage or enable him to burden his people with immoderate exactions They are not simply forbidden to be rich if God made them so either by the voluntary gifts of their subjects or by the spoils of their enemies which was the case of David and Solomon and Iehoshaphat c. but they are forbidden either inordinately to desire or irregularly to procure great richs by grinding the faces of their poor people or by other wicked arts and courses as the manner of their neighbouring Kings was neither shall he greatly multiply to himself n silver and gold 18 And it shall be when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom that he shall write o Either with his own hand as the Jews say or at least by his command
they used to do at Funerals See Ier. 16. 5. Ezek. 24. 17. 36 And all the people too notice of it and it ‡ Heb. was good in theâ—…r eyes pleased them g They were satisfied concerning David's Integrity and the method he used here for his own just vindication as whatsoever the king did h Either in this matter or rather in all things following this Action The meaning is By his carriage herein he gained so great an Interest in the hearts of his People that they judged most favourably of and put the best construction upon all his words and actions as on the contrary when people have a prejudice against or an ill will towards their Prince they are apt to judge most harshly of all his Counsels and Doings pleased all the people f Observed what the King said and did 37 For all the people and all Israel understood that day that it was not of the King h Not done by his design or good will to slay Abner the son of Ner. 38 And the king said unto his servants Know ye not that there is a prince and a great man i Both for his Illustrious Quality and for his high Courage and wise Conduct and especially now for his great usefulness and serviceableness to me in giving me the intire and peaceable Possession of all Israel But still observe David's Prudence and Piety that he doth not commend him for his Vertues and Graces as men of vendible Consciences and Tongues use to do upon Funeral-occasions but onely for that kind of worth which was really in him Compare 2 Sam. 1. 23. fallen this day in Israel 39 And I am this day ‡ Heb. tender weak k Or tender in the Infancy of my Kingdom not well rooted and settled in it The Metaphor is taken from a young and tender Child or Plant. though anointed king and these men the sons of Zeruiah l Ioab and Abishai the Sons of my Sister Zeruiah be * Chap. 19. 7. too hard for me m i. e. Too powerful They have so great a command over all the Soldiers and so great favour with the People that I cannot Punish them without apparent hazard to my Person and Kingdom especially now when all the Tribes except Iudah are yet in a state of Opposition against me But this although it might give some colour to the delay of their Punishment for a season yet it may seem to have been one of David's infirmities that he did not do it within some reasonable time both because this Indulgence proceeded from a distrust of Gods Power and Faithfulness as if God could not or would not make good his Promise of the Kingdom to him without and against Ioab and all his Confederates and because it was contrary to Gods Law which severely requires the Punishment of Wilful Murderers Gen. 9. 6. Exod. 21. 14. Numb 35. 21. which David had no power to dispence with And David might and should have remembred how dear Saul pay'd for this very thing that he dispensed with Gods Command and spared those whom God commanded him to slay 1 Sam. 15. And it seems David's Conscience oft smote him for this which made him watch for a fit opportunity to remove and then punish him and having neglected it till Death he declareth his sorrow for that neglect by giving Solomon a charge to execute it after his Death 1 King 2. 5 6 34. * See Chap. 20. 10. the LORD shall reward the doer of evil according to his wickedness 1 King 2. 5 6 33 34. CHAP. IV. AND when Sauls son heard that Abner was dead in Hebron his hands were feeble a His Spirit and Courage and Strength failed him This Phrase is used in the same sence Ezra 4. 4. Neh. 6. 9. Isa. 13. 7. and 35. 3. and all the Israelites were troubled b Because now they were unable to oppose David and doubtful of obtaining his favour now Abner their peace-maker was dead 2 And Sauls son had two men that were Captains of bands the name of the one was Baanah and the name of the ‡ Heb. second other Rechab the sons of Rimmon a Beerothite of the children of Benjamin c Of Ishbosheth's own Tribe whom therefore he trusted the more and this gave them opportunity to execute their wicked design for Beeroth also was reckoned to Benjamin d This is added as the reason why he called them Beerothites because though Beeroth was now in the hands and Possession of the Philistines 1 Sam. 31. 7. yet of right it belonged to the Benjamites Iosh. 18. 25. 3 And e Or Yet or But. For this comes in to anticipate an Objection against what he had now said It is true saith he the Beerothites fled as others did upon the overthrow of Saul and his Army 1 Sam. 31. 7. to a place called Gittaim 2 Sam. 4. 3. not that in Benjamin Nehem. 11. 33. but some other place of that name more remote from the Philistines and so they were Gittaimites by their present Habitation but Beerothites by their Original and place of their Birth the Beerothites fled to Gittaim and were sojourners there until this day 4 And Jonathan Sauls son had a son that was lame of his feet f This History is inserted as that which encouraged these men to this wicked Murder because Saul's Family was now reduced to a low ebb and if Ishbosheth was dispatched there would be none left but a lame Child who was altogether unfit to manage the Kingdom especially in so troublesome a time as this was and therefore the Crown must necessarily come to David by their act and deed for which they promised themselves no small recompence and was five years old when the tidings came of ‡ The slaughter of Saul and Jonathan out of Jezreel g The place of that last and fatal Fight 1 Sam. 29. 11. and his nurse took him up and fled and it came to pass as she made haste to flee that he fell and became lame and his name was ‖ Merib-baal 1 Chr. 8. 34. and 9. 40. Mephibosheth h Called also Merib-baal 1 Chron. 8. 34. See the notes on Chap. 2. 8. 5 And the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite Rechab and Baanah went and came about the heat of the day to the house of Ish-bosheth who lay on a bed at noon i Either from discontent of mind as Ahab did 1 King 21. 4. or from sloth and sensuality as David seems to have done Chap. 11. 2. 6 And they came thither into the midst of the house k Or into the house for the midst is not always taken exactly and Mathematically but for any part within as Gen. 48. 16. Exod. 8. 22. Iosh. 3. 17. as though they would have fetched wheat l Which was laid up in publick Granaries in the King's House and was fetched thence by the Captains and Commanders of the Army
present to Jerusalem l As the place which God had designed for his Worship and in the Center and Heart of his Kingdom and therefore fittest for his Royal City unto the Jebusites m Who continued to dwell there in spight of the Benjamites to whose lot it fell See Iosh. 15. 63. Iudg. 1. 21. and 19. 10 11. the inhabitants of the land which spake unto David saying ‖ Or except one remove from thee Except thou take away the blind and the lame thou shalt not come in hither n Or thou shalt not come in hither but the blind and the lame shall remove or hinder thee By the blind and the lame they understand either 1. Their own People and so they imply that the Place was so Impregnable that a few Blind and Lame men were able to Defend it against all David's Assaults And these may be called and were the hated of David's soul v. 8. Not because they were blind and lame but because they were Iebusites a People hated and accursed by God and the Iebusites of this place were more hateful to him than the rest of that Nation partly because they Possessed this Place which David knew was designed for the one and onely Place of God's Solenm Worship and partly because they did so wickedly and insolently defie the Armies of Israel and consequently the God of Israel Or 2. Their gods or images which after the manner of the Heathens they Worshipped as their tutelary gods and placed in their Gates or Walls These they call blind and lame sarcastically and with respect to David's opinion as if they said These gods of ours whom you Israelites Reproach as Blind and Lame Psal. 115. 5 6. and so unable to direct and protect us they will defend us against you and you will find they are neither Blind nor Lame but have Eyes to watch for us and Hands to Fight against you and you must Conquer them before you can take our City And these may well be called the hated of David's soul. But I prefer the former sence as being most easie and natural and proper whereas the latter is Metaphorical and seems doubtful and forced ‖ Or saying thinking David cannot come in hither o Concluding their Fort to be Impregnable 7 Nevertheless David took the strong hold of Zion o Either 1. A very strong Fort which they had built upon Mount Sion which being taken the City quickly yielded Or 2. The City of Zion which was very strongly Fortified the same is ‡ Now 〈◊〉 the city of David 8 And David said on that day Whosoever getteth up to the gutter p i. e. Whosoever Scaleth the Fort or getteth up to the top of it where the Gutter was and smiteth the Jebusites and the lame and the blind q Or even or especially for the Hebrew Particle Vau signifies both ways the lame and the blind i. e. Those of them who are set to Defend that Place who as they pretend should be onely the Lame and the Blind Others understand it of their Idols or Images But they could not properly be said to be smitten i. e. Killed as that Word is used here and elsewhere that are hated of Davids soul r This belongs to the Iebusite and the lame and the blind and it is explained in v. 6. * 1 Chron. 11. 6. he shall be chief and captain s These words are fitly supplyed out of 1 Chron. 11. 6. where they are expressed and they must needs be understood to make the sence compleat And such Ellipses or defects of a part of the Sentence are usual in Promises and Oaths and Conditional Offers such as this was ‖ Or because they had 〈◊〉 even the blind and the lame he shall not come into the house wherefore they said The blind and the lame shall not come into the house t i. e. Whence it became a Proverb or a common saying used by David and others upon this occasion or otherwise The blind and the lame Iebusites â—…ere set to keep the House i. e. The Fort of Zion and to keep others from coming into it but now they are shut out of it and none of them to wit either 1. Of the Iebusites or 2. Of Blind and Lame persons shall be admitted to come into it again Which David might resolve and ordain to keep up the memory of this great Exploit and of the Insolent Carriage of the Iebusites and their unhappy Success Or the blind and the lame shall not come into my house to wit Into the King's Palace And although this might be a general Rule and Decree of David's yet he might dispense with it in some special cases as in that of Mephibosheth But it is not necessary that this should be a Proverb for the Words may be thus rendred as it is in the Margent of our Bible because they had said even the blind and the lame he i. e. David shall not come into the house or because they i. e. the Jebusites had said the blind and the lame shall hinder him which Words are easily supplied out of v. 6. where having spoken of this more largely it was sufficient here to mention the most Emphatical Words as is usual in such Cases He shall not come into the house or hither as they say v. 6. i. e. Into the Fort for the Word house is used very largely and generally in the Hebrew Language for any place as Iudg. 16. 21. 9 So David dwelt in the fort and called it The city of David and David built round about from Millo u Which seems to have been some large and well fortified Building Iudg. 9. 6. 2 Chron. 3. 5. adjoyning or near to the wall of the City of Zion and inward 10 ¶ And David ‡ Heb. went going and growing went on and grew great x In reputation and power and the LORD God of hosts was with him 11 And * 1 King 5. 2. 1 Chron. 14. 1. Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David and cedar-trees y For Lebanon which was famous for its Cedars was a great part of it in his Dominion and carpenters and ‡ Heb. hewers of the stone of the wall masons z For the Tyrians were excellent Artists and Workmen as both Sacred and Profane Writers agree and they built David an house 12 And David perceived a By reflecting upon the Promises which God had made him and the constant course of Gods Providence favouring him that the LORD had established him king over Israel and that he had exalted his kingdom for his people Israels sake 13 ¶ And * 1 Chron. 3. 9. and 14. 3. David took him moe concubines and wives b This may well be reckon'd amongst David's miscarriages the multiplication of 〈◊〉 being expresly forbidden to the King Deut. 17. 17. The use of seems to have been his Policy that hereby he might enlarge his
for David d He that wisheth David good success against Sheba and against all Rebels Whereby he implies that though this Fact of his was done against the Kings Command yet it was for his Interest and Defence let him go after Joab 12 And Amasa wallowed e Heb. rolled himself being in the Pangs of Death yet having so much Life left as to move himself a little though not to raise himself up from his place in blood f In his own blood which was shed there in the midst of the high-way and when the man saw that all the people g To wit the Soldiers which were upon their March stood still h Wondering at the Spectacle and enquiring into the Author and occasion of it he removed Amasa out of the high-way into the field i Perceiving that it both incensed them against Ioab and hindred the Kings present Service and cast a cloth upon him when he saw that every one that came by him stood still 13 When he was removed out of the high-way all the people went on after Joab to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri ¶ 14 And he k Either 1. Ioab who pursued Sheba through all the Tribes as far as Abel Or rather 2. Sheba who was last mentioned who Marched from Tribe to Tribe to stir them up to Sedition and to him the following words seem best to agree went through all the tribes of Israel unto Abel and to Beth-maachah l Or rather to Abel even to Bethmaachah i. e. unto Abel-beth-maachah as this place is called here in the Hebrew text ver 15. and 1 King 15. 20. 2 King 15. 29. to distinguish it from other Abels and to signifie that this was that Abel which was in the Tribe of Napthali in the Northern border of Canaan towards that part of Syria called Maachah 2 Sam. 10. 8. and all the Berites m Such as lived in the City or Territory of Beeroth of Benjamin Iosh. 18. 25. who being of the same Tribe if not City with Sheba and his greatest Acquaintance and Friends or being most Implacable against David adhered to Sheba and followed him through all the Tribes of Israel and they n to wit the Tribes of Israel i. e. a considerable Number of them as might well be expected when the discontents were so high and general were gathered together and went also after him o i. e. After Sheba 15 And they p i. e. Ioab and his Army which is easily understood both from the foregoing and following Verses came and besieged him in Abel of Bethmaachah and they cast up a bank against the city q From whence they might either batter the Wall or shoot at those who defended it against them who should Assault it See 2 King 19. 32. Ier. 32. 24. and 33. 4. Otherwise they threw down the bank of the City which they had raised up to Defend the City on the weakest side and ‖ Or it stood against the outmost Wall it stood in the trench r i. e. The Bank stood in or near to the Trench or the Wall of the City so that the City was in great danger of being taken Otherwise the City stood within the Trench or Wall being Defended onely by a single Trench or a weak Wall the Bank which was raised up there to Defend it being thrown down and all the people that were with Joab †battered the wall to throw it down ‡ Heb. marred to throw down 16 ¶ Then cried a wise woman out of the city Hear Hear say I pray you unto Joab Come near hither that I may speak with thee 17 And when he was come near unto her the woman said Art thou Joab And he answered I am he Then she said unto him Hear the words of thine handmaid And he answered I do hear 18 Then she spake saying ‖ Or They plainly speak in the beginning saying Surely they will ask of Abel and so make an end They were wont to speak in old time saying They shall surely ask counsel at Abel and so they ended the matters s According to this Translation the sence is This City which thou art about to Destroy is no mean and contemptible one but so honourable and considerable for its Wisdom and the Wise People in it that when any differences did arise among any of the Neighbours they used Proverbially to say We will ask the Opinion and Advice of the Men of Abel about it and we will stand to their Arbitration and so all parties were satisfied and Disputes ended But there is another Translation in the Margent embraced also by some others which seems to be the best They i. e. The Citizens of this City plainly or commonly spake among themselves in the beginning to wit when Sheba and his Men first came into the City and they were informed That Ioab was pursuing him saying Surely they will ask of Abel and so make an end i. e. They will peaceably Expostulate the business with us and enquire Why we received Sheba into our City and whether we would deliver him up into their hands and would inform us of the reason of their Hostile Attempt upon us and offer to us Conditions of Peace which by Gods Law Deut. 20. 10. they were to do even to strange and much more to Israelitish Cities So she doth both modestly reprove Ioab for the neglect of his Duty and oblige him to the Performance of it 19 I am one of them that are peaceable and faithful in Israel t Or I to wit the City of Abel in whose Name and Person she speaks this am one of the peaceable and faithful Cities of Israel Whatsoever Sheba may design whom we have innocently received into our City before we well understood the matter We of this City abhor the thoughts of Warring and Rebelling against the King as having had no hand in Absalom's late Rebellion which is probable enough considering both their Scituation in the utmost Borders of the Land very remote from the Seat of that Civil War and their open Profession of their Peaceableness and Fidelity or Loyalty to the King which had been Impudent if they had been so lately Involved in the last War and Rebellion thou seekest to destroy a city and a mother u i e. A Mother City for great Cities are commonly called Mothers as lesser Towns or Villages subject to them and depending upon them for Direction and Defence are called their Daughters as Ezek. 16. 27 46. in Israel why wilt thou swallow up the inheritance of the LORD x i. e. A considerable part of that Land which God hath chosen for his peculiar Possession The Destruction which thou art about to bring upon us is an injury also to Israel and to the God of Israel 20 And Joab answered and said Far be it far be it from me that I should swallow up or destroy 21 The matter is not
