workmen here spoken of but by others How then comes this to be mentioned here Ans. 1. The shew-bread may be here put for the vessels for the receiving of the shew-bread by an usual Metonymy of the adjunct the thing contained put for the thing containing as treasures are put for the place where the treasures are put Psal. 135. 7. Mat. 2. 11. and 12. 35. and the gifts or offerings of God for the treasury where they were put Luk. 21. 4. Hence Tremellius renders this place and the vessels of the shew-bread Obj. All the vessels of the Table are mentioned before of which this was one Ans. It is not unusual after a general expression comprehending all distinctly to name one eminent member of that kind such as this unquestionably was the table being made principally for this use Thus Mark 16. 7. Tell my disciples and Peter Like examples are in 2 Sam. 2. 30. 1 King 11. 1. Psal. 18. the Title Act. 1. 14. and in other Authors And for the particle Vau and which may seem to imply that these were things of another kind and not any vessels of the Table that is oft put for especially as Ios. 2. 1. Mark 16. 7. and so onely notes an eminent thing of the same kind as hath been said Ans. 2. Though God did not prescribe the making of the shew-bread yet he mentions it together with the table Exod. 25. 30. and therefore it is conveniently mentioned with the table in this place also where Moses to shew his exactness and fidelity doth punctually repeat the same things to the people which he had received in command from God In like manner the oil which fed the light of the lamps is mentioned here in the next verse because the lighting of the lamps was prescribed Exod. 25. 37. 14 The candlestick also for the light and his furniture and his lamps with the oil for the light 15 * 〈…〉 And the incense altar and his staves and the anointing oil and the sweet incense and the hanging for the door at the entring in of the Tabernacle 16 * chap. 27. 1. The altar of burnt-offering with his brazen grate his staves and all his vessels the laver and his foot 17 The hangings of the court his pillars and their sockets and the hanging for the door of the court 18 The pins of the tabernacle and the pins of the court and their cords 19 The clothes of service to do service in the holy place the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons to minister in the priests office 20 And all the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses 21 And they came every one whose heart stirred him up k i. e. Whose heart being desirous and ready to serve God ingaged his hand to offer what he had to his service and every one whom his spirit made willing and they brought the LORDS offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation and for all his service and for the holy garments 22 And they came both men and women as many as were willing-hearted and brought bracelets and ear-rings l Obj. Aaron had goâ—… these from them for the making of the calf Exod. 32. Ans. Though the generality of the people did then part with their ear-rings yet there was a considerable number who did not as being unsatisfied with that Idolatrous design and it may seem that the women would not part with theirs being more fond of their ornaments than of their Idols See the notes on Exod. 32. 3. and rings and tablets all jewels of gold and every man that offered offered an offering of gold unto the LORD 23 And every man with whom was found blue and purple and scarlet and fine linen and goats hair and red skins of rams and badgers skins brought them 24 Every one that did offer an offering of silver and brass brought the LORDS offering and every man with whom was found shittim-wood for any work of the service brought it 25 And all the women that were wise-hearted did spin with their hands and brought that which they had spun both of blue and of purple and of scarlet and of fine linnen 26 And all the women whose heart stirred them up in wisdom m This word seems better to agree with the following than with the foregoing word they spâ—… with wisdom i. e. with skill and art spun goats hair 27 And the rulers brought onyx-stones and stones to be set for the ephod and for the breast-plate 28 And * chap. 30. 23. spice and oil for the light and for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense 29 The children of Israel brought a willing offering unto the LORD every man and woman whose heart made them willing to bring for all manner of work which the LORD had commanded to be made by the hand of Moses 30 And Moses said unto the children of Israel See * chap. 31. 2. the LORD hath called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri the son of Hur of the tribe of Judah 31 And he hath filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom in understanding and in knowledge and in all manner of workmanship 32 And to devise curious works to work in gold and in silver and in brass 33 And in the cutting of stones to set them and in carving of wood to make any manner of cunning work 34 And he hath put in his heart that he may teach n To wit others to work under him for the work required many hands and it is a peculiar gift of God to be apt to teach which every skilful man hath not both he and Aholiab the son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan. 35 Them hath he filled with wisdom of heart to work all manner of work of the ingraver and of the cunning workman and of the embroiderer in blue and in purple in scarlet and in fine linen and of the weaver even of them that do any work and of those that devise cunning work CHAP. XXXVI 1 THen wrought Bezaleel and Aholiab and every wise-hearted man in whom the LORD put wisdom and understanding to know how to work all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary a Or of the holy place to wit of the Tabernacle so called by a Prolepsis and Synecdoche according to all that the LORD had commanded 2 And Moses called b God had qualified them before but that is not sufficient without a call Bezaleel and Aholiab and every wise-hearted man in whose heart the LORD had put wisdom even every one whose heart stirred him up to come unto the work to do it 3 And they received of Moses all the offering which the children of Israel had brought for the work of the service of the sanctuary to make it withal And they brought yet unto him free-offerings every morning c Which time they chose as the first and
were recollecting himself in a pathetical Prosopopoeia q. d. Where is he Where am I with my former bowels that moved me to help them of old that I should now turn to be their Enemy Or Is my hand shortned that I cannot do it And so in the following verses he gives a particular description how kind he had been to them formerly the times mentioned v. 9. and thus God seems to work upon himself the days †Heb. of eternity of old Moses and his people h Or what great things he had done for them by Moses saying Where is he that * Exod. 14. 30. Jer. 2. 6. brought them up out of the sea i Here God speaks of himself as in the former clause viz. that divided the Sea for them being one of the greatest Miracles that ever God wrought for his People it is therefore frequently mentioned by way of encouragement to them when they are in sore troubles with the ‖ Or Shepherds as Psal. 77. 20. shepherd k Or Shepherds viz. Moses that brought out his People as a Shepherd doth his Flock He and Aaron are both joyned Psal. 77. 20. of his flock Where is he that * Neh. 9. 20. put his holy spirit l i. e. Those Abilities and Gifts wherewith God furnished Moses as properly proceeding from the Spirit he can do the like again and qualifie Instruments for his work within him 12 That led them by the right hand m viz. The Strength and Power that God gave to Moses expressed by the Right hand that being usually esteemed the stronger Psal. 16. 8. 20. 6. Or the Rod in his Right hand by which understand also all the wonders that he did for them in Egypt of Moses with his glorious arm n Or that Arm wherewith God gained to himself so much glory being alway present at the Assistance of Moses Deut. 4. 34. Or Moses his Right Hand led by God's glorious Arm as Parents lead their Children that God may have all the glory in the using of his Instruments * Exo. 14. 21. Josh. 3. 16. dividing the water o The Red Sea Exod. 14. 21. and also Iordan Iosh. 3. 15 16. before them to make himself an everlasting name p With reference both to his Power and Providence as respecting either his Aim and End in doing what he did or the Effect of it when it was done It got him Renown 13 That led them through the deep q Shewing that God did not dry up the shallow places but the very depth of the Sea the very Channel which is the deepest part Or between those heaps of waters that stood up as a wall on each side of them which might make it seem terrible and therefore it is ascribed to their Faith Heb. 11. 29. as an horse in the wilderness r Or Plain for so Wilderness is sometimes taken and may be here 〈◊〉 by comparing it to a Valley in the next verse viz. with as much safety as the Horse runs up and down in the plain ground Or with as much ease and tenderness as an Horse led by the Bridle not as men affrighted but soberly and orderly that they should not stumble s This may be taken Metaphorically they came to no harm Or Properly that though the Sea were but newly divided yet it was so dried that the mud as also the unevenness of the ground was not any occasion of their stumbling or their sticking in it probably so dried and smoothed by the wind that God sent as it were to prepare the way before them See Chap. 4. 3 4 5. 14 As a beast goeth down into the valley t A laden Beast goeth warily and gently down the hill or as a Beast goeth down to the vally for Grass that being a Mountainous Country or going down for going along so the word is used Isa. 38. 8. noting the evenness of their passage or alluding to their going down from the shore into that great Channel as the coming out of it is called a going up ver 11. now made through the Sea orderly and compoâ—…edly not like the Gadaren's Swine through consternation ready to break their necks for hast the spirit of the LORD u i. e. The Lord himself caused him to rest x Led them easily that they should not be over-travelled or â—…all down or come to any injury through wearâ—…ness thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it chap. 31. 2. and thus God gave them rest from their enemies drowning of them in the Sea and in their safe conduct that they could not annoy or disturb them leading them till he found them a place for resting the word for 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 being much of a like notion Zech. 10. 6. pointing at their several rests by the way Num. 10. 33. or it may be read by way of Interrogâ—…tion as all the foregoing words and be the close of that inquiry and where is the Spirit that caused them to rest or he led them to Canaan the place of their rest so called 〈◊〉 12. 9. and Psa. 9â—… 11. so didst thou lead y The Prophet here by an Apostrople doth onely repeat the words in the name of the Jews that he had spake before ver 12. q. d. as thou didst then so maiest thou do again if thou pleasest thy people to make thy self a glorious name 15 * Deut. 26. 15. Look down from heaven z Now they or the Prophet begin to pray and expostulate with God and to argue both from the goodness of his nature and from the greatness of his works that he had done God sees every where and every thing but he is said to â—…ook down from Heaven because there is his throne whereon he siâ—…s in greatest Majesty and Splendor behold is added to note that he would not onely barely see and look on but that he would behold with regard and respect his poor people in Captivity and behold from the habitation of thy holiness a A description of heaven by a Periphrasis frequently used and explained Deâ—… 26. 15. and of thy glory Where is thy zeal b What is become of that love which of old would not leâ—… thee suffer thy people to be wronged chap. 37. 32. and thy strength c That Power of thine manifested in those valiant Acts which thou didst put forth for thy people Psa. 145 11 12. and 150. 2. see Ier. 14 9. ‖ Or the â—…titude the sounding * Jer. 31. 20. Hos. 11. 8. of thy bowels d By the sounding thereof may be understood those Sympathizing sighs and compassionate groans that proceed from the bowels when they are affected which being thought the subject of Pity are often by a Metonymy put for compassion and hence proceed those rumblings of the bowels occasioned by strong passions called yernâ—…ngs it is spoken of God after the manner of men Is all this shut up from me Thou that
ye shall break it 34 Of all meat which may be eaten that on which such water cometh e The meaning is that flesh or herbs or other food which is dressed in water to wit in a vessel so polluted shall be unclean not so if it be food which is eaten dry as bread fruits c. the reason of which difference seems to be this that the water did sooner receive the pollution in it self and convey it to the food so dressed shall be unclean And all drink that may be drunk in every such vessel shall be unclean 35 And every thing whereupon any part of their carcass falleth shall be unclean whether it be oven or ranges for pots they shall be broken down for they are unclean and shall be unclean unto you 36 Nevertheless a fountain or pit †Heb. a gathering together of 〈◊〉 wherein there is plenty of water f Of which no solid reason can be given whilest such unclean things remained in them but onely the will of the lawgiver and his merciful condescension to mens necessities water being scarce in those countries and for the same reason God would have the ceremonial law of sacrifices to be offered to God give place to the moral law of mercy towards men shall be clean but ‖ Or â—…e that 〈◊〉 that which toucheth their carcass shall be unclean 37 And if any part of their carcass fall upon any sowing seed which is to be sown g Partly because this was necessary provision for man and partly because such seed would not be used for mans food till it had received many alterations in the earth whereby such pollution was taken away See Ioh. 12. 24. 1 Cor. 15. 36. it shall be clean 38 But if any water be put upon the seed h The reason of the difference is partly because wet seed doth sooner receive and longer retain any pollution and partly because such seed was not fit to be sown presently and therefore that necessity which justified the use of the dry seed which was speedily to be sown could not be pretended in this case and any part of their carcass fall thereof it shall be unclean unto you 39 And if any beast of which ye may eat die i Either of it self or being killed by some wild beast in which cases the blood was not poured forth as it was when they were killed by men either for food or sacrifice he that toucheth the carcass thereof shall be unclean until the even 40 And * chap. 1â—… 1â—… 22. 8. Ezek. 4. 14. 44. 31. he that eateth of the carcass of it k To wit unwittingly for if he did it knowingly it was a presumptuous sin against an express law Deut. 14. 21. and therefore punished with cutting off Numb 15. 30. shall wash his clothes and be unclean untill the even he also that beareth the carcass of it shall wash his clothes and be unclean untill the even 41 And every creeping thing l Except those before expresly excepted above ver 29 30. that creepeth upon the earth shall be an abomination it shall not be eaten 42 Whatsoever goeth upon the belly m As worms and snakes and whatsoever goeth upon all four n As â—…oads and divers serpents or whatsoever †Heb. doth â—…tiply feet hath more feet o To wit more than four as caterpillars c. among all creeping things that creep upon the earth them ye shall not eat for they are an abomination 43 * chap. 20. 〈◊〉 Ye shall not make your †Heb. souiâ—… selves abominable with any creeping thing that creepeth neither shall ye make your selves unclean with them that ye should be defiled thereby 44 For I am the LORD your God ye shall therefore sanctifie your selves and * chap. 19. 2. and 20. 7. 〈◊〉 1. 