e. To the arguments which I shall produce 7. * â—…p 17. 5. â—… 32. 21. â—… 35. 4. Will ye speak wickedly for God h Will you utter falshoods upon pretence of pleasing God or of maintaining Gods Honour or Justice Doth he need such defences And talk deceitfully for him 8. Will ye accept his Person i Not judging according to the right of the Cause but the quality of the Person as corrupt Judges do Will ye contend k i. e. Wrangle and quarrel with me and cavil at my Speeches and pervert my meaning for God l i. e. That you may gratifie him or defend his Rights 9. Is it good m Will it be to your Credit and Comfort that he should search you out n i. e. Narrowly examine your Hearts and discourses whether you have uttered Truth or Falshood and whether your Speeches proceed from true Zeal for God or from your own Prejudices and Passions and from a desire to curry Favour with him or as one mocketh another do ye so mock him o To wit by covering your uncharitableness and corrupt affections with pretences of Pietâ—… as if God could not discern your Artifices or by pleading his Cause with weak and foolish Arguments which is a kind of Mockery to him and an Injury to his Cause or by seeking to flatter him with false Praises as if he did distribute the things of this world with exact Justice prospering only the good and severely afflicting none but wicked Men. 10. He will surely reprove you p i. e. Punish you as this word is oâ—…t used as hath been once and again observed if ye do secretly q Though it be concealed in your own Breasts and no Eye see it yea though it be so close that your own Minds and Consciences through ignorance or inadvertency or slothfulness do not perceive it yet he who is greater than your Consciences sees and knows it accept Persons 11. Shall not his Excellency r His infinite Wisdom which sees your secret Falshoods and his Justice and Power which can and will punish you for it make you afraid s Of speaking rashly or falsly of his ways and Counsels And his dread fall upon you 12. Your remembrances t Either 1. Actively i. e. your Memorials or your Discourses and Arguments by which you design to bring things to my remembrance So he might possibly allude to that passage Ch. 4. 7 Remember I pray thee c. That and all your other Memento's are like unto ashes i. e. contemptible and unprofitable Heb. are Parables or Speeches of dust or ashes Or 2. Passively all that which is most excellent and memorable in you your Wealth and Dignity and Wit and Reputation or whatsoever it is for which you expect or desire to be remembered it is all but poor despicable dust and ashes And therefore you have just reason to abhor your selves and to dread the Divine Majesty as I now advised you are like unto ashes your Bodies u Though they be not full of sores and boils as mine is yet they are but dust and to dust they shall return as well as mine Heb. Your backs which being the strongest part of the Body is put for the whole Body Or Your Eminences or Excellencies as this word most properly signifies as Hebricians observe so it answers to their memoâ—…bles All those things wherein you do or think that you do excel others are but like Eminencies or Lumps or Heaps of Clay vain and useless things if compared with the Excellencies of God Or Your heights i. e. your losty Discourses are like Clay i. e. without solidity and strength are like to Bodies of Clay 13. †Heb. be silens from me Hold your peace x Do not now interrupt me in my Discourse which peradventure he observed by their gestures some of them were now attempting let me alone that I may speak y That I may freely utter my whole mind and let come on me what will z For the event of my Discourse with God wherewith you threaten me I am willing to submit my self to him to do with me as he pleaseth For I know he will not judge so severely and partially of me or my words as you do but will accept what is good and pass by any circumstantial defects in my Person or Speech as knowing that I speak from an upright Heart 14. Wherefore do I take my Flesh in my Teeth and put my Life in mine hand z According to this Translation the sense seems to be this If you speak truth and God punisheth none but wicked men why doth he bring me whom he Knows to be no Hypocrite as you slaunder me to that extremity of Pain and misery that I am almost constrained to tear and eat my own flesh which is mentioned as the Character of men in great anguish Isa. 9. 20. 49. 26. and am ready to lay violent hands upon my self Is it so great a crime to complain in this case or at least to enquire into the cause of this unwonted severity But this sense seems not well to suit either with the foregoing or following Verses but to come in abruptly Others therefore render the words thus Why should I take my flesh in my Teeth c. And so this may be either 1. A Reason of his ardent desire of Liberty of Speech because he could hold his Tongue no longer but must needs tear himself to pieces if he had not some vent for his grief So this agrees well both with v. 13. where he desired this freedom and with v. 19. where the same sense is expressed in plainer words Or 2. An Antidote against despair I perceive O my Friends by your Discourses that you intend to drive me to utter Despair if I do not turn to God in another manner than yet I have done Which if it were true I should certainly tear my flesh and violently take away my own Life But I see no reason why I should give way to any such despair or desperate Actions And this also hath a good dependance upon the foregoing words Let come on me what will But I have no reason to fear such Consequences as you suggest nor to despair of a merciful Audience and Relief from God and a good connexion with those which follow v. 15. where he declares his Hope and Confidence in God The Phrase of having ones Life in his hand notes a condition extremely dangerous and almost desperate as Iudg. 12. 3. 1 Sam. 19. 5. 28. 21. Psal. 119. 109. 15. * Psa. 23. 4. Prov. 14. 32. Though he slay me a Though God should yet more and more encrease my torments so that I could bear them no longer but should perceive my self to be at the point of Death and without all hopes of Recovery in this World yet I will trust in him b Or shall I not trust in him Should
If I have eaten †Heb. the strength thereof the fruits thereof without Money y Either without paying the price required by the right owner for the land or by defrauding my Workmen of the wages of their labours or have †Heb. caused the Soul of the owners thereof to expire or breath out caused the owners thereof to lose their life z Killing them that so I might have undisturbed possession of it as Ahab did Naboth 40. Let thistles grow instead of wheat and ‖ Or noisome weeds cockle instead of barley The words of Iob ‖ To wit in answer to his Friends for he speaks but little afterwards and that is to God are ended CHAP. XXXII 1. SO these three men ceased †Heb. from answering to answer Job because he was righteous in his own eyes a i. e. Was self-conceited and obstinately resolved to justifie himself both against God and men therefore they give him over as incorrigible 2. Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu the Son of Barachel the Buzite b Of the Posterity of Buz Nabours Son Gen. 22. 21. of the kindred of Ram c Or of Aram for Ram and Aram are used promiscuously comp 2 Kings 8. 28. with 2 Chron. 22. 5. and Ruth 4. 19. with Mat. 1. 3. Others of Abraham who as he was called Abram possibly was at first called onely Ram. His Pedegree is thus particularly described partly for his honour because his speech declares him to be both a wise and a good Man and principally to evidence the truth of this History which otherwise might seem to be but a Poetical fiction against Job was his wrath kindled because he justified †Heb. his Soul himself rather than God d He justified himself not without reflection upon God as dealing too severely with him and denying him that hearing which he so passionately desired He took more care to maintain his own innocency than God's glory 3. Also against his three friends was his wrath kindled because they had found no answer e To Iob's allegations and arguments as to the main cause and yet had condemned Job f As an Hypocrite or ungodly Man 4. Now Elihu had †Heb. Expected Iob in words waited g With Patience as the word notes till Job h Add and his three Friends as appears from the following words It is a Synecdoche whereof instances have been given before had spoken because they were †Heb. Eldâ—…or daâ—…s elder than he i And therefore he expected more satisfaction from them and gave them the precedency in the discourse Wherein he shewed his prudence and modesty 5. When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of thâ—…se three men then his wrath was kindled 6. And Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite answered and said I am †Heb. 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 young and ye are very old wherefore I was afraid k To wit of discovering my weakness and folly and of being thought forward and presumptuous and †Heb. â—…ared durst not shew you mine opinion 7. I said * Ch. 12. 12. Days l i. e. Multitude of days by comparing the next Clause of the Verse Or men of days i. e. of many days or years old men should speak m To wit wisely and pertinently as the next words limit it and multitude of years should teach wisdom n Should instruct us that are younger in the paths of wisdom and concerning the wise counsels and ways of God about which the present controversie lay 8. But o Or surely It must be confessed there is a spirit p To wit which gives him understanding as is easily and fitly gathered out of the last words of the Verse And this is to be understood either 1. of the humane Spirit or reasonable Soul which is in every man So the sense of the place is Every man as a man whether old or young hath a reasonable Soul by which he is able in some measure to discern between Good and Evil and to judge of mens Opinions and Discourses And therefore I also may venture to deliver my Opinion Or 2. of the Spirit of God the latter Clause being explicatory of the former according to the manner So the sense is I expected a true and full discovery of the truth in this controversie from persons of your years Wisdom and Experience But upon second thoughts I consider that the knowledge of these deep and divine Mysteries is not to be had or expected from any man as such though never so aged or wise but onely from God's Spirit which alone knoweth the deep things of God And this Spirit he saith is in man not in every man for the words are not universal but indefinite and man in this Branch is no larger than them who receive divine inspiration in the next Branch And so the sense is God is pleased to give his Spirit unto Mankind unto men of all ages and qualities as he pleaseth and having given it in some measure to me I may take the boldness to utter my thoughts in man and * Ch. 35. 11. 38. 36. Prov. 2. 6. Eccles. 2. 26. Dan. 1. 17. 2. 21. Jam. 1. 5. the inspiration of the Almighty q i. e. God's Spirit or the gracious Gifts thereof breathed or iâ—…fused into man's Soul by God giveth them understanding r To wit in divine and spiritual matters which are the matter of this Debate and Book 9. Great men s i. e. Men of eminency for age or learning or dignity and power such as Iob's three Friends seem to have been are not always wise neither doth the aged understand judgment t What is just and right Or the judgment of God and the methods and reasons of his administrations 10. Therefore I said u Within my self and now I say it with my mouth Hearken to me x Thou Iob especially who art more nearly concerned to whom therefore he speaketh in the Singular Number and thy Friends with thee I also will shew mine opinion 11. Behold I waited y With silence and patience and diligent attention which therefore I now expect from you for your words I gave ear to your †Heb. understandings reasons z Or reasonings Heb. understandings or minds the depth and strength of your Discourses your most intelligent and forcible Arguments against Iob I searched and examined them to the bottom whilest ye searched out †Heb. words what to say a Whilest you put your Inventions upon the rack and studied to find out all that could be said against him and to furnish your selves with the most convincing words and reasons 12. Yea I attended to you and behold there was none of you that convinced Job b By solid and satisfactory answers to his Assertions and Allegations or that answered his words 13. Lest ye should