15 16. ye shall be holy p By which he gives them to understand that all these cautions and prohibitions about the eating or touching of these creatures was not for any real uncleanness in them all being Gods good creatures but onely that by the diligent observation of these rules they might learn with greater care to avoid all moral pollutions and to keep themselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit and particularly from all familiar and intimate converse with notorious sinners for I am holy neither shall ye defile your selves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth 45 For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt to be your God ye shall therefore be holy for I am holy 46 This is the law of the beasts and of the fowl and of every living creature that †Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 moveth in the waters and of every creature that creepeth upon the earth 47 To make a difference between the unclean and the clean and between the beast that may be eaten and the beast that may not be eaten CHAP. XII 1 AND the LORD spake unto Moses saying 2 Speak unto the children of Israel saying If a * chap. 15. 〈◊〉 woman have †Heb. 〈◊〉 conceived seed and born a man-child then * Luk. 2. 〈◊〉 she shall be unclean a Not for any filthiness which was either in the conception or in bringing forth but to signifie the universal and deep pollution of mans nature even from the birth and from the conception seven dayes b For so long or thereabouts nature is employed in the purgation of most women according to the dayes of the separation for her infirmity c i. e. For her monethly infirmity And it may note an agreement therewith not onely in the time Levit. 15. 19. but in the degree of uncleanness which was such that she defiled every thing she touched c. shall she be unclean From uncleanness contracted by the touching or eating of external things he now comes to that uncleanness which ariseth from our selves 3 And in the * Gen. 17. 12. Luk. 1. 59. and 2. 21. Joh. 7. 22. eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised d Which law is here repeated because the womans uncleanness lasting for 7 days was one though not the onely reason why the childs circumcision was put off till the eighth day 4 And she shall then continue e Heb. sit i. e. abide as that word is oft used as Gen. 22. 5. and 34. 10. or tarry at home not go into the Sanctuary in the blood of her purifying f In her polluted and separated estate for the word blood or bloods signifies both guilt as Gen. 4. 10. and uncleanness as here and elsewhere See Ezek. 16. 6. And it is called the blood of her purifying because by the expulsion or purgation of that blood which is done by degrees she is purified three and thirty dayes she shall touch no hallowed thing g She shall not eat any part of the
PSAL. XLIII The ARGUMENT This Psalm seems to have been Composed by the same Author and upon the same Occasion with the former 1. JUdge me a Or Iudge or give Sentence for me as this Phrase is used Psal. 26. 1. and elsewhere O God and plead my cause against an ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ungodly b Or unmerciful i. e. Cruel or inhumane for it is a Meiosis nation c So he calls the Company of his Enemies for their great Numbers and because they were the far greatest part and almost the whole Body of the Nation O deliver me 〈◊〉 from a 〈◊〉 deceit †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the deceitful and unjust d Who covereth his wicked Designs with fair and false Pretences Which sort of men are hateful to thee and to all good Men. man e Either Saul Or rather Achitophel or Absalom For he speaks of the holy Hill of Zion v. 3. which was not so till after Saul's time Or Man may be put Collectively for the Men of that time 2. For thou art the God of my strength why dost thou cast me off * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 9. Why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy 3. O send out f i. e. Actually impart and discover them for at present thou seemest to Conceal and with-hold them from me i. e. Thy Favour or the Light of thy Countenance and the Truth of thy Promises made to me as God's Mercy and Truth oft go together as 2 Sam. 15. 20. Psal. 61. 7. and 89. 14. c. Or this may be a Figure called Hendiaduo whereby Light and Truth is put either for the Light of Gods Truth Or rather for true Light the Illumination of Gods Spirit and the direction of his gracious Providence whereby he might be led as it follows in the right way which would bring him to God's holy Hill thy light and * 〈◊〉 57. 3 thy truth g let them lead me let them bring me unto thy holy hill h To wit of Zion the place of God's Presence and Worship and to thy tabernacles i i. e. Tabernacle Which he calls Tabernacles Either 1. Because there were now two Tabernacles one at Zion where the Ark was and another at Gibeon 1 Chron. 16. 37. 39. Although he here seems to speak but of one of them even of that which was upon God's holy Hill Or 2. Because of the several parts of it the most Holy and the Holy place and the Church These indeed were in that of Gibeon but not in that of Zion Or rather 3. By a meer Enalâ—…age of the Number the plural for the singular which is frequent as in other Words so in those which belong to this Matter as Tabernacles Psal. 46. 4. and Sanctuaries Levit. 26. 31. Psal. 73. 17. c. and 74. 7. Ier. 51. 51. Nay the most Holy place though but one simple part is by the Greeks called Holies So in other Authors we Read the Rivers of Nilus of that one River and Right hands for one Right hand and many like Phrases 4. Then will I go unto the altar of God k To offer Sacrifices of Thanksgiving for my Deliverance unto God †Heb. the gladness of my joy my exceeding joy l The principal Author and Matter of all my Joy and Comfort yea upon the harp will I praise thee O God my God 5. * Psal. 42. 5. 11. Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me hope in God for I shall yet praise him who is the health of my Countenance and my God PSAL. XLIV The ARGUMENT There is no certainty either Concerning the Author or the particular occasion of this Psalm This is evident that it was Composed with respect unto the Calamitous Condition of the Church and People of Israel whom it supposeth to be in a state of Captivity and Persecution But whether it was made by David who foresaw and foretold by the Spirit of God their future Captivity and framed this for their use in that â—…state or by some other holy Man of God when they were actually in this Condition is not determined nor necessary to know for the understanding of it To the chief musician for the sons of Korah Maschil 1. WE have heard with our ears O God our fathers have told us what work thou didst in their days a They alledge their former Experiences as Encouragements to their Faith and Motives to God to continue to be gracious to them in the times of old 2. How * Exod. 15. 17 Psal. 78. 55. 80. 8. thou didst drive out the heathen b The Canaanites with thy hand and plantest them c To wit our Fathers easily understood both from the Matter and from v. 1. where they are expressed the Pronoun being referred unto the Remoter Antecedent as it is Gen. 10. 12. and 19. 13. Psal. 18. 15. and oft elsewhere So them must be the People or 〈◊〉 But because the Comparing of this Branch of the Verse with the former Plantedst them to which this Answers and withthe following they makes it more than probable that this them belongs to the Fathers this is to be otherwise rendred Either 1. Thus send them out to wit free or Manumitted out of Egypt of which this same Verb is used Exod. 5. 1. and 12. 33. And then the foregoing People are the Egyptians not the Canaanites Which yet seems not to agree with the foregoing and following Passages both which speak of the Canaanites onely nor with the order of the Words in this Verse it being improper to mention their coming out of Egypt after their being planted in Canaan Or rather 2. Thus make them send or shout forth to wit Branches as it is more fully expressed Psal. 80. 11. Ezek. 17. 6. Where this Verb is used And this most Naturally and Properly follows upon and after their Planting mentioned in the former Clause how thou didst afflict the people and cast them out 3. * Deut. â—… 〈◊〉 Josh. â—…4 〈◊〉 For they got not the land in possession by their own sword d i. e. By their Arms or Valour neither did their own arm save them but thy right hand and thine arm and the light of thy countenance e i. e. Thy Favour as the next Words explain it Thy gracious and glorious Presence which went along with us because thâ—… hadst a favour unto them 4. * Psal. 74. 12. Thou art my King f Iacob's or Israel's King in a peculiar manner The whole People speak like one Man as being united together in one Body O God command g i. e. Effectually procure by thy Commanding Word deliverances for Jacob. 5. Through thee will we push down h Heb. Smite with the Horn i. e. Subdue and destroy The Phrase is taken from Deut. 33. 17. and is borrowed from horned Beasts Comp. 1 Kings 22. 11. our enemies through thy name i
Spiritual Promises and especially that of the Messiah coming out of his Loins and assuring it by a special Covenant Sealed by Circumcision the Church began now to take Root and to be imbodyed in Jacob's Family under the name of Israel and here God undertook the protection of his People and Worship by the visible presence of Christ her Head that Angel of the Covenant going continually with them Comforting and Defending them till they came into Aegypt where the Church continued until Joseph's Death where this Book ends CHAP. I. IN * 〈◊〉 â—…6 102. 〈◊〉 â—… 146. 6. 〈◊〉 24. Jer. 〈◊〉 51. 15. 〈◊〉 12. 1. Acts 〈◊〉 1â—… 17. 24. 〈◊〉 11. 3. the beginning a To wit Of Time and Things in the first place before things were distinguished and perfected in manner hereafter expressed Or the sense is this The beginning of the World was thus And this phrase further informeth us that the World and all things in it had a beginning and were not from Eternity as some Philosophers dreamed God Created b Made out of nothing the Heaven and the Earth c Either 1. The Heaven and Earth as now they are with their Inhabitants So this verse is a sum in or brief of what is particularly declared in the rest of this Chapter Or 2. The substance and common matter of Heaven and Earth Which seems more probable by comparing this verse with the next where the Earth here mentioned is declared to be without form and the Heavens without Light as also with Gen. 2. 1. Where the Heavens and the Earth here only said to be created are said to be finished or perfected Yet I conceive the third Heaven to be included under the Title of the Heaven and to have been created and perfected the first day together with its blessed Inhabitants the Holy Angels as may be collected from Iob 33. 6 7. But the Scripture being written for men and not for Angels the Holy Ghost thought it sufficient to comprehend them and their dwelling place under that general term of the Heavens and proceedeth to give a more particular account of the visible Heavens and Earth which were created for the use of man In the Hebrew it is The Heavens and the Earth For there are three Heavens mentioned in Scripture The Aereal the place of Birds Clouds and Meteors Matth. 26. 64. Rev. 19. 17. 20. 9. The Starry the Region of the Sun the Moon and Stars Gen. 22. 17. The highest or third Heaven 2 Cor. 12. 2. the dwelling of the Blessed Angels 2. And the Earth e The same confused mass or heap is here called both Earth from its most solid and substantial part and the deep from its vast bulk and depth and Waters from its outward face and covering See Psal. 104. 6. 2 Pet. 3. 5. was without form and void f i. e. Without order and beauty and without furniture and use and darkness was upon the face g The surface or uppermost part of it upon which the light afterward shone Thus not the Earth onely but also the Heaven above it was without light as is manifest from the following verses of the deep and the Spirit of God h Not the Wind which was not yet Created as is manifest because the Air the Matter or Subject of it was not yet produced But the Third Person of the Glorious Trinity called the Holy Ghost to whom the work of Creation is attributed Iob 26. 13. as it is ascrib'd to the Second Person the Son Ioh. 1. 3. Col. 1. 16 17. Heb. 1. 3. and to the first Person the Father every where moved upon the face of the Waters * i. e. Upon the Waters To cherish quicken and dispose them to the production of the things after mentioned It is a Metaphor from Birds hovering and fluttering over and sitting upon their Eggs and young Oaes to cherish warm and quicken them 3. And God said i i. e. Commanded not by such a word or speech as we use which agreeth not with the spiritual nature of God but either by an act of his powerful will called the Word of his Power Heb. 1. 3. Or by his substantial Word his Son by whom he made the Worlds Heb. 1. 2. Psal. 33. 6. who is called The Word partly if not principally for this reason Iohn 1. 1 2 3. 10. * 2 Cor. 4. 6. Let there be Light And there was Light k Which was some bright and lucid Body peradventure like the fiery Cloud in the Wilderness giving a small and imperfect Light successively moving over the several parts of the Earth and afterwards condensed encreased perfected and gathered together in the Sun 4. And God saw l i. e. Observed with approbation the Light that it was good m i. e. Pleasant and amiable agreeable to Gods purpose and mans use and God divided †Heb. Between the Light and between the Darkness the Light from the Darkness n Made a distinction or separation between them in place time and use that the one should succeed and shut out the other and so by their vicissitudes make the day and the night 5. And God called the Light Day and the Darkness he called Night †Heb and the Evening was and the Morning was c. and the Evening and the Morning o It is acknowledged by all that the Evening and the Morning are not here to be understood according to our common usage but are put by a Synecdoche each of them for one whole part of the natural day But because it may be doubted which part each of them signifies some understand by Evening the foregoing day and by the Morning the foregoing night And so the natural day begins with the Morning or the light as it did with the antient Chaldeans Others by Evening understand the first night or darkness which was upon the face of the Earth ver 2. which probably continued for the space of about twelve hours the beginning whereof might fitly be called Evening and by Morning the succeeding light or day which may reasonably be supposed to continue the other twelve hours or thereabouts And this seems the truer opinion 1. Because the darkness was before the light as the Evening is put before the Morning v. 5 and 8. and afterwards 2. Because this best agrees both with the vulgar and with the Scripture use of the terms of Evening and Morning 3. Because the Jews who had best opportunity of knowing the mind of God in this matter by Moses and other succeeding Prophets begun both their common and sacred days with the Evening as is confessed and may be gathered from Levit. 23. 32. were the first day p Did constitute or make up the first Day Day being taken largely for the natural Day consisting of 24 hours These were the parts of the first Day and the like is to be understood of the succeeding days Moreover God who