He seems to himself and others to be lost and past all hopes of recovery Which he adds for Iob's comfort in his desperate condition and and his life to the destroyers a To the instruments of death or destruction whether it be Angels whom God sometimes useth in those cases or â—…vils who have the power of Death Heb. 2. 14. or Diseases 〈◊〉 by God's appointment are ready to give the fatal blow 23. If there be a messenger b Either 1. an Angel sent to him from Heaven upon this errand for the Angels are ministring Spirits Psalm 103. 20. Heb. 1. 14. and are and especially in that time and state of the Church were frequently employed by God upon Messages to men But why then should he say one of a thousand Angels seeing any the meanest Angel was very competent for this work Or rather 2. a Prophet or Teacher for such are oft called by this Name as Iudg. 2. 1. Mâ—… 2. 7. 3. 1. Rev. 1. 20. and such persons are appointed by God for and are most commonly imployed in this work with him c Either 1. with God to plead man's Cause and to pray to God for man Or rather 2. with man who is expressed in the last clause of this Verse and of whom this same Pronoun him is twice used in the next Verse Nor is it strange that the Pronoun Relative is put before the Noun to which it belongs but uâ—…ual in the Hebrew language as Exod. 2. 6. Prov. 5. 22. 14 33. and elsewhere an * 〈◊〉 43. 〈◊〉 interpreter d One whose Office and work it is to declare the mind of God unto the sick-man and wherefore God contends with him and what God would have him to do one among a thousand e A person rightly qualified for this great and hard work such as there are but very few searce one of â—… thousand which expression is used to denote the rarity â—…nd fewness of persons Eccles. 7 28. By which words he doth covertly reflect upon Iob's three Friends and imply that they were not such persons though they had undertaken to perform this offce or work to Iob and withal modestly intimates that although he was in himself mean and inferiour to all of them as he acknowledgeth yet he was selected by God for this work which he saith not out of a desire of vain boasting of himself but to dispose Iob to a more diligent attention unto and a more ready entertainment of his present discourses to shew unto man his uprightness f Or rectitude or rigâ—…ousness His i. e. either 1. God's To convince a man that God is just and right in all his dealings with him though never so fevere of which Iob was not yet convinced Or rather 2. man's to teach man his duty or to direct him to the right way and method how he may please God and procure that mercy and deliverance which he thirsts after which is not by quarrelling with God as Iob did but by an humble confession and hearty detestation and forsaking of his sins and supplication to God for mercy in and through Christ the Redeemer of whom Iob spoke before Or thus To discover to man that although he be afflicted yet he is an upright and righteous person and consequently in God's favour about which good men oft doubt and need the help of a skilful Minister to satisfie them therein But this seems not so well to suit Iob's case who was sufficiently and more than enough perswaded of his own Integrity and needed no Minister to preach that Doctrine to him 24. Then g In that case or upon the sick-man's knowledge and practice of his duty he h Either 1. the Messenger or Interpreter last mentioned who is pitiful unto the sick man and in compassion to him doth all that he can for him counselling and comforting him and praying to God for his recovery in the following words Deliver him c. for the sake of that ransom which thou hast revealed and I have discovered to him Or rather 2. God who is oft in this Book designed by this Particle he or him whose property and prerogative it is to be gracious unto man and who alone can speak the following words with power and authority is gracious unto him i Pardoning his sins and delivering him from his dangerous disease and from death and from the Hell which attends upon it and saith k To the Angel or Messenger Deliver him l To wit ministerially and declaratively in which sense the acts of forgiving Sins and reconciling Sinners and saving Souls are ascribed to God's Ministers as Iohn 20. 23. 2 Cor. 5. 19 20. 1 Tim. 4. 16. Declare to him that I have pardoned and will heal him from going down into the pit I have found ‖ Or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a ransom m Although I might justly destroy him and should do it if I were severe to mark what is amiss in him yet I will spare him for I have found out an expedient and a way of ransoming and redeeming Sinners from Death both temporal and eternal which they by their sins have deserved which is by the death of my Son the Redeemer of the World which shall be in the fulness of time and with respect to which I will pardon this sick man and others that shall repent and sue to me for mercy as he hath done 25. His flesh shall be fresher †Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 than a childs n i. e. More sound and tender These joyful tidings delivered to him by God's Messenger shall revive his Spirit and by degrees restore his former health and vigour he shall return to the days of his youth o i. e. To the same healthfull and strong constitution of body which he had in his youth 26. He p Either 1. the Messenger or rather 2. the sick Man p Being engaged and encouraged to do so either by the foresaid gracious Message or by his miraculous recovery through God's goodness shall pray unto God q and he will be favourable unto him r In hearing and answering his Prayers which before he seemed to neglect and he shall see his face with joy s Either 1. God will look upon the Man with a smiling or well-pleased countenance whereas before he either hid his Face from him or frowned upon him Or 2. The Man shall then be emboldened and encouraged to look God in the Face with comfort and joy which before he was not without cause afraid to do but now he shall find that God is reconciled to him by the blessed effects of it both in his Body and in his Conscience for he will render unto man his righteousness t i. e. According to his righteousness or the fruit of his righteousness as on the contrary iniquity is oft put for the punishment of iniquity The sense is He will deal with him as with one reconciled
to be the chief argument by which the learned Bochart proves this to be meant of the Hipopotamus whose constant residence is in or near the River of Nilus or the Willows that grow by it But it is well alledged by our learned and judicious Caryl that this word Naal is never used to express Nilus when it is put by it self as here it is but onely where the word Egypt is added to it as it is in all the places which Bochart produceth And this very phrase the Willows of the Brook is used of other Brooks or Rivers besides Nilus as Levit. 23. 40. Comp. Isa. 15. 7. compass him about 23. Behold †〈…〉 he drinketh up r Or He snatcheth or draweth or drinketh up as it were with force and violence as the word signifies a river s i. e. A great quantity of water hyperbolically called a River as it is also Psal. 78. 16. 105. 41. This may be fitly applied to the Elephant which because of its great bulk and vehement thirst drinks a great deal of Water at one draught as Naturalists and Historians have observed and hasteth not t He drinks not with fear and caution and sparingly as the Dogs do at Nilus for fear of the Crocodile but such is his courage and self-confidence that he fears no enemy either by Water or by Land but drinketh securely and liberally he trusteth that he can draw up Jordan into his Mouth u He drinks as if he designed or hoped or desired to drink up the whole River He mentions Iordan either as a River well known in and nigh unto Iob's land or because possibly there were many Elephants which used to drink at it or as a River in some parts of it but small which therefore might give more colour to the Hyperbole and to the Elephants fancy or expectation than a vaster River such as Euphrates would have done Bochart expounds this also of the Hippopotamus which though he cannot swim and may be drowned as Naturalists report yet will continue securely under Water at the bottom of Nilus for some days together and he renders the Verse thus Behold if a River oppress or cover him he fears not he is confident or secure though Iordan which is here put for any River should break forth or over-flow above his mouth i. e. should overwhelm him But the judgment of this I leave to the Reader 24. ‖ 〈…〉 He taketh it with his Eyes his nose pierceth through snares x According to this Translation the sense is this He taketh or snatcheth or draweth up as was now said v. 23. it to wit the River Iordan with his Eyes i. e. when he sees it he trusteth that he can drink it all up as we use to say The Eye is bigger than the Belly his Nose or Snout pierceth c. i. e. He securely thrusteth his Snout into the River even to the bottom of it to stir up the mud because he delights to drink muddy Water and if there be any Snares laid for other Creatures he breaks them to pieces But this Verse is otherwise translated by others Will or Can any man take him in his Eyes i. e. openly and by manifest force Surely no. His force and strength is too great for Man to resist or overcome and therefore men are forced to use many wiles and engines to catch him which is true both of the Elephant and of the Hippopotamus Or pierce his Nose with Snares or Gins No. He may be taken by art and cunning but not by violence CHAP. XLI 1. CAnst thou draw out ‖ 〈…〉 Leviathan with an hook or his tongue with a cord †〈…〉 which thou lettest down a Canst thou take him with a Hook and a Line as Anglers take ordinary Fishes Surely no. Quest. What is this Leviathan Ans. This is granted on all hands that it is a great and terrible Monster living in the Sea or Rivers as Behemoth is a Land-monster It is the general and received Opinion that it is the Whale which is unquestionably called the Leviathan Psal. 104. 25 26. which having been discovered in the Seas next bordering upon Arabia probably was not unknown to Iob who was a very inquisitive Person and well studied in the works of God as this Book manifests But some later and very learned Interpreters conceive that it is the Crocodile which was very well known in Egypt and all the parts adjacent to it And this is evident that the Hebrew word Thannin which is Parallel to this word Leviathan these two words being synonymous and the one promiscuously used for the other as appears from Psal. 74. 13 14. Isa. 27. 1. Ezek. 32. 2. is used of the Crocodile Ezek. 29 3 4. 32. 2 3. But I shall not positively determine this Controversy but onely shew how far the Text may be understood of both of them and then submit it to the Readers Judgment this being a matter of no great moment wherein Christians may vary without any hazard Onely this I will say That whatever becomes of the Behemoth of the former Chapter whether that be the Elephant or the Hippopotamus that doth not at all determine the sense of this Leviathan but leaves it indifferent to the Whale or the Crocodile as the context shall determine which I confess seems to me to savour the latter more than the former To which may be added that it seems more probable that God would speak of such Creatures as were very well known to Iob and his Friends as the Crocodile was than of such as it is very uncertain whether they were known in those parts and in Iob's time This Verse noting either the impossibility or rather the great and terrible difficulty of taking this Monster with his Hook or Line or such like instruments may agree to either of them For the Whale there is no doubt nor much doubt as to the Crocodile the taking whereof was generally esteemed by the Ancients to be very difficult and perillous whatsoever peculiar vertue or power from Nature or Art the Tentyritae had against them as the Psylli were said to have against Serpents Some indeed object that the last Clause cannot agree to the Crocodile because that hath no Tongue as is affirmed by Aristotle Pliny and other ancient Authors But that is a mistake and the ground of it is plain because their Tongues are but small in proportion to their vast Bodies and withal fastned to their under Jaws as the self-same Authors note And that the Crocodile hath a tongue is positively affirmed by the said ancient Authors and by the Hebrew Writers and by the Arabians to whom this Creature was best known and by later Authors 2. Canst thou put an hook b Heb. a Bulrush i. e. an Hook like a Bulrush with its head hanging down as is expressed Isa. 58. 5. into his nose c To hang him up by it for Sale or to carry him home for
also was of great and good use both to glorifie Gods Justice and to warn and reform other sinners by the Terror of their Example 3. That they may be taken only for predictions as hath been observed before upon the like Occasion and put to shame that seek after my soul let them * Jâ—…r 46. 5. be turned back g Either 1. Stopped or hindred in the Execution of their wicked Design Or rather 2. which is more sutable to the Context discomfited and put to flight as this Phrase is frequently used as Psal. 9. 3. and 70. 2. and 78. 9. Isa. 42. 17. Ier. 46. 5. 21. and brought to confusion that devise my hurt 5. * Job 21. 18. Psal. 1. 4. Isa. 29. 5. Hos. 13. 3. Let them be as chaff before the wind h i. e. Dispersed and Chased from place to place finding Rest and Safety no where and let the angel of the LORD i Whom God useâ—…h to defend his people and to destroy their Enemies chase them 6. Let their way k By which they flee being Chased as was now said be †Heb. 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 * Psal. 73. 18. Jer. 23. 12. dark and slippery l So as they can neither discern the right path nor be able to stand in it and much less to run away especially from so swift a Persecutor as an Angel Whereby they must unavoidably fall into their Enemies hands and be destroyed and let the angel of the LORD persecute them 7. For without cause m Out of meer Malice without any injury or provocation on my part and without any necessity on their parts They are no Common but the worst of Enemies and therefore I may justly pray against them as I do have they hid for me their net in a pit which without cause they digged for my soul n These Expressions aggravate their sins and signifie that their Persecution of him was not the effect of a sudden Passion but of a deep and habitual Hatred and Malice and of an Evil design carried on in a constant and continued Course with Deliberation and Cunning and Deceit and that against his Soul or Life for nothing less would satiâ—…fie them 8. Let destruction come upon him o i. e. Upon each of thine and mine implacable Enemies of whom he hath hitherto spoken †Heb. which 〈◊〉 knoweth 〈◊〉 of at unawares and * Psal. 7. 1â—… 16. 57. â—… Prov. 5. 22. let his net that he hath hid catch himself into that very destruction let him fall 9. And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD p In and for his Glory and Service which shall be advanced by this means and for his Favour to me otherwise I am far from rejoycing in their Calamities it shall rejoyce in his salvation 10. All my bones q i. e. My whole Body by a Synecdoche as Psal. 34. 20. as well as my Soul mentioned v. 9. I will glorifie thee both with my Soul and with my Body shall say r Speech is ascribed to the Bones figuratively as elsewhere they are said to Fear and to Rejoyce Psal. 6. 2. and 51. 8. and as the Loins are said to Bless Iob 31. 20. If they could speak they would express thy Praises because having been dryed up with Sorrow they are now refreshed by thy Mercy LORD who is like unto thee which deliverest the poor that is too strong for him yea the poor and the needy from him that spoileth him 11. False †Heb. 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 witnesses did rise up †Heb. 〈◊〉 â—…ed me they laid to my charge things that I knew not s They accused me to Saul of Treachery and Designs against his Crown and Life and other Crimes whereof I was wholly innocent and ignorant 12. * Psal. 38. â—…0 109. 5. They rewarded me evil for good t For the good Offices which I did to divers of them when I haâ—… Favour and Power in Saul's Court and Camp to the †Heb. dâ—…priving spoiling of my soul u i. e. To the stripping of my Person of all my Comforts and Hopes and of my Life it self 13. But as for me * 〈◊〉 30. 25. when they were sick x Or in any other great Misery my clothing was saccloth y Which was the Habit of Mourners Gen. 37. 34. Mat. 11. 21. Revel 11. 3. I ‖ Or â—…licted humbled my soul z Heb. I afflicted my Soul of which Phrase see Levit. 16. 29 31. and 23. 27. 32. c. Partly with Fasting and Partly with Compassion and â—…ervent Prayers for them with fasting and my prayer returned into mine own bosom a According to this Translation the Sence may be this And or But Or Although my Fastings and Prayers did them no good neither abated their Malice nor prevailed with God for them so far as I desired but returned to me without success like a Gift sent to an uncivil Person who disdainfully rejects it and returns it to the Giver But 1. This is not true that his Prayers returned empty to him and did them no good for they prevailed with God for their Recovery as appears by the following Verses 2. This doth not seem to suit well with the Context for both in the foregoing and following Words he is only describing what he did for them and not what the Effects of it were which he describes in the succeeding Verses Others therefore render the Words otherwise Either 1. Thus And my Prayer in my Bosom returned i. e I did daily and frequently repeat my Prayers for them and that not onely in publick when I joyned with others in a Fast-day appointed for them which might be done in Policy or for Ostentation but also in secret between God and my own Soul and that with a sincere and hearty Affection For what is done secretly and affectionately is said to be done in the Bosom Numb 11. 12. Psal. 89. 50. Prov. 21. 14. although indeed there is in those places another Proposition which may possibly alter the Case Or 2. Which seems the truest Sence and as for my Prayer to wit which I joyned with my Fasting on their behalf let it return nothing being more frequent than for Future Verbs to be put Imperatively into my own Bosom i. e. If any shall think or say that my Fasting for them was but Counterfeit or Politick and that I did not pray for them but rather against them as I do in this Psalm and that under all this shew I secretly wished their Death or Destruction my earnest desire is that the All-seeing and Heart-searching God would grant unto me when I come into their Circumstances the same things which I begged for them whether Good or Evil. And this Sence agrees with the Common use of this Phrase in Scripture where whatsoever is repay'd to any Man is said to be render'd into his Bosom as Psal. 79. 12. Isa. 65.