seems to be Iaphet Gen. 10. 21. The second was Sem as appears because he was but an hundred years old two years after the Flood Gen. 11. 11. The youngest Ham Gen. 9. 24. But Sem is first named in order of dignity as being the progenitor of the Church and of Jesus Christ and because he and his progeny is the principal subject of this whole History Shem Ham and Iapheth CHAP. VI. 1. AND it came to pass when men a i. e. Wicked men the posterity of Cain as appears from the following verse Who are here called men and the Sons of men by way of contempt and of distinction meer men such as had only the natures and qualities of corrupt men without the image of God began to multiply b To wit more than ordinarily or more than the Sons of God because they practised Polygamy after the example of their Predecessor the ungodly Lamech Gen. 4. 19. on the face of the Earth and Daughters were born unto them c So doubtless were Sons also but their Daughters are here mentioned as one principal occasion of the sin noted in the next verse and of the following deluge 2. That the Sons of God d Either 1. Persons of greatest eminency for place and power for such are called Gods and Children of the Most High Psal. 82. 6. Where also they are opposed to Men ver 7. i. e. to meaner men And the most eminent things in their kinds are attributed to God as Cedars of God Hill of God c. But it is not probable that the Princes and Nobles should generally take Wives or Women of the meaner rank nor would the Marriages of such persons be simply condemned or at least it would not be mentioned as a crying sin and a great cause of the deluge Or rather 2. The Children of Seth and Enos the professors of the true Religion For 1. Such and onely such in the common use of Scripture are called the Sons and Children of God as Deut. 14. 1. and 32. 19. Isa. 1. 2. and 45. 11. Hos. 11. 1. Luke 17. 27. c. 2. This title manifestly relates to Gen. 4. 26. where the same persons are said to be called by the name of the Lord i. e. to be the Sons and Servants of God 3. They are opposed to the Daughters of Men the word Men being here taken in an ill sense for such as had nothing in them but the nature of Men which is corrupt and abominable and were not Sons of God but forreigners and strangers to him and Apostates from him 4. These unequal matches with persons of a false Religion are every where condemned in Scripture as sinful and pernicious as Gen. 26. 35. Exod. 34. 16. 1 King 11. 2 3. Esra 9. 10. Nehem. 13. 23 c. Mal. 2. 11. 1 Cor. 7. 39. 2 Cor. 6. 14. and therefore are fitly spoken of here as one of the sins which brought the Flood upon the ungodly world saw e i. e. Gazed upon and observed curiously and lustfully as the sequel sheweth the Daughters ‖ Or of Man of men f Of that ungodly and accursed race of Cain that they were fair g i. e. Beautiful and set off their beauty with all the allurements of Ornaments and carriage herein using greater liberty than the Sons and Daughters of God did or durst take 1 Pet. 3. 3. and therefore were more enticing and prevalent with fleshly minded men and they took them h Either 1. By force and violence as the word sometimes signifies Or rather 2. By consent for the Sons of God were so few in comparison of the wicked World that they durst not take away their Daughters by force which also proves that they did not take them for Harlots but for Wives Wives i Possibly more than one for each of them after the example of those wicked Families into which they were matched of all which they chose k i. e Loved and liked as the word choosing is taken Psal. 25. 12. and 119. 173. Isa. 1. 29. and 42. 1. compared with Matth. 12. 28. This is noted as their first errour that they did promiscuously choose Wives without any regard to their Sobriety and Religion minding only the pleasing of their own fancies and lusts not the pleasing and serving of their Lord and Maker nor the obtaining of a godly Seed which was Gods end in the institution of Marriage Mal. 2. 15. and therefore should have been theirs too 3. And the LORD said l Either 1. To the men of that age by the mouth of Noah Or 2. within himself See Psal. 14. 1. he determined my spirit shall not always strive with man m Or Contend or Debate in or against men as it hath hitherto done by inward motions and suggestions in the Minds and Consciences of wicked men or by the mouths and Ministry of that small remnant of Holy Men and particularly of Noah who protested against and contended with the World of the ungodly and by their doctrines admonitions threatnings and examples endeavoured to bring them to Repentance 1 Pet. 3. 19. or dispute with or concerning or because of men i. e. Whether I should destroy or save him as God disputes with or about Ephraim Hos. 11. 8. for that he also n i. e. Even the Seed of Seth or the Sons of God also no less than the off-spring of Cain The Pronoun being here put for the foregoing Noun and the singular number put for the plural he i. e. they to wit the Sons of God Both which figures are frequent in the use of Scripture Or he i. e. man all mankind the Sons of God not excepted is flesh o Not only fleshly in part or in some actions but altogether in regard of Soul as well as Body minding nothing but making provision for the flesh to fulfill its Lusts Rom. 13. 14. Not having the Spirit Iude ver 19 nor heeding its good motions but suppressing and â—…sisting them 〈◊〉 not only in the condition of their nature but in the baseness and corruption of their Hearts and Lives as the word flesh is commonly used when it is opposed to the Spirit as Iohn 3. 6. Rom. 7. 18. and 8. 5 7. Gal. 5. 17. yet p Though he deserve a speedy destruction his days q i. e. The time allowed him for Repentance and the prevention of his ruine shall be an hundred and twenty years r During which time Noah was Preaching and to assure them of the Truth of his Doctrine preparing the Ark. See 1 Pet. 3. 20. 2 Pet. 2. 5. Quest. How did God perform this promise when there were but an hundred years between this time and the Flood by comparing Gen. 5. 32. with Gen. 7. 11. Answ. 1. The encreasing wickedness of mankind might justly hasten â—…ir ruine and forfeit the benefit of this indulgence 2. This promise though mentioned after that Gen. 5. 32. yet seems to have
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
sâ—…me both to the Altar and the grate though some alledge that place for the contrary and the staves shall be upon the two sides of the altar to bear it 8 Hollow with boards o i. e. Not one entire piece of wood but consisting of four several sides hollow within for easiness and conveniency of carriage in their wildernes state shalt thou make it * chap. 25. 40. and 26. 30. as †Heb. he hâ—…red it was shewed thee in the mount so shall they make it 9 And thou shalt make the court of the tabernacle p A court encompassing the tabernacle Exod. 40. 33. in the midst whereof the Altar of Sacrifices was placed upon which the offerings were burnt in the open air which was most convenient for the south-side southward there shall be hangings for the court q Whereby the court was distinguished and enclosed of fine twined linen of an hundred cubits long for one side 10 And the twenty pillars r On which the hangings were fastened by the hooks here mentioned thereof and their twenty sockets s Or bases upon which the pillars stood shall be of brass the hooks of the pillars and their fillets t Or hoops which encompassed the pillars at the top being placed there as it seems for ornament onely shall be of silver 11 And likewise for the north-side in length there shall be hangings of an hundred cubits long and his twenty pillars and their twenty sockets of brass the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver 12 And for the breadth of the court on the west-side shall be hangings of fifty cubits their pillars ten and their sockets ten 13 And the breadth of the court on the east-side eastward shall be fifty cubits 14 The hangings of one side of the gate shall be fifteen cubits u Which with the 15 cubits ver 15. and the 20 cubits ver 16. make up the 50 cubits mentioned ver 13. their pillars three and their sockets three 15 And on the other side shall be hangings fifteen cubits their pillars three and their sockets three 16 And for the gate of the court shall be an hanging of twenty cubits of blue and purple and scarlet and fine twined linen wrought with needle-work and their pillars shall be four and their sockets four 17 All the pillars round about the court shall be filleted with silver their hooks shall be of silver x All silver not onely covered with silver as some unduly infer from Exod. 38. 17. and their sockets of brass 18 The length of the court shall be an hundred cubits and the breadth †Heb. fifty by fifty fifty every where and the height five cubits of fine twined linen and their sockets of brass 19 All the vessels of the tabernacle in all the service thereof and all the pins thereof and all the pins y Wherewith the Tabernacle and curtains thereof were fastened to the ground as tents usually are with wooden pins of the court shall be of brass 20 And thou shalt command the children of Israel that they bring thee pure oil-olive beaten for the light to cause the lamp †Heb. to ascend up to burn alway a i. e. At all the times appointed daily though not continually as the lamb offered onely every morning and every evening is called a continual burnt-offering Exod. 29. 42. For that these were lighted onely at the evening may seem probable from the next verse and from Exod. 27. 21. and 30. 8. Lev. 24. 3. 1 Sam. 3. 3. 2 Chron. 13. 11. But because Iosephus and Philo who were eye-witnesses of the Temple-service and had no temptation to ly in this matter expresly affirm that some lights did burn in the day-time and it may seem indecent and improbable that God should dwell and the Priests minister in darkness and there were no windows to give light to the Tabernacle by day it may be granted that some few burnt in the day and all in the night and that the latter is onely mentioned in the places alledged as being the more solemn time when all are lighted z Beaten out of the olives with a pestel which is freer from dregs than that which is squeezed out with a press 21 In the tabernacle †Heb. of meeting See chap. 25. 22. and 29. 42. of the congregation b So called because there the people used to meet not onely one with another but with God also See Exod. 25. 22. Numb 17. 4. Others render it in the tabernacle of witness because there God declared his mind and will and mans duty * chap. 26. 31 33. without the vail c To wit the second vail in the holy place which is before the testimony d A short speech for before the Ark of the Testimony as it is elsewhere more largely called compare Exod. 25. 16. Aaron and his sons shall order it e To wit the lamp or the lights taking care that there be a constant supply of them and that they burn well from evening to morning before the LORD it shall be a statute for ever unto their generations on the behalf of the children of Israel CHAP. XXVIII 1 AND take thou unto thee a Cause them to come near unto thee that thou maist before them and before the people declare the will of God herein and solemnly set them apart for this office * Heb. 5. 1 4. Aaron thy brother and his sons with him from among the children of Israel that he may minister unto me in the priests office even Aaron Nadab and Abihu Eleazar and Ithamar Aarons sons 2 And * chap. 39. 2. thou shalt make †Gr. an holy stole Rev. 7. 9. holy garments b Garments to be used onely in holy ministrations for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty c i. e. Such as are glorious and beautiful partly to mind the people of the dignity and excellency of their office and employment and principally to represent the glorious robes wherewith Christ is both clothed himself and clotheth all his people who are made Priests unto God 3 And * chap. 36. 1. thou shalt speak unto all that are wise-hearted d i. e. Skilful artists The Hebrews make the heart not the brain the seat of wisdome See Iob 9. 4. * chap. 31. 2. and 35. 30. whom I have filled e Either 1. by my ordinary providence and assistance giving them both ability and opportunity to learn the arts or rather 2. by extraordinary inspiration which was necessary for the Israelites whose base and laborious drudgery took off their minds and hands from all ingenious studies and arts with the spirit of wisdom that they make Aarons garments to consecrate him f i. e. To be an outward sign of my calling and consecration of him to my holy service A metonymical expression that he may minister unto me in the
so this is a Genitive case of the object as Mat. 12. 31. blasphemy of the spirit for so it is in the Greek is blasphemy against the holy Ghost as it is called Mark 3. 28. Luk. 12. 10. and power of all flesh Ioh. 17. 2. is power â—…ver all flesh and power of spirit Mat. 10. 1. is power over or against spirits Luk. 9. 1. and prayer of God Luk. 6. 12. is prayer directed unto God and the spoil of the poor Isa. 3. 14. is the spoil taken from the poor and violence of the children of Iudah Ioel 3. 19. is violence against them as we translate it to do a trespass against the LORD g Which words may be added either 1. to express a new sin of prevaricating or dealing falsly with God either by a false oath which is a special injury to God or by a lie or simple denial that he hath taken any thing of his neighbours which also God takes as a sin especially concerning himself who in such cases is the câ—…ely judge of what is 〈◊〉 said or sworn See Act. 5. 3 4. Or 2. to aggravate the former sin and to shew that such injuries done to men are also sins against God who hath commanded justice to men as well as religion to himself But the former is more probable both because here is a ram of atonement to be offered to God for the special injury done to him as well as satisfaction is to be made to the man whom he injured and especially by comparing this with the parallel place Levit. 6. 2 c. and that person be guilty h i. e. Shall be sensible of his guilt or be convicted in his conscience of his sin for otherwise this might seem a meer tautology if it were onely meant of being really guilty of sin which was expressed before in those words when one shall commit any sin i. e. be guilty of any sin 7 Then they shall confess their sin i They shall not continue in the denial of the fact as such persons oft do but shall give glory to God and take shame to themselves by acknowledging their sin with grief and remorse See Lev. 5. 5. and 6. 4. which they have done and he shall recompense his trespass * Lev. 6. 5. with the principal thereof k i. e. The thing he took away or what is equivalent to it and add unto it the fifth part thereof l Which is added both as a compensation to the injured person for the want of his goods so long and for his trouble for the supposed utter loss of them and as a penalty upon the injurious dealer to discourage others from such attempts Qu. How doth this agree with that law Exod. 22. 1 Ans. That law was made against notorious and obstinate thieves who were legally convicted of their crime and this against more modest thieves whose necessities might induce them to steal and whose consciences are affected with their sin and give it unto him against whom he hath trespassed 8 But if the man have no kinsman m Which might be the case commonly with Proselytes if not with Israelites This also supposeth the person injured to be dead or gone away into some unknown place and the person injured to be known to the injurer to recompense the trespass unto let the trespass be recompensed unto the LORD even to the priest n Whom God appointed as his deputy to receive his dues and take them to his own use that so he might more chearfully and intirely devote himself to the ministration of holy things This is an additional explication to that law Lev. 6. 2. and for the sake thereof it seems here to be repeated beside the * Lev. 6. 6. and 7. 8. ram of the atonement whereby an atonement shall be made for him 9 And every ‖ Or heave-offering * Lev. 6. 18 26. and 7. 6 32. chap. 18. 8. Deut. 18. 3. offering o Heb. every heave-offering the heave-offering being here taken largely so as to comprehend also the wave-offering for both these were Aarons portion See Exod. 29. 26 27 28. of all the holy things of the children of Israel which they bring unto the priests p To wit to offer unto the Lord by his hands shall be his q i. e. the Priests See Levit. 6. 16. 10 And every mans hallowed things r Understand this not of the sacrifices no not of such of them as were voluntary or vowed as most understand it because these were not the Priests peculiar but a good part of them was offered to God and the remainder was eaten by the offerer as well as by the Priest as is manifest but of such other things as were devoted to God and were such as could not be offered in sacrifice as suppose a man consecrated an house or rent of it to the Lord this was to be the Priests And this restriction may be easily collected from the nature of the thing because he speaketh in this and the other branches here of such things as were appropriated to the Priests as his portion which none of the sacrifices were shall be his whatsoever any man giveth the priest it shall be * Lev. 10. 