12â—… and the onely true Rule of thy Worship and the onely true way to man's happiness unite my heart r Ingage and knit my whole heart to thy self and service and deliver me from inconstancy and wavering that I may not at any time nor in the least degree be withdrawn from thee either to any corrupt Worship or to the love and pursuit of the lusts or vanities of this present evil world to fear thy name 12 I will praise thee O Lord my God with all my heart and I will glorifie thy name for evermore s Either 1. If thou grantest my request Verse 11. Or 2. Because thou hast done what is expressed Verse 13. 13 For great is thy mercy toward me and thou hast delivered my soul t My person or life as in the next Verse from †Heb. Hell beneath Psal. â—…6 10. the lowest hell u Either 1. From hell properly so called Or rather 2. From extreme and desperate dangers and miseries by comparing this with Deut. 32. 22. and with Psal 88. 6. Thou hast laid me in the lowest the same word in the Hebrew which is here pit Where by the pit he means as is evident and confessed the grave which is commonly called Scheol the word here used 14 O God * Psal. 54. 3. the proud are risen against me and the assemblies of †Heb. terrible violent men have sought after my soul and have not set thee before them x They have no reverence nor regard for thee neither for thy word which hath conferred the Kingdom upon me nor for thine all-seeing Eye which beholds all their wicked devises and practises against me nor for thy justice which will undoubtedly bring their mischief upon their own heads 15 * Exod. 34. 6. Numb 14. 18. Nehem. 9. 17. Psal. 103. 8. and 145. 8. Joel 2. 13. Verse 5. But thou O Lord art a God full of compassion and gracious long-suffering and plenteous in mercy y To wit to thy People and to me in particular and therefore thou wilst forget and forgive my manifold sins for which thou mightest justly reject me and make me to know thy breach of Promise and therefore thou wilst save me from my cruel Enemies and truth 16 O turn unto me and have mercy upon me give thy strength z To assist support and save me unto thy servant and save * Psal. â—…16 16. the son of thine handmaid ‖ Me who by thy gracious providence was born not of Heathen but of Israelitish Parents and therefore was in covenant with thee from my Birth and whose Mother was thy faithful Servant and did intirely devote me to thy Service 17 Shew me a token for good †Vouchsafe unto me some evident and eminent token of thy good will to me for the conviction of mine Enemies and mine own comfort that they which hate me may see it and be ashamed because thou LORD hast holpen me and comforted me PSAL. LXXXVII THE ARGUMENT This Psalm was doubtless composed after the Building of the Temple and as Learned Men think and it seems probable when the People were newly returned out of Babylon and laboured under many Discouragements about the returm of most of their Brethren and the Difficulties which they met with in the rebuilding of their Temple and City A Psalm or Song ‖ Or of for the sons of Korah 1 HIs foundation a Whose Foundation Either 1. The foundation i. e. the argument or matter of this Psalm or Song So these words are thought to be a part of the Title the words lying thus in the Hebrew Text For the sons of Korah a Psalm or Song whose foundation is in the holy mountains But 1. The Hebrew word rendred foundation is no where used in that sence 2. There is no example of any such like Title in the Book of the Psalms Or rather 2. Of the City or Temple of God of which he speaks in the following Verses And whereas the beginning is somewhat abrupt which seems to be the onely ground of the foregoing Exposition that is no unusual thing in Scripture and the Pronoun Relative such as this is is oft put without any foregoing Antecedent and the Antecedent is to be fetched out of the following Words or Verses As Numb 24. 17. I shall see him or it to wit the star which follows afterward Psal. 105. 19. his word i. e. the Lords Prov. 7. 8. to her house i. e. the harlot's mentioned Verse 10. And especially Cant. 1. 2. let him kiss to wit my beloved who is there understood but not expressed till Verse 14. And the ground of that abrupt and imperfect speech there seems to be the same with this here for as the Church was there in deep meditation and a great passion about her beloved which caused that abruptness of speech which is usual in such cases so the Psalmists thoughts were strongly fixed upon the Temple and City of God and therefore this Relative his had a certain Antecedent in his thoughts though not in his words The word foundations may possibly be emphatical because this Psalm might probably be composed when the foundations of the second Temple were newly laid and the old men who had seen the Glory of the former House were dejected at the sight of this of which see Ezra 3. 11 12. And so the meaning of this passage may be this Be not discouraged oh ye Jews that your Temple is not yet erected and built but onely the foundations of it laid and those too are mean and obscure in comparison of the Magnificence of your former Temple but take comfort in this that your Temple hath its foundations laid and those sure and firm sure in themselves because they are not laid in the sand nor in hoggy or fenny grounds but in the mountains and sure by divine establishment because those mountains are holy consecrated to God and therefore maintained and established by him Or he may use this word foundations in opposition to the Tabernacle which was moveable and without foundations to note the stability and perpetuity of this Building is * Psal. 48. 〈◊〉 in the holy mountains b Or among or within the holy mountains to wit in Ierusalem which was encompassed with mountains Psal. 125. 2. and in which were two famous mountains to wit Zion and Moriah Or the plural number is here put for the singular whereof we have seen examples formerly and mountains are put for the mountain either for the Mount Moriah upon which the Temple stood or for Mount Zion which is mentioned in the next Verse which is often taken in a large and comprehensive sence so as to include Moriah in which sence the Temple is said to be in Zion Psal. 74. 2. and 76. 2. Isa. 8. 18. 2 The LORD loveth the gates c of Zion d Largely so called as was now said to wit of Ierusalem which was built upon and near
Mount Zion He saith Zion rather than Ierusalem to intimate that he loved Ierusalem for Zions sake or for the Temple which is oft said to be in Zion which place he loved and chose for his peculiar dwelling place more than all the dwellings of Jacob e More than all other places of the Land of Canaan in which the Israelites dwelt For although the Tabernacle was for a season in some other parts of the Land yet the Temple the place of God's fixed residence was no where but in this City e i. e. The City gates being oft put for cities as Deut. 15. 7. and 16. 5. Psal. 9. 14. 3 Glorious things are spoken of thee O city of God f O Ierusalem though thou and thy Temple are yet in some sort in your ruines and desolate and contemptible not onely to thine enemies but also in the eyes of thine own People yet comfort thy self with these great and glorious things foretold concerning thee in the Holy Prophets as Isa. 62. 1 7. and 65. 18 c. and 66. 10 c. Zech. 1. 14 c. and 2. 4 12. and 8. 3 c. and 12. 2 c. Among other things it was â—…oretold that the glory of the latter house should be greater than of the former Hagg. 2. 9. All which Prophecies are to be understood as this place also is of a Spiritual and Evangelical Glory accruing to the Ierusalem as by the birth and presence of Christ in it so also by the accession of all People and Nations to it of which he speaks in the next Verse Selah 4 I will make mention g i. e. I will reckon or account them in the number of my Children and Subjects of * Psal. 89. 10. 〈◊〉 â—…1 9. Rahab h i. e. Egypt so called Psal. 89. 10. Isa. 51. 9. but whether from its pride or natural strength or figure or shape is not material and Babylon i Under these two and Philistia the old and constant enemies of Israel he seems to understand all the keenest enemies of the Israel or Church of God who shall now be not onely reconciled but united to them which also was foretold under the similitude of the wolfs dwelling with the lamb c. Isa. 11. 6. to them k Or with or among them as the prefix â—…amed is frequently used that know me l To wit truly clearly affectionately and practically so as to love serve and obey me as this Phrase is very frequently used in Scripture And upon this account not onely Heathens but wicked Israelites are said not to know God as 1 Sam. 2. 12. and oft elsewhere behold m The notice of it as a thing new and strange and comfortable Philistia and Tyre with Ethiopia n The Nations on every side of them for Tâ—…rus was on the North Ethiopia or Arabia for that seems rather to be meant by Câ—…sh as hath been before observed on the South those nearest to them and those more remote from them that lived in the uttermost parts of the earth as this very Land is called Matt. 12. 42. this man was born there o Or saying this man c. for this cohereth with the first words thus I will make mention of Raâ—…ab c. saying this man i. e. these Men or People now mentioned the singular number put collectively for the plural and the Scripture oft speaks of a Nation as of one man as Psal. 25. 22. and 130 8. was born there or in her as it is expressed Verse 5. to wit in Zion born by Adoption and Regeneration See Ioh. 1. 12. and 3. 3 7. Gal. 3. 26. and 4. 26. 1 Pet. 1. 23. The Gentiles shall be ingraffed into the Jewish Church and into all their Priviledges 5 And of Zion p i. e. Of Ierusalem or the Church of God it shall be said q This and that man r i. e. Men of this and that Nation i. e. of every Nation indifferently Jews or Gentiles according to that prediction that Egypt and Assyria and Israel should be all joyned together and blessed and owned by God for his People Isa. â—…9 24 25. Heb. Man and man i. e. every man or all sorts of men without difference of Nations as this very Phrase man and man Lev. 17. 10. 13. is rendred every or what-man and as by day and day is meant every day or from day to day â—…st 3. 4. Psal. 61. 8. was born in her and the Highest himself shall establish her s And this shall not be a sudden and transient but a lasting work Zion shall continue in its strength and fertility because the Almighty God is her Founder and Protector and will finish the work which he hath begun b It shall be mentioned by God as was said Verse 4. and it shall be observed and acknowledged by men as a great and wonderful work of God 6 The LORD shall count when he writeth up the people t Or his people So it is onely a defect of the Pronoun his which is very frequent and easily understood out of the foregoing word the Lord. The sence is when God the Maker and Governor of this City shall take a survey of all his Citizens and Subjects It is an allusion to Princes or Governors of Cities that use to write and keep a Register of all their people Hence holy Men and true Israelites are said to be written among the living in Ierusalem Isa. 4. 3. Or in the writing of the house of Israel Ezek. 13. 9. that this man was born there Sclah 7 As well the singers as the players on instruments u There shall be great rejoycing and praising God both with vocal and instrumental musick for this glorious and stupendious work of the Conversion of the Gentiles He describes Evangelical Worship by Legal Phrases and Customs as the Prophers frequently do shall be there all my Springs are in thee x i. e. In Zion or the Church These words may be here added as the burden or matter of the Song which these singers are supposed to have sung and that either 1. In their own names and in the name of all the Zionites or people of God So the sence is all our desires and delights are in thee all the springs of Mercy Grace and Glory flow to us onely in and thorow thee for springs or fountains are oft put for all precious or desirable things as Psal 36. 9 Isa. 12. 3. Hos. 13. 15. Or 2. In God's name whose words were frequently sung by the singers in the Old Testament 2. So the sence is all the Springs or Fountains of good things or of my Blessings are in Zion or in the Church out of which no true Blessings are to be expected or found And this seems best to suit with the Phrase my Springs partly because it seems more proper to call them God's Springs who is the author and giver of them than mens Springs
is usual 11 * Psal. 89. 3 4. â—…3 c. The LORD hath sworn in truth y Not falsly or deceitfully as men sometimes do but sincerely and faithfully what he will inviolably observe and fulfil as the next clause expounds this unto David he will not turn from it * 2 Sam. 7. 12. 1 Kings 8. 25. 2 Chr. 6. 16. Luke 1. 69. Acts 2. 30. Of the fruit of †Heb. thy belly thy body z Some of thy posterity will I set upon thy throne 12 If thy children will keep my covenant and my testimony that I shall teach them their children also shall sit upon my throne for evermore 13 For the LORD hath chosen Zion a Not strictly but largely taken either for the whole mountain whereof Zion and Moriah were two parts or tops or for Ierusalem which was in a great part built upon Mount Zion whence it is oft called Zion as hath been noted again and again For he speaks here of that place which he chose to be his rest for ever as it follows v. 14. which unequestionably was the Temple whence also it appears that this Psalm was not written by David nor before the building of the Temple he hath desired it for his habitation 14 * Psal. 68. 16. This is my rest for ever here will I dwell b I will no more wander to several places as I have done but here I have fixed my abode for I have desired it 15 * Psal. 147. 14. I will ‖ Or surely abundantly bless her provision c I will plentifully provide for Ierusalem and all that live in her or resort to her for Worship nor shall they seek my face in vain I will satisfie her poor with bread 16 I * 2 Chr. 6. 41. will also cloath her priests with salvation d With my saving graces and blessings with righteousness as thou didst desire v. 9. and moreover with that protection and benediction which by my promise belongs to righteous persons and her saints shall shout aloud for joy 17 * Ezek. 29. 21. Luke 1. 69. There e In Ierusalem the seat of the Kingdom and which is no small advantage to that family the onely place of my presence and worship in the world will I make the horn of David to bud f His power and glory to flourish and increase and to be propagated to his posterity I have ordained a ‖ Or candle See 1 Kings 11. 36. lamp g A successor or succession to continue for ever in his family as this phrase is expounded 1 Kings 11. 36. 15. 4. and particularly one eminent and glorious light to wit the Messias who shall come out of his loyns and revive and vastly enlarge his Kingdom for mine anointed 18 His enemies will I cloath with shame h For the shameful and unexpected disappointment of all their vain hopes and wicked designs but upon himself i Upon him and his posterity which are nothing else but a mans self multiplied shall his crown flourish PSAL. CXXXIII A song of degrees of David This Psalm was composed by David upon the happy occasion of the ending of the Civil Wars between the two Houses of Saul and David In which having felt the sad effects of discord and division both the King and People were more sensible of the great blessing of reconciliation and unity 1 BEhold how good and how pleasant it is a You have been harassed by a Civil War take notice of this blessed change with thankfulness to God for it for brethren b For us who are brethren not onely by nature and blood but also by combination in one and the same Commonwealth and by the profession of the same Religion to dwell †Heb. 〈◊〉 together together in unity 2 It is like the * Exod. 30. 25 30. precious ointment upon the head that ran down upon the beard even Aarons beard c It is no less grateful and refreshing than that oyl which was plentifully poured forth upon Aarons head at the time of his Consecration to the Priestly Office which was exceeding pleasant not onely for the extraordinary fragrancy of it but because by this together with the other Rites prescribed he was initiated into that sacred Office which was so acceptable to God and so comfortable and beneficial to the people as being the happy instrument of making atonement to God for them and of procuring and maintaining their peace with God upon which all their happiness of this life and of the next depends that went down to the ‖ Or â—…ollar skirts d Or skirt for the Hebrew word is of the Singular number Not to the lower skirt or bottom of his Sacerdotal garment for that the sacred Oyl was poured forth in so great plenty is not probable nor was it necessary or convenient but to the upper skirt of it or the mouth of it as this Hebrew word properly signifies or to the collâ—…r of his upper Priestly garment which the oyntment falling upon his beard might easily reach of his garments 3 As the dew of * 〈◊〉 4. 48. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hermon e It is no less grateful than the dew is which fâ—…lls upon that great and goodly hill of Hermon whereby it is both refreshed and made fruitful and as the dew that ‖ 〈◊〉 25. 21. descended upon the mountains of Zion f And as the dew which falleâ—…h upon the mountains of Sion i. e. either upon the several parts and ridges or tops of that mountain whereof one was peculiarly called Sion and another Moriah or upon the mountains which are round about Ierusalem Psal. 125. 2. which is oft called Zion as Psal. 132. 13. And these may be opposed to Hermon which was remote and beyond Iordan But peradventure which yet I propose with all submission this dew is not to be taken literally for the falling of the dew availed very little to the refreshment or improvement of the hills of Sion and Moriah especially as now they were filled with buildings but Allegorically for the favour or blessing of God which is frequently called and compared to the dew as Prov. 19. 12. Isa. 18. 4. Hos. 14. 5. Mich. 5. 7. And thus it may seem to be explained in the following clause and so the sence of the place is this It is as desirable as the natural dew which falls upon mount Hermon nay which is more as that blessed and heavenly dew of Gods ordinances and graces which he hath commanded to fall upon the mountains of Sion i. e. either upon mount Sion the Plural number being put for the Singular as it is Psal. 132. 7. and oft elsewhere as I have observed in several places or upon the mountains of Zion and Moriah and others which are round about Ierusalem as was now said And if it seem strange that the dew should be taken literally in the first
keepeth the fig tree n Which he mentions because they abounded in Canaan and were more valued and regarded than other Trees shall eat the fruit thereof so he that waiteth on his master o That serves him faithfully prudently and diligently shall be honoured p Shall receive that respect and recompence which he deserves 19 As in water face answereth to face so the heart of man to man q The sense is either 1. As the image of a mans Face in the water answers to his natural Face who looks into it or as in water one mans face is like anothers the difference of mens faces being not there visible so one man resembles another either in the temper of his Mind or Body in which many men are alike one to another or in the corruption of his Nature in which all are alike Or 2. As a man may see his own face if he look into the water which is Natures Looking-Glass or into any other Looking-Glass so a man may discern his own Heart if he look into those Glasses whereby it discovers itself if he examine his Thoughts and Inclinations together with the general course of his Actions Or 3 As the Face of a man standing by the waters is visible not only to himself but to others by the shadow or image of it in the waters so the Heart of a man is in some measure discernable not only to himself but to others also who observe his disposition and carriage 20 * Ch. 30. 16. Hab. 2. 5. Hell and destruction are †Heb. not never full r The Grave devours all the Bodies which are put into it and is always ready to receive and devour more and more without end so * Eccl. 1. 8. 6. 7. the eyes s i. e. The desires which work and discover themselves by the eyes 1 Ioh. 2. 16. and other senses for otherwise the Eyes in themselves are neither capable of satisfaction nor of dissatisfaction of man are never satisfied 21 * Ch. 17. 3. As the fining-pot for silver t Is appointed and used for the trial of Silver and the detection and separation of the dross from it and the furnace for gold so is a man to his praise u Or according to his Praise The sense is so a man is known by his Praises either 1. By the quality of those who praise and applaud him and as they are good or bad so is he thought to be Or 2. By his carriage under praises as he carries himself either humbly and modestly with thankfulness to God and a due sense of his own infirmities which is the case and temper of a good man or ambitiously and vain-gloriously taking to himself the honour which he should give to God as ungodly men generally do in that case 22 Though thou shouldst bray a fool x Not a natural but a moral and wilful fool who by long continuance in sin is hardened and stupified and so incorrigible under all the means of amendment in a mortar among wheat with a pestil yet will not his foolishness depart from him 23 Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks y That thou maist preserve and improve what thou hast and take care that thine expences may not exceed thine incomes Flocks and Herds are here put for all Riches and possessions because anciently they were the chief part of a mans Riches and †Heb. set thy heart look well z Heb. set thine heart Trust not wholly to thy servants as many do that they may give up themselves wholly to ease and pleasure but make use of thine own Eyes and reason for the conduct of thine affairs lest thou come to ruine as many have done by this very means to thy herds 24 For †Heb. strength riches a Or Treasure The sence is what thou dost now possess or hast laid up will not last always but will soon be spent if thou dost not take care to preserve and improve it are not for ever and doth the crown b By which he understands a condition of the greatest honour and plenty If a man had the Wealth of a Kingdom without provident care and due diligence it would quickly be brought to nothing Hence the greatest Kings have minded Husbandry as Solomon Vzziah and others endure †Heb. to generation and generation to every generation 25 The hay appeareth and the tender grass sheweth it self c In their proper seasons These things may be here mentioned either 1. As the matter of his diligence Take care that thy Hay and Grass may be well managed and seasonably gathered for the use of thy Cattle Or rather 2. As another Argument and encouragement to diligence because God invites thee to it by the plentiful provisions wherewith he hath enriched the Earth for thy sake Thou needest not compass Sea and Land for them for God puts them into thy hand if thou wiltst but receive them and herbs of the mountains d Even the most barren parts afford thee their help are gathered e Or are to be gathered as such passive Verbs are oft used they are ripe and ready for the gathering So this clause suits best with the former 26 The lambs are for thy cloathing f By their wool and skins either used to cloath thy self with or sold to purchase all manner of cloathing for thy self and Family and the goats are the price of the field g By the sale whereof thou maist either pay the rent of the field which thou hirest or purchase Fields or Lands for thy self Either Goats are put for all cattle or he mentions Goats because these might better be spared and sold than sheep which brought a more certain and constant profit to the owner 27 And thou shalt have goats milk enough for thy food h Or if thou chusest rather to keep than to sell thy Goats the milk of them will serve thee for Food to thy self and to thy Family In ancient times men used a plain and simple diet and neither knew nor used that curiosity and luxury in it which after ages invented for the food of thy houshold and for †Heb. 〈◊〉 maintenance for thy maidens i Who are named because this nourishment was more proper for the weaker sex whereas men required a stronger diet CHAP. XXVIII 1 THe * Lev. 26. 17 36. wicked flee when no man pursueth a Because the Conscience of their own guilt puts them into a continual expectation and dread of Gods judgments but the righteous are bold b Are couragious and resolute having the witness of a good Conscience and the assurance of Divine Favour and Protection and the supports and consolations of the Holy Ghost as a lion 2 For the transgression of a land many c Either 1. Together contending for Supremacy Or rather 2. Successively as appears from the following
expressed in the following words Compare Psal. 2. 12. which fear before him u Or at his presence who stand in awe of God and forbear and fear to sin out of a sincere respect and reverence to God 13 But it shall not be well x i. e. It shall go very ill with him great miseries are prepared for him which is a Figure oft used in Scripture as hath been formerly and frequently observed with the wicked neither shall he prolong his days y To wit very long or for ever as he desireth which are as a shadow z His life though it may be or seem to be long yet in truth is but a meer shadow which will quickly vanish and disappear and be as if it never had been and many times like a shadow when it is longest it is nearest its abolition because he feareth not before God a This is the punishment of his wickedness and his casting off the fear and service of God For although the lives of good men upon Earth are short as well as the lives of the wicked yet their days are not like a shadow because they are prolonged far beyond this mortal state even to all Eternity and Death itself doth but open the way for them to an endless life 14 There is a vanity which is done b Either by wicked Potentates who do commonly advance unworthy men and oppress Persons of greatest Virtue and merit Or by God's Providence who sees it fit for many weighty Reasons so to manage the affairs of the present World upon the earth but there be just men unto whom it * Ps. 73. 14. Ch. 7. 15. hapneth according to the work c i. e. The merit of their work the work being oft put for the recompence given or belonging to it as Levit. 19. 13. Iob 7. 2. Psal. 109. 20. The sense is Who meets with such hard usage as the worst of men deserve of the wicked again there be wicked men to whom it hapneth according to the work of the righteous d Who instead of those just and dreadful punishments which they deserve by the Laws of God and men receive those encouragements and rewards which are due to virtuous and worthy men I said that this also is vanity e This is a very unreasonable and foolish thing if it be considered without respect unto another life as it is here where Solomon is discoursing of the vanity of the present life and of the impossibility of finding satisfaction and happiness in it 15 * Ch. 3. 2â—… 5. 18. 9. 7. Then I commended mirth because a man hath no better thing under the sun than to eat and to drink and to be merry f This he speaks either 1. in the Person of a sensual Man Things being so as was related v. 14. it is best to give a Man's self up to eating and drinking and all manner of carnal delights Or 2. in his own Name and Person Upon these considerations I concluded that it was most adviseable for a Man not to perplex and torment himself with the Thoughts of the seeming inequalities of Divine Providence and of the great disorders which are in the World or with cares and fears about future events or with infinite and insatiable desires of Worldly things but quietly and chearfully and thankfully to enjoy the comforts which God gives him See on Eccles. 2. 24. 3. 12 13. for that shall abide with him of his labour g This is the best advantage which he can make of this Worlds goods as to the present life the days of his life which God giveth him under the sun 16 When I applied mine heart to know wisdom h This he seems to add as the reason of that judgment which he had now passed v. 15. because he had diligently studied wherein Man's Wisdom did consist and had observed the restlessness of mens minds and bodies in other courses and to see the business i Either 1. To find out the work of God as the next Verse may seem to explain it and all the Mysteries of God's Providence in the Government of this present and lower World Or 2. To observe mens various designs and employments and their toilsom and unwearied businesses or labours about worldly things Which sense seems best to agree both with the use of this Hebrew word which is constantly used in this sense in all the places of Scripture where it is which are Eccles 1. 13. 2. 23 26. 3. 10. 4. 8. 5. 2 13. 8. 16. and never concerning the works of God and with the foregoing and following words as we shall see that is done upon the Earth for also there is that neither day nor night seeth sleep with his eyes k The sense of the words thus translated and pointed seems to be this There is a certain Man whom it is needless to Name which is a modest designation of himself like that of St. Paul 2 Cor. 12. 2. I know a Man in Christ c. who studied those matters Day and Night and therefore is very capable of passing a judgment about them But with submission there seems to be no need of a Parenthesis to cut oâ—… these words from the former with whom they have a fit connexion For having now mentioned the business which is done or which Man doth upon Earth he further adds as an evidence of Man's eagerness in pursuing his business for even by Day and by Night â—…e to wit the busie Man which is easily understood from the foregoing clause seeth not sleep with his eyes i. e. He grudgeth himself even necessary refreshments and disquiets himself with endless cares and labours the fruit whereof he doth but little enjoy and therefore it is better to eat and drink c. as I now said v. 15. As for the Phrase of seeing sleep it is a figurative expression used in other Authors and is like that of seeing death Psal. 89. 48. 17 Then l Heb. and or moreover I beheld all the work of God m I considered the counsels and ways of God and the various methods of his Providence towards good and bad men and the reasons of them that a man * Job 5. 9. Ch. 3. 11. 11. 5. Rom. 11. 33. cannot find out n No Man though never so wise and inquisitive and studious as it follows is able fully and perfectly to understand these things And therefore it is best for Man not to perplex himself with endless and fruitless enquiries about these matters but quietly to submit to God's Will and Providence and to live in the fear of God and the comfortable enjoyment of his blessings the work that is done under the sun because though a man labour to seek it out yet he shall not find it yea further though a wise man think to know it yet shall he not be able to find it CHAP. IX 1 FOr