13. his 11 And the LORD spake unto Moses saying 12 Speak unto the children of Israel and say unto them If any mans wife s This law was given partly to deterre wives from adulterous practises and partly to secure wives against the rage of their hard-hearted husbands who otherwise might upon meer suspitions destroy them or at least put them away Quest. Why was there not the same law for the trial of the husband when the wife was jealous of him Ans. This might be either 1. because the womans sin is greater because there is not onely filthiness and falsness in it which is also in the mans sin but also peculiar unrighteousness in dishonouring his name and family and transferring his estate to strangers and other mens children or 2. because there was not like fear of inconveniencies to the husband from the jealousie of the wife who had not that authority and power and opportunity for the putting away or killing of the husband as the husband had over the wife Or 3. because being the inferiour and the weaker sex and more subject to jealousies and groundless suspitions it was not thought expedient to trust them with such a power or priviledge go aside t From the way of religion and justice or from her faith given to her husband or to the by-paths of falshood and filthiness and that either in truth or in appearance and in her husbands opinion and commit a trespass against him 13 And a man lie with her carnally and it be hid from the eyes of her husband and be kept close u She utterly denying it Prov. 30. 20. and none being able and willing to discover it and she be defiled and there
desparing sinners sometimes cry out that their sins are greater than God can pardon as some translate Cains words Gen. 4. 13. And since power is applied to Gods wrath in punishing sin Rom. 9. 22. why may it not as well be attributed to Gods mercy in forgiving it Especially if it be considered that even in men revenge is an act of impotency and consequently it must needs be an act of power to conquer their passions and inclinations to revenge and to pardon those enemies whom they could destroy according as thou hast spoken saying 18 The LORD is * Exod. 34. 6. Psal. 103. 8. long-suffering and of great mercy forgiving iniquity and transgression and by no means clearing the guilty * Exod. 20. 5. and 34. 7. visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation a These words may seem to be very improperly mentioned as being a powerful argument to move God to destroy this wicked people and not to pardon then It may be answered that Moses useth these words together with the rest partly because he would not sever what God had put together and partly to shew that he did not desire a full and absolute pardon but was willing that God should execute his vengeance upon the principal authours of this rebellion and leave some character of his displeasure upon all the people as God did but onely that God would not disinherit them ver 12. nor kill all the people as one man ver 15. nor destroy them both root and branch because he had promised not to extend his wrath against them in punishing their sins beyond the third and fourth generation But the truer answer seems to be that these words are to be translated otherwise and in destroying he will not utterly destroy though he visit the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation Of which see the notes on Exod. 34. 7. where all this verse is explained 19 Pardon I beseech thee the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of thy mercy and as thou hast forgiven this people from Egypt even ‖ Or hitherto until now b After many and great provocations shew thy self still to be the same sin-pardoning God 20 And the LORD said I have pardoned according to thy word c So far as not utterly to destroy them as I threatned ver 12. and thou didst fear and beg the prevention of it ver 15. 21 But truly as I live * Psal. 72. 19. all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD d i. e. With the report of the glorious and righteous acts of God in punishing this rebellious people in manner following That this is the true sence appears both from the particle of opposition and the solemn introduction of them But truly as I live and from the following verses because all these men c. which come in without any note of opposition and have a manifest relation to and connexion with this verse 22 Because all those men which have seen my glory c i. e. My glorious appearances in the cloud and in the Tabernacle and my miracles which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness and have tempted me now these ten times f i. e. Many times A certain number for an uncertain as Gen. 31. 7. Levit. 26. 8. Iob 19. 3. Though some reckon ten times precisely wherein they did eminently provoke God and have not hearkened to my voice 23 * Deut. 1. 35. Psal. 95. 11. and 106. 26. Heb. 3. 17. †Heb. if tâ—…ey see the land Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers neither shall any of them that provoked me see it 24 But my servant * Josh. 14. 6 8 9. Caleb g Ioshua is not here named because he was not now among the people but a constant attendant upon Moses nor was he to be reckoned as one of them any more than Moses and Aaron were because he was to be their chief commander because he had another spirit with him h i. e. Was a man of another temper and carriage faithful and couragious not acted by that evil spirit of cowardize unbelief unthankfulness disobedience which ruled in his brethren but by the spirit of God and hath followed me fully i i. e. Universally and constantly in and through difficulties and dangers which made his partners halt him will I bring into the land whereinto he went k In general Canaan and particularly Hebron and the adjacent parts Ios. 14. 9. and his seed shall possess it l Or shall expell it i. e. its inhabitants the land being oft put for the people of it Compare Ios. 8. 7. and 14. 12. 25 Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwelt in the valley m Beyond the mountain at the foot whereof they now were ver 40. And this clause is added either 1. as an aggravation of Israels misery and punishment that being now ready to enter and take possession of the land they are forced to go back into the wilderness or 2. as an argument to oblige them more willingly to obey the following command of returning into the wilderness because their enemies were very near them and severed from them onely by that Idumâ—…an mountain and if they did not speedily depart their enemies would hear of them and fall upon them and so the evil which before they causelesly feared would come upon them they their wives and their children would become a prey to the Amalekites and Canaanites because God had forsaken them and would not assist nor defend them The verse may be rendred thus And or But for the present the Amalekite and the Canaanite dwell in the valley therefore which particle is here understood as it is in other places to morrow turn ye c. Though some knit these words to the former and read the place thus Caleb and his seed shall possess it to wit the land near Hebron and also the land of the Amalekites and of the Canaanites that dwell in the valley Quest. But how are the Canaanites said to dwell in the valley here when they dwelt in the hill ver 45. and by the sea-coasts Numb 21. 1 Ans. 1. Part of them dwelt in one place and part in other places 2. The word Canaanite may here be understood more generally of all the inhabitants of Canaan to morrow turn ye and get ye into the wilderness by the way of the Red-sea n i. e. That leadeth to the Red-sea and to Egypt the place whither you desired to return ver 3 4. 26 And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron saying 27 How long shall I bear with o Or pardon as ver 19 20. or spare which words are necessarily and easily understood It is a short and imperfect speech which is frequent in case of anger as Exod. 32. 32. Psal.
station into which they came from the wilderness of Sinai Numb 10. 12. all this verse may belong to Gods appearance in mount Sinai where that glorious light which shone upon mount Sinai directly did in all probability scatter its beams into the adjacent parts such as Seir and Paran were and so this is onely a Poetical and Prophetical variation of the phrase and expression of the same thing in diverse words and Gods coming or rising or shining from or to or in Sinai and Seir and Paran note one and the same illustrious action of God appearing there with ten thousands of his Saints or holy Angels and there giving a fiery law to them as it here follows And this interpretation may receive some strength from Hab. 3. 3. where this glorious march of God before his people is remembred onely Teman which signifies the South is put for Seir which is here possibly to signify that that Seir which is here mentioned was to be understood of the Southern part of the country of Seir or Edom which was that part adjoyning to the Red Sea Others refer this of Seir to the brasen Serpent that eminent type of Christ which was erected in this place unto them he shined forth from mount Paran g A place where God eminently manifested his presence and goodness both in giving the people flesh which they desired and in appointing the 70 Elders and pouring forth his Spirit upon them Num 11. Though the exposition mentioned in the foregoing branch may seem more probable and he came with †Heb. holy myriads or ten thousands So Gr. See Jude v. 14. ten thousands of Saints h i. e. With a great company of holy Angels Psal. 68. 17. Daâ—… 7. 10. which attended upon him in this great and glorious work of giving the law as may be gathered from Act. 7. 53. Gal. 3. 19. Heb. 2. 2. and 12. 22. from his right hand i Which both wrote the law and gave it to men An allusion to men who ordinarily write and give gifts with their right and not with their left hand went †Heb. a fire of Law a fiery law k The law is called fiery partly because it is of a fiery nature purging and searching and inflaming for which reasons Gods word is compared to fire Ier. 23. 29. partly to signify that fiery wrath and curse which it inflicteth upon sinners for the violation of it 2 Cor. 3. 7 9. and principally because it was delivered out of the midst of the fire Exod. 19. 16 18. Deut. 4. 11. and 5. 22 23. for them 3 Yea he loved the people l i. e. The tribes of Israel which are called People Gen. 48. 19. Iudges 5. 14. Act. 4. 27. The sense is This Law though delivered with Fire and Smoke and Thunder which might seem to portend nothing but hatred and terrour yet in truth it was given to Israel in great love as being the great mean of their temporal and eternal Salvation And although God shews a general and common kindness to all men yet he loved this people in a singular and peculiar manner all his saints m All Gods Saints or holy ones i. e. his People as they are now called the people of Israel who are all called holy Exod. 19. 6. Num. 16. 3. Deut. 7. 6. Dan. 7. 25. and 8. 24. and 12. 7. because they all professed to be so and were obliged to be so and many of them were such Though some appropriate this to the true Saints in Israel are in thy hand n Or were in thy hand i. e. under Gods care to protect and direct and govern them as that phrase signifies Numb 4. 28 33. Ioh. 10. 28 29. These words are spoken to God and for the change of persons his and thy that is most frequent in the Hebrew tongue See Dan. 9. 4. This clause may further note Gods kindness to Israel in upholding and preserving them when the fiery law was delivered which was done with so much dread and terrour that not onely the people trembled and were ready to sink under it Exod. 20. 18 19. but even Moses himself did exceedingly fear and quake Heb. 12. 21. But in this fright God sustained both Moses and the people in or by his hand whereby he in a manner hid and covered them that no harm might come to them by this terrible apparition and they sat down at thy feet o Like Scholars to receive instructions and counsels from thee He alludes either 1. To the manner of disciples among the Jews who used to sit at their masters feet Luk. 10. 39. Acts 22. 3. See also Gen. 49. 10. 2 King 4. 38. But it is doubtful whether this custom was so antient as Moses Or 2. To the place where the people waited when the Law was delivered which was at the foot of the mount every one shall receive of thy words p The people easily understood from the foregoing words did or will receive or submit to thy instructions and it commands This may respect either 1. The peoples promise when they heard the Law that they would hear and do all that was commanded Deut. 5. 27. Or 2. The peoples duty to do so 3. The peoples priviledge that they were admitted to receive so great a priviledge as the words and Laws of God were 4 Moses commanded us a law q Moses speaks this of himself in the third person which is very usual in the Hebrew language even the inheritance of the congregation of Jacob r The Law is called their Inheritance partly because the obligation of it was hereditary passing from Parents to their Children and partly because this was the best part of all their inheritance and possessions the greatest of all those gifts and favours which God bestowed upon them 5 And he was * See Gen. 36. 31. chap. 32. 15. king s Moses was their King not in Title but in reality being under God their supream and uncontroulable Governour and Lawgiver Though the word oft signifies onely a prince or chief Ruler as Iudg. 19. 1. Ier. 19. 3. and 46. 25. in Jeshrun t i. e. In Israel so called Deut. 32. 15. when the heads of the people and the tribes of Israel were gathered together u When the Princes and People met together for the management of publick affairs Moses was owned by them as their King and Lawgiver and he directed and ruled them as their superiour This he saith to shew that the people approved of and consented to the Authority and Laws of Moses 6 Let Reuben live and not die and let not his men be few x Though Reuben deserve to be cut off or greatly diminished and obscured according to Iacobs prediction Gen. 49. 4. Yet God will spare them and give them a name and portion among the Tribes of Israel and bless them with increase of their numbers 7 And this is the blessing
Jarmuth the king of Lachish the king of Eglon gathered themselves together and went up they and all their hosts and encamped before Gibeon and made war against it 6 ¶ And the men of Gibeon sent f Or had sent when their enemies were drawing towards them which they could easily learn unto Joshua to the camp to Gilgal saying Slack not thy hand g Do not neglect nor delay to help us from thy servants h Whom thou art obliged to protect both in Duty as thou art our Master and Ruler and by thy own Interest we being part of thy Possessions and in ingenuity because we have given our selves to thee and put our selves under thy Protection come up to us quickly and save us and help us for all the kings of the Amorites that dwell in the mountains i In the mountainous Country are gathered together against us 7 So Joshua ascended k Having no doubt asked advice of God first which is implied by the Answer God gives to him v. 8. from Gilgal he and all the people of war with him and l Or even or that is as this Particle is oft used hath been noted before So it seems put here by way of Explication and Restriction having said all the people of war he now adds even all the mighty men c. i. e. an Army of the most valiant men picked out from the rest for it is not probable either that he would take so many hundred thousands with him which would have hindred one another or that he would leave the Camp without an Army to defend it all the mighty men of valour 8 ¶ And the LORD said unto Joshua Fear them not for I have delivered them into thine hand there shall not a man of them stand before thee 9 Joshua therefore came unto them suddenly m Though assured by God of the Victory yet he useth all prudent means and surprizeth them and went up from Gilgal all night n It is not said that he went from Gilgal to Gibeon in a nights space but only that he travelled all night unto which you may add part either of the foregoing or of the following day 10 And the LORD * Isa. 28. 21. ‡ Or terrified So â—…r discomfited them before Israel and slew them o Or he slew them either God or Israel for Gods work is described v. 11. with a great slaughter at Gibeon p Heb. in Gibeon not in the City but in the Territory belonging to it as Ioshua is said to be in Iericho Josh. 5. 13. and chased them along the way that goeth up to Bethoron and smote them to Azekah and