venerable though Apocryphal Writer 1 〈◊〉 1. 1. 8. 5. But this Place is otherwise rendred both by ancient and later Interpreters which seems to be more natural and easie and no less agreeable to the Hebrew Text either thus that she is laid waste so that there is no house nor entring or coming in to wit for Traffick from the land of Chittim is made known to them to wit to the Ships or Merchants that used to resort thither for Traffick or rather thus for it is laid waste so that there is no house not any Houses left for the Citizens to dwell in nor entring or coming in to wit of Merchants from the land of Chittim she to wit her People is removed or gone into captivity as this Word properly signifies and is rendred Isa. 38. 12. And for the last Hebrew Word lamo which is rendred to them which is the onely Objection against this Interpretation it is onely added as an Elegancie of the Hebrew Language and hath no further Signification as it is also Psal. 58. 7. and as the Particle lo which signifies the same thing and such other Pronouns are frequently redundant and insignificant in the Hebrew Text as hath been oft observed by Grammarians and Interpreters He mentions the land of Chittim because this was an eminent Place for Shipping and Trading as is manifest from Numb 24. 24. Ezek. 27. 6. Dan. 11. 30. and therefore doubtless had great Dealings and Commerce with Tyre and may here be put Synechdochically for all other Countries which Traded with her It is not necessary for the understanding of this Text to 〈◊〉 what Chittim is whether it was Italy or Greece or the Islands in those Parts it is sufficient to know that it was a Seafaring Place in the Midland Sea and so much startled and concerned in the Destruction of Tyre 2 Be †Heb. silent still g Heb. Be silent as one confounded and not knowing what to say or as Mourners use to be Iob 2. 8 13. Isa. 47. 5. boast no more of thy Wealth and Power as thou usedst to do ye inhabitants of the isle h Heb. of Tyrus which now was an Island Ezek. 27. 3. 28. 2. till Alexander joined it to the Continent as Pliny reports Although the Title of Islands is oft given by the Hebrews to Places bordering upon the Sea thou whom the merchants of Zidon i An eminent City of Palestina nigh unto Tyre much concerned with her and for her that pass over the sea k That are a Seafaring People have replenished l With Mariners Ezek. 27. 8. and Commodities 3 And by great waters m By the Sea which is very fitly called the great waters Psal. 107. 23. understand cometh or is brought to her the seed of Sihor n The Corn of Egypt wherewith Egypt abounded and furnished divers other Parts of the World whence it was called the Granary of the Roman Empire which also was easily conveyed by Sea from Egypt to Tyre and thence to divers other Countries This is called seed here as also Hag. 2. 19. and elsewhere by an usual Metonymy and the seed of Sihor because it grew up the more abundantly because of the Overflow of the River as all sorts of Authors have noted For Sihor is nothing else but Nilus as appears from Ier. 2. 18. which is called Sihor as by the Greeks it was called Melas from its black Colour And this and no other River seems to be that Sihor which is so oft mentioned as one of the Bounds of the Land of Canaan as Numb 34. 5. c. because that Land at least in that extent which God allotted and gave it to the Israelites though they through neglect or cowardise might not actually possess it did reach to one of the Branches of that River And indeed if Sihor be not Nilus that great and neighbouring River is not named in all the Scripture which seems very improbable the harvest of the river o This Clause explains the former that plentiful Harvest of Corn which comes from the Influence and Inundation of Nilus which is emphatically called the river as here so also Exod. 1. 22. Isa. 19. 5. Ezek. 29. 3 9. as Euphrates is in other Texts of Scripture is her revenue p Is as easily procured and plentifully enjoyed by her as if it grew in her own Territories and she is a mart of nations q A Place to which all Nations resort for Traffick 4 Be thou ashamed O Zidon r For Zidon was a great City near Tyre and strongly united to her by Commerce and League and called by some the Mother of Tyre which they say was built and first inhabited by a Colony of the Sidonians and therefore she must needs be greatly concerned in the Destruction of Tyrus for the sea s That part of the Sea in which Tyrus was and from which Ships and Men were sent into all Countries hath spoken even the strength of the sea t This is added to explain what he meant by the sea even Tyrus who might be called the strength of the Sea either actively because it defended that part of the Sea from Pyracies and Injuries or passively because it was defended and strengthened by the Sea which encompassed it And this Title is here given to Tyrus to shew what great cause of Confusion and Fear Sidon had from this Example which for Strength was much inferiour to Tyrus saying I travel not nor bring forth children neither do I nourish up young men nor bring up virgins u I who was so exceeding fruitful and populous that I sent forth Colonies into other Countries of which the famous City of Carthage was one am now become barren and desolate 5 As at the report concerning Egypt so shall they be sorely pained at the report of Tyre x According to this Translation the sence is All the neighbouring Nations shall be no less terrified at the Tidings of the Destruction of Tyrus than they were of old upon the Report of God's former and dreadful Judgments upon the Egyptians of which see Exod. 15 14 15 16. Ios. 2. 9 11. because they shall despair of resisting that Enemy against whom that vast and potent City which was deemed impregnable could not defend it self But the Words are by the Seventy and other both ancient and later Interpreters rendred otherwise and that very agreeably to the Hebrew Text When the report to wit of the Destruction of Tyre came or shall come which Word is easily understood as it is above v. 3. and in other Texts of Scripture before mentioned to the Egyptians they shall be sorely pained according to the report of Tyre their Grief shall be answerable to the Report as the Report is very dreadful so their Grief and Anguish shall be very great or they shall fear lest they should be destroyed in like manner as Tyrus was destroyed 6 Pass ye over to
rejoyce in his salvation 10 For in this mountain shall the hand of the LORD rest f The powerful and gracious Presence of God which is oft signified in Scripture by God's hand shall have its constant and setled abode it shall not move from place to place as it did with the Tabernacle nor shall it depart from it as it did from Ierusalem but shall continue in his Church even to the end of the World Mat. 28. 20. and Moab g The Moabites which having been constant and implacable Enemies to Israel are Synechdochically put for all the Enemies of God's Church as the Edomites upon the same account are Isa. 34. 6. 63. 1. shall be ‖ Or threshed trodden down under him h Under his Feet as appears by the following Similitude even as straw is ‖ Or threshed in Madmenah trodden down for the dunghill i As easily and as effectually as the Straw which being left upon the Ground and mixed with the Dung which lies there is trampled upon by the Feet of Men and Beasts 11 And he k Either 1. Moab who being plunged into a Sea of Troubles shall endeavour to swim out of it but to no purpose or rather 2. the Lord who is designed by this very Pronoun he both in the latter Clause of this Verse and in the following Verse whose Power they shall be no more able to resist than the Waters can resist a Man that swims who with great facility divides them hither and thither shall spread forth his hands l Or siretch forth his hands to the utmost to smite and destroy them in the midst of them as he that swimmeth spreadeth forth his hands m Which he doth to the uttermost to swim and he shall bring down their pride together with the spoils of their hands n With all that Wealth which they have gained by Rapine and spoiling of God's People and others But the Words are otherwise rendred by others with or by as this Hebrew Particle is used Esth. 9. 25. the arms of his hands which he may mention because the Strength of a Man and of his Hands consisteth in his Arms whence also the arm in Scripture is oft put for Strength or by the motion or stroke of his hands as all the ancient Translators do in effect render it And this seems to agree best with the Metaphor here borrowed from one that swimmeth which is performed in that manner 12 And the * Chap. 26. 5. fortress of the high fort of thy walls o All thy walled Cities and Fortifications to which thou trustest shall he bring down lay low and bring to the ground even to the dust CHAP. XXVI IN that day a When God shall do such glorious Works for the Comfort of his People and for the Ruine of his and their Enemies as he hath described in the foregoing Chapter shall this song be sung in the land of Judah b In the Church of God which in Scripture is oft signified by the Titles of Iudah and Ierusalem and Sion or the like We have a strong city c Ierusalem or the Church which is oft called or compared to a City as Psal. 87. 3. Revel 3. 12. 11. 2. 21. 2. * Chap. 60. 18. salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks d God's immediate and saving Protection shall be to his Church in stead of Walls c. But I conceive with submission the Words may very fitly be thus rendred He will set or put or make her walls and bulwarks salvation i. e. as safe as Salvation it self or in safety there being onely a defect of the Preposition which is very frequent in Scripture 2 * Psal. 118. 19 20. Open ye the gates e Of the City mentioned v. 1. that the righteous nation f Either 1. those godly Jews who are returning from Babylon or 2. the whole Body of righteous and holy Men whether Jews or Gentiles For he seems to speak here as he apparently did in the foregoing Chapter of the Times of the Gospel which keepeth the †Heb. truths truth g Which is sincere and stedfast in the Profession and Practice of the True Religion may enter in 3 Thou wilt keep him in †Heb. peace peace perfect peace whose ‖ Or thought â—…r imagination mind is staied on thee h Heb. the fixed thought or mind i. e. the Man whose Mind and Thoughts are fixed and setled upon thee by Faith as the next Clause explains it the Qualification being put for the Person so qualified as folly and wisdom are put for a Fool and a Wise man Prov. 24. 9. Mic. 6. 9. and peace for a Man of peace Psal. 120. 7. thou wilt keep in peace peace i. e. in all manner of peace in constant and perfect peace In the foregoing Verse the Righteous were admitted into the City and here they are preserved and defended in it by God's Almighty Power because he trusteth in thee 4 Trust ye in the LORD for ever i In all Times and Conditions for in the LORD JEHOVAH is †Heb. the rock of ages Deut. 32. 4. everlasting strength k Heb. the rock of ages a sure Refuge to all those that trust in him through all generations therefore you may safely trust in him and that for ever 5 For he bringeth down l Heb. he hath brought down which yet may be put for the future he will bring down c. You may trust him for he can and doth raise some and throw down others according to his own good pleasure them that dwell on high m He speaks not so much of heighth of Place as of Dignity and Power in which sence also he mentions the lofty city in the next Clause the * Chap. 25. 12. 32. 19. lofty city n Which may be understood either of proud Babylon or collectively of all the strong and stately Cities of God's Enemies he layeth it low he layeth it low even to the ground he bringeth it even to the dust 6 The foot shall tread it down even the feet of the poor and the steps of the needy o God will bring it under the Feet of his poor and weak and despised People 7 The way of the just is uprightness p Or most even or plain Heb. evenness or plainness Which is understood either 1. of the Rectitude or Goodness of his Actions or Course or rather 2. of the good Success of his Affairs for this suits best with the Coherence When the way of the Wicked is rugged in which they easily stumble and fall into mischief of which he spoke v. 5 6. the path of Just men is plain and smooth and they walk safely and comfortably in it thou most upright dost weigh the path of the just q The sence of the Words thus rendred is Thou O God who art most upright
because it was carried on with deep Dissimulation and with a publick Profession of cleaving to God and with a design of Seeking deep to hide this their counsel from the Lord wherewith He charged this People Isa. 29. 15. 7. For in that day every Man shall * Chap. 2. 20. 30. 22. cast away his idols y For when the Assyrian shall invade your Land you shall find the vanity of those Idols to which you have trusted and therefore shall cast them away with indignation and be forced to seek to Me for Help So this is added as an Argument to perswade them to practise his Counsel of turning to God of silver and †Heb. the idols of his gold his idols of gold which your own hands have made unto you for a sin z Which you have made as Instruments of your sin of Idolatry Or Which your sinful hands by a common Hebraisme called hands of sin have made for you Or the sin as an Idol is called Deut 9. 21 which your hands have made for you So there is onely a Transposition of one Word which is very usual in the Hebrew Text. 8. Then a When you have cast away your Idols and seriously sought to Me for Help both which things were performed by Hezekiah shall the Assyrian fall with the sword not of a mighty man and the sword * See 2 Kin. 19. 35. not of a mean man b By the Sword not of any Man either mean or mighty but of an Angel shall devour him but he shall flee ‖ Or for fear of the sword from the sword c From or for fear of that Plague which so strangely and suddenly destroyed his Army and his young men d Heb. his choice young men his Guards and valiant Commanders and Souldiers shall be ‖ Or tributary †Heb. for melting or tribute discomfited e Heb. shall melt away a great part of them being Destroyed by the Angel and the Hearts of the rest melting for fear 9. And †Heb. his rock shall pass away for fear he shall pass over to ‖ Or his strength his strong hold f Sennacherib shall flee away with all speed from Ierusalem to his strong City of Nineveh Isa. 37. 37. Or as it is in the Margent and as the Words lie in the Hebrew Text his rock i. e. his Strength the greatest Champions of his Army to whom he trusted shall pass away shall flee with all speed from Ierusalem for fear lest the Sword of the destroying Angel should overtake them for fear and his princes shall be afraid of the ensign g Either 1. of any Ensign This dreadful Judgment shall strike them with such a Terror that they shall not dare to look any Enemy in the Face Or 2. of the Lord's Ensign which He hath lifted up against them saith the LORD whose fire is in Zion h So the Sence is Either 1. whose Fire is continually burning upon the Altar in Zion which signifies his Presence and Residence there Or rather 2. who is and will appear to be in Zion like a Fire to defend his People and to consume their Enemies for which end God promiseth That He would be uâ—…o Ierusalem a wall of fire round about Zech. 2. 5. And that He would make the Governours of Judah like a hearth of fire among the wood and like a Torch of fire in a sheaf and that they should devour all the people round about Possibly these and the following Words may be thus rendred and that very agreeable to the Hebrew words Who will be a fire to wit a consuming Fire to him to the King of Assyria of whom he is here speaking in Zion from whence he will send forth that Fire which shall consume his Army Or for Zion for Zion's sake for the Prefix here rendred in frequently signifies for as hath been proved and a furnace to him in or for Ierusalem But this I onely propose leaving it to the Judgment of the intelligent Reader and his furnace in Ierusalem i The same thing repeated in other Words CHAP. XXXII 1. BEhold * Psal. 45. 1. Zech. 9. 9 a king b shall reign c Therefore Hezekiah was not King when this Prophecy was delivered And whereas some say That he speaks of the good Government of Hezekiah after the Destruction of Sennacherib it is easy to observe That his Government was as good before that time as afterward and that in the very beginning of his Reign he Ruled with Righteousness and the fear of God as the History plainly declareth in righteousness and princes c The Ministers of State and Justice and War under the King For a wise and good King will take care to have like Ministers shall rule in judgment a This seems to me to be a distinct Prophecy from the former and delivered at another time and probably before that which is related in the former Chapters For this is certain and confessed by all That the Prophecies are not alwayes set down in that order in which the Prophets delivered them The foregoing Prophecy seems to have been delivered not in the time of Ahaz for he sent to the Assyrian and not to the Egyptian for Help but in the days of Hezekiah who Rebelled against the King of Assyria as is said 2 Kings 18. 7. and was too prone to trust upon the staff of Egypt as the Assyrian expressly chargeth him there ver 21. To which Course it is likely he was drawn or tempted by some of his wicked Princes and Counsellours whom the Prophet therefore severely censures and condemns in the two foregoing Chapters And this seems to have been delivered in the time of Ahaz and to speak of Hezekiah and of his righteous and happy Government but withal as Hezekiah and his Reign was an eminent Type of Christ and of His Kingdom so this Prophecy looks thorough Hezekiah unto Christ as many other Scriptures in their literal Sence do unquestionably concern David which yet have a mystical Sence and are also meant of Christ in whom those things were more fâ—…lly and eminently accomplished Hezekiah a Type of Christ and Christ Typified by him 2. And a man d Either 1. the Man or King spoken of Or 2. each or every one to wit of his Princes That King shall not patch up an old Garment with new Cloth nor mingle good and bad together but shall take care to purge out all the corrupt Magistrates and as far as he can to settle good Ones in all places A man is oft put for every or any man as Isa. 2. 20. and 3. 5 6. and elsewhere shall be as an hiding place e Unto the People under their Government especially to such as are oppressed or injured by those who are more Potent than they from the wind f From the rage and violence of evil Men. and a covert from the tempest as
Gentiles to receive thee as the true Messiah and Saviour of the World and the Holy One of Israel and he shall choose thee d And although thou shalt be rejected by thine own People and refused by their Builders or Rulers as was Prophesied Psal. 118. 22. and for a time and in some respects forsaken by God himself Mat. 27. 46. yet God will return to thee and chuse thee again and manifest unto the World that thou and thou onely art the Person whom God hath chosen to be the Redeemer of mankind and whom in spight of all opposition he will make the head-stone of the Corner For the Phrase see on Isa. 48. 10. But these words are well rendred by others who will chuse or hath chosen thee the conjunction and being put for the pronoun relative as Isa. 44. 14. and in many other places as hath been observed before 8. Thus saith the LORD e God the Father unto Christ. * 2 Cor. 6. 2. in an acceptable time f Heb. In a time of good will in that time when I shall have and in a special manner manifest my good will to the Sons of men in the day of my Grace and of mans Salvation as this Phrase is explained in the next clause in the time of the Gospel which is in the time of Gods good Will towards men as the Host of Heaven declared at the Birth of Christ Luk. 2. 14. In the dayes of thy flesh when thou didst offer up Prayers and Suplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save thee from death as we read Heb. 5. 7. which text is a good comment upon this place have I heard thee g Though not so as to deliver thee from death and from the sence of my wrath yet so as to keep thee from sinking under these burdens and so as thou shouldest not be holden under the Pains or Power of Death Act. 2. 24 and so as to Crown thee with Glory and Honoâ—…r and a blessed success of all thy labours and sufferings and in a day of salvation have I helped thee and I will preserve thee i Upon earth till thy work be finished and unto that eternal Kingdom and Glory which is prepared for thee and give thee for a covenant k To be the Mediator and Surety of that Covenant which is made between me and them as Christ is called Heb. 7. 22. and 8. 6. to renew and confirm the Covenant which the Messiah is said to do Dan. 9. 27. by his own blood by which God and men are reconciled and united one to the other And therefore he may well be called the Covenant by a known Metonymy which is very usual in such cases as upon the same account Circumcision the sign of the Covenant is called Gods Covenant Gen. 17. 10. and the Paschal Lamb is called the Passover Exod. 12. 11. and the Sacramental Cup is called the New Testament Luk. 22. 20. and the Communion of the Blood of Christ 1 Cor. 10. 16. of the people l Indefinitely of all my People not onely Iews but also the Gentiles as may be gathered from the context and by comparing this place with Isa. 42. 6. Where the same Phrase is used From both which places it is most manifest that the Messiah is designed and not Isaiah to whom this and divers other Phrases here used cannot be ascribed without great force ‖ Or raise uâ—… to establish the earth m To compose and settle the Earth and the Inhabitants thereof by making peace between God and men and between Iews and Gentiles and by establishing Truth and Righteousness and Holiness upon Earth and by subduing those Lusts and Passions which are the great disturbers of Humane Society which was the design of God in sending and of Christ in coming into the World to cause to inherit the desolate heritages n That desolate Places may be repaired and repossessed That Christ may possess the Heathen according to Psal. 2. 8. who were in a spiritual sence in a most desolate and forlorn condition h In the time of grace and of the Gospel which I have appointed for the working out of mans Salvation by thee 9. That thou mayest say o To wit with power and effect as when God said Let there be Light c. * Chap. 42. 7. to the prisoners p To the Gentiles who are fast bound by the cords of their sins and taken Captive by the Devil at his will as this same Phrase is understood Isa. 42. 7. Go forth q Come forth to the light receive Divine illumination and consolation to them that are in darkness Shew your selves they shall feed in the wayes and their pastures shall be in all high places r They shall have abundant provision in all places yea even in those which commonly are barren and unfruitful and such are both common roads and high grounds 10. They shall not * Rev. 7. 1â—… hunger nor thirst neither shall the heat nor Sun smite them s They shall be supplied with all good and necessary things and kept from all evil occurrents for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them t God who hath magnified his mercy to them will conduct them with safety and comfort even by the springs of water shall he guide them 11. And I will make all my Mountains a way and my high wayes shall be exalted u I will remove all hinderances and prepare the way for them by levelling high grounds and raising low grounds of which see on Isa. 40. 3 4. 12. Behold these shall come from farr x My People shall be called and gathered even from the most remote parts of the earth He speaks here and in many other places of the Conversion of the Gentiles with allusion to that work of gathering and bringing back the Iews from all parts where they were dispersed into their own Land and loe these from the North and from the West y From the several parts of the world which are here synecdochically expressed as they are in many other places and these from the land of Sinim z Either of the Sinites as they are called Gen. 1â—… 17. who dwelt about the Wilderness of Sin which was Southward from Iudea Or of Sin a famous City of Egypt called the strength of Egypt which may be synecdochically put for all Egypt and that for all southern parts And so he here mentions the several quarters of the World where the generality of the Iews were dispersed the North which is every where named as the chief place of their banishment and dispersion as Ier. 16. 15. and 31. 8. and elsewhere the West the western Countries and Islands and the South 13. Sing O Heavens and be joyful O Earth and break forth into singing O Mountains for the Lord hath comforted his People a God hath now sent that
ways 1. Sometimes by putting on Sackcloth upon their Bodies as 1 Kin. 21. 27. Ps. 69. 11. and casting ashes upon their Heads 2 Sam. 13. 19. And 2. Sometimes by spreading Sackcloth under them and lying down upon Ashes Esth. 4. 3. Iob 2. 8. The Intent of Sackcloth was to afflict the Body by its unpleasing harshness and of Ashes to represent their own vileness as being but Dust and Ashes their putting of them on might note their uneasiness under sin and laying on them their self-abhorrency shaming themselves for it Quer. Are such Rites now convenient on a day of Humiliation to help us in our afflicting of our selves Answ. Gospel Services neither require them or need them respecting more the Inward afflicting of the Soul with godly sorrow and deep contrition yet may they carry this instruction along with them that our Ornaments our best and gawdy Apparel ought to be laid aside as not suiting either the ground and cause or the end and design of days of Humiliation wilt thou call a i. e. Canst thou upon a rational account as a meer man call it so Canst thou think suppose or believe it to be so this a fast b It being such an one as hath nothing in it but the lifeless skeleton and dumb signs of a Fast nothing of deep Humiliation appearing in it or real Reformation proceeding from it Not that the Prophet blames them for these external Rites in this outward way of afflicting themselves For this he commands Lev. 23. 27 31 32. and appoints certain Rites to be used Lev. 16. 19 21. And these particular Rites were frequent in their solemn Humiliations 1 Kin. 21. 27. Esth. 4. 3. Dan. 9. 3. used also by the Heathen Ion. 3. 5 6. See Mat. 11. 21. But that which he condemns is their Hypocrisie in separating true Humiliation from them for bodily exercise profiteth little 1 Tim. 4 8. and an acceptable day to the LORD c A day that God will approve of as before Heb. a day of acceptance or that will turn to a good account on your behalf y Here the Prophet sets down those extâ—…al gestures and postures in particular which they did join with â—…eir hypocritical fasts as he had mentioned it before in general To bow down bowing is the posture of Mourners Psal. 35. 14. and here it is either as if through weakness of Body their Heads did hang down or counterfeitly to represent the posture of true penitents moving sometimes their Heads this way and that way as the word signifieth not unlike the ballance of a Clock as the Bullrush moved by the Wind boweth itself down waving to and fro in a kind of circular or semicircular motion the contrary motion of lifting up the Head being an Indication of Pride ch 3. 16. It is the guise of Hypocrites to put on affected Countenances Mat. 6. 16. 6 Is not this the fast that I have chosen d Or approve as before v. 5. or ought not such a Fast to be accompanied with such things as these where he is now about to shew the concomitants of a true Fast with reference to the thing in hand namely to exercise works of Charity consisting partly in acts of Self-denial in this Verse and partly in doing good to those in distress in the next In this verse he instanceth in some particulars and closeth with a general to loose the bands of wickedness e viz. The cruel obligations of Usury and Oppression to undo †Heb. the bundles of the yoke the heavy burdens f Heb. bundles a Metaphor possibly pointing at those many bundles of Writings as Bills Bonds Mortgages and acknowledgments which the Usurers had lying by them The former may relate to unjust and unlawful Obligations extorted by force or fear which he would have cancelled This latter to just Debts contracted through Poverty and necessity the rigour whereof he would have abated whether by reason of loans upon too hard conditions called a drawing them into a net Psal. 10. 9. and so much is implied Prov. 6. 5. or under too hard circumstances whether they were loans of Food or money of which the People so bitterly complained Neh. 5. 1 2 3 4. and is expresly forbid Exod. 22. 25. For Debts may be called Burdens 1. Because they lie as a great load upon the Debtors Spirits under which who ever can walk up and down easily doth not so much excel in fortitude as in folly 2. Because they usually introduce Poverty Slavery Imprisonment c. and * Jer. 34. 9. to let the †Heb. broken oppressed h Heb. broken i. e. like a bruised Reed so crushed and weakned that they have no consistency or ability either to satisfie their Creditors or support themselves and we usually call such insolvent persons broken that cannot look upon themselves to be sui juris but wholly at anothers Mercy you have the same kind of oppression and the same words used Amos 4. 1. go free g Either in a large sense viz. any ways grieved or vexed whether by the gripings of Usury or the bondage of Slavery accompanied with cruel usage or more peculiarly according to some relating to their being confined and shut up in Prisons which latter sense the word free may possibly seem to favour the former being comprised in that general expression that follows of breaking every yoke and that ye break every yoke i Namely That is grievous a Metaphor i. e. free them from all sorts of Vexation whatever it is that held them under any Bondage the LXX refer it to Bonds and Writings But it seems more general the word properly signifies that stick or cord that holds both ends of the yoke that it spring not out or fall off from the neck on which it is laid Exod. 25. 14. where the same word is used for staves and called the bands of the Yoke Lev. 26. 13. I have broken the bands of your yoke and made you go upright the same thing that God would have them do here 7 Is it k Viz. The Fast that pleaseth me supplied from the former verse having shewed the evil they are to abstain from in order to an acceptable Fast viz. cruelty he here speaks of the duty that is required viz. Mercy as a manifestation of Repentance Dan. 4. 27. Luk. 19. 8. For there are two parts of Justice one to do no man wrong the other to do good to all Which two ought always to accompany each other and cannot be parted especially in acts of Humiliation and as by those evils mentioned he understands all other evil whatsoever that they are to be abstained from as the consequence of a day of Humiliation so under these duties mentioned are comprised all the duties that we are to set upon as the effect of true Repentance and he instanceth rather in those of the second Table than those of the first not that they are to be neglected but
of Iethro See Exod. 2. 18. Numb 10. 29. 5 And Aholibamah bare Jeush and Jaalam and Korah these are the sons of Esau e He had also Daughters ver 6. though their names be not here mentioned which were born unto him in the land of Canaan 6 And Esau took his wives and his sons and his daughters and all the †Heb. souls persons of his house and his cattle and all his beasts and all his substance which he had got in the land of Canaan and went f Quest. 1. Why went he thither Answ. Partly by his own choice that Wild and Mountainous Countrey being very commodious for hunting to which he wholly addicted himself partly by his Wives perswasions who were both utterly averse from cohabitation with Isaac or Iacob and strongly inclined to their own Country but principally from the secret conduct of Divine Providence thus accomplishing his promises See Ios. 24. 4. Maâ—… 1. 3. Quest. 2. When went he thither Answ. He went thither before this time in discontent at his Parents and dwelt in Seir before Iacobs return to Canaan as appears from Gen. 32. 3. and 33. 14 16. Yet so as he came sometimes to Canaan and to his Fathers house and did not quit his interest in his fathers estate But when his Father was dead and Iacob and he agreed about the partition of the estate he did totally and finally forsake Canaan partly for the reason here following partly for the other reasons now alledged and partly to avoid all occasion both of Communication and Contention with his Brother into the countrey g i. e. Further up into the Country Or into another Country as the Chaldee renders it namely into Seir The word another being supplyed If that seem too bold a supplement the place may be rendred thus he went into a Land distant or remote from the face of his brother which supplement lies hid and is implied in the word Mipne from the face Or thus he went out of the Land For so the Hebrew preposition El is sometimes used for Min which signifies off or out of as appears by comparing 1 King 8. 30. with 2 Chron. 6. 21. and Isaiah 59. 20. Rom. 11. 26. and Iudg. 17. 2. 2 Chron. 1. 13. and many other places from the face of his brother Jacob. 7 * chap. 13. 6 11. For their riches were more then that they might dwell together and * chap. 17. 8. and 28. 4. the land wherein they were strangers h Which words contain the reason why that Land which was large and fruitful could not bear them because they were not entire possessours of it but onely sojourners in it and therefore must take the owners leavings which were not sufficient for both of them and their numerous Families could not bear them because of their cattle 8 Thus dwelt Esau in * Josh. 24. 4. mount Seir Esau is Edom i This seems to be mentioned by the Holy Ghost by way of contempt or reproach this is he who sold his Birth-right for a mess of red pottage and therefore was called Edom or Red. 9 And these are the generations of Esau the father of †Heb. Edom. the Edomites in mount Seir. 10 These are the names of Esaus sons * 1 Chron. 1. 35. c. Eliphaz the son of Adah the wife of Esau Reuel the son of Bashemath the wife of Esau. 11 And the sons of Eliphaz were Teman Omar ‖ Or Zephi Zepho and Gatam and Kenaz 12 And Timna was concubine to Eliphaz Esaus son and she bare to Eliphaz Amalek these were the sons of Adah Esaus wife 13 And these are the sons of Reuel Nahath and Zerah Shammah and Mizzah these were the sons of Bashemath Esaus wife 14 And these were the sons of Aholibamah the daughter of Anah the daughter of Zibeon Esaus wife and she bare to Esau Jeush and Jaalam and Korah 15 These were Dukes k Princes or Heads of their several Families and little Principalities according to the manner of those times who ruled their Dominions either severally each his own or jointly by common advice or it may be under one chief Prince their superiour either in Title or in power And in this division Eliphaz as he was Esaus first-born so he had more than a double portion his six sons being made Dukes as Esaus immediate Sons were Compare 1 Chron. 5. 1. of the sons of Esau the sons of Eliphaz the first-born son of Esau Duke Teman Duke Omar Duke Zepho Duke Kenaz 16 Duke Korah l He is not mentioned among Eliphaz his sons and therefore is thought to be his Grand-son There is another Korah ver 14. and 18. Duke Gatam and Duke Amalek These are the Dukes that came of Eliphaz in the land of Edom These were the sons of Adah 17 And these are the sons of Reuel Esaus son Duke Nahath Duke Zerah Duke Shammah Duke Mizzah These are the Dukes that came of Reuel in the land of Edom. These are the sons of Bashemath Esaus wife 18 And these are the sons of Aholibamah Esaus wife Duke Jeush Duke Jaalam Duke Korah These were the Dukes that came of Aholibamah the daughter of Anah Esaus wife 19 These are the sons of Esau who is Edom and these are their Dukes 20 * 1 Chron. â—… 38. These are the sons of Seir m Who are here mentioned partly because of their alliance with Esaus Family ver 2 20 22 24 25. and partly because the Government was translated from his to Esaus Family the Horite who inhabited the land o And ruled there till Esau and his posterity drove them out Deut. 2. 12 22. Lotan and Shobal and Zibeon and Anah 21 And Dishon and Ezer and Dishan these are the Dukes of the Horites the children of Seir in the land of Edom. 22 And the children of Lotan were Hori and ‖ Or Homan 1 Chron. 1. 39. Heman and Lotans sister was Timna 23 And the children of Shobal were these ‖ Or Alian 1 Chron. 1. 40. Alvan and Manahath and Ebal ‖ Or Shephi 1 Chron. 1. 40. Shepho and Onam 24 And these are the children of Zibeon both Ajah and Anah this was that Anah that found * Lev. 19. 19. the mules p So most understand the word Iemim which is no where else used and give this sense of it that he found out the way of the generation of mules by the copulation of an Horse and a Mare Others render it waters that he found out some springs of water which in those hot Countries were rare and pretious or hot waters some hot and medicinal springs But the Chaldee renders it Giants and the Samaritâ—… version Emims a sort of Giants mentioned Deut. 2. 10 11. who also were Neighbours to the Horites here spoken of as appears from Gen. 14. 5 6. and therefore might according to the manner of those times make inroads one upon another So Iemim
is put for Emim either by an Apocope of the first letter or by the change of the Hebrew letter Iâ—…d into Aleph both which are frequent among the Hebrews And the sense is that Anah the Horite found out the Emims that is he met with them or came upon them suddenly and smotâ—… them In this sense the word finding is oft used as Iudg. 1. 5. 1 Sam. 31. 3. Psal. 21. 8. Iâ—…a 10. 10. in the wilderness as he fed the asses of Zibeon his father 25 And the children q Heb. Sons though but one Son be mentioned Either then he had other Sons not here expressed Or the plural number is put for the singular as Gen. 21. 7. of Anah were these Dishon and Aholibamah the daughter of Anah 26 And these are the children of Dishon ‖ Or Amram 1 Chron. 1. 41. Hemdan and Eshban and Ithran and Cheran 27 The children of Ezer are these Bilhan and Zaavan and ‖ Or Jakan â—… Chron. 1. 42. Akan 28 The children of Dishan are these Uz and Aran. 29 These are the Dukes that came of the Horites Duke Lotan Duke Shobal Duke Zibeon Duke Anah 30 Duke Dishon Duke Ezer Duke Dishan these are the Dukes that came of Hori among their Dukes r Among other Dukes which were in that Countrey Or according to their Dukedomes or Principalities The word Duke being here put for Dukedom as the word King is put for Kingdom Isa. 23. 15. Dan. 7. 17. in the land of Seir. 31 And * 1 Chro. 1. 43. these are the Kings that reigned in the land of Edom s He speaks of the posterity of Esau who after they had subdued the Horites erected a Kingdom there before there reigned any King over the children of Israel t Here prophane wiâ—…s triumph How say they could Moses write this when as yet there was no King in Israel Answ. 1. The word may be taken for any chief Governour in which sense the Title of King is given to Moses Deut. 33. 5. and to the Judges Iudg. 17. 6. and to others who were not Kings properly so called Psal. 119. 46. Luke 22. 25. Acts 9. 15. c. Answ. 2. Moses might well say thus because he did by the spirit of Prophesieforesee and therefore could foretell that the Israelites would have a King as appears from Deut. 17. 14 15. Answ. 3. This with other clauses of the same nature might be inserted afterwards by some holy and inspired man of God as it is confessed that part of the last chapter of Deuteronomy was 32 And Bela the son of Beor reigned in Edom and the name of his City u Where he was born or dwelt and so in the rest The diversity of their Cities makes it probable that these Kings had not their power by succession but either by election or by usurpation according to Isaacs prophesie of them Gen. 27. 40. By thy Sword thou shalt live was Dinhabah 33 And Bela died and Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah reigned in his stead 34 And Jobab died and Husham of the land of Temani x Of which land see Ier. 49. 7 20. so called either from the City Teman or from Teman the son of Eliphaz ver 11. Or of the South Countrey as the antient Translations render it reigned in his stead 35 And Husham died and Hadad the son of Bedad who smote Midian in the field of Moab reigned in his stead and the name of his City was Avith 36 And Hadad died and Samlah of Masrekah reigned in his stead 37 And Samlah died and Saul of Rehoboth by the river y Either Euphrates or a branch of it called Chabras by which there is even at this day a City called Rahabath-Melic i. e. Kings Rahabath as the learned observe Or some other River of note in those times and parts reigned in his stead 38 And Saul died and Baal-hanan the son of Achbor reigned in his stead 39 And Baal-hanan the son of Achbor died and ‖ Or Hadad Hadar reigned in his stead and the name of his City was ‖ Or Pai 1 Chro. 1. 50. Pau and his wives name was Mehetabel the daughter of Matred the daughter of Mezahab z Either Matred was the Father and Mezahab the Mother Or Matred was the Mother and Mezahab the Grand-mother 40 And these are the names of * 1 Chro. 1. 51. the Dukes †Of their Persons and Generations and Families The state of Edom between the times of Esaâ—… and Moses seems to have been this There were first Dukes then Kings and after them Dukes again But if it be objected that the time was too short for a succession of so many persons it may be replied that what is confessed concerning the Dukes preceding the Kings might be true also of these succeeding Dukâ—… and that the Edomites either having taken some distaste at 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Government or differing about the choice of a new 〈◊〉 â—…vided themselves again into several petty Principalities oâ—… Dukedoms and so several of those were Dukes at the same time in divers parts that came of Esau according to their families after their places by their names Duke Timnah Duke ‖ Or Aliah Alvah Duke Jetheth 41 Duke Aholibamah Duke Elah Duke Pinon 42 Duke Kenaz Duke Teman Duke Mibzar 43 Duke Magdiel Duke Iram These be the Dukes of Edom according to their habitations in the land of their possession he is Esau the father of †Heb. Edom. the Edomites CHAP. XXXVII 1 AND Jacob dwelt in the land †Heb. of his fathers sojournings wherein his father was a stranger in the land of Canaan 2 These are the generations a i. e. The events or occurrences which happened to Iacob in his Family and issue So that word is used Gen. 6. 9. and Numb 3. 1. Or the word These may relate to what is said Gen. 35. 22. c. The Genealogy of Esau being brought in by way of parenthesis and that being finished Moses returns to the Generations of Iacob as his principal business and proceeds in the History of their concerns of Jacob Joseph being seventeen years old was feeding the flock with his brethren and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah and with the sons of Zilpah b Iacob placed Ioseph with them rather then with the sons of Leah either to keep Ioseph humble Or for Iosephs security because the other sons retained the old grudge of their Mother and were more like to envy contemn hate and abuse him Or as an observer of their actions whom he most suspected as the following words may seem to imply his fathers wives and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report c Acquainted him with their lewd and wicked courses to the dishonour of God and of their Family that so his Father might apply such remedies as he thought meet 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more then all his children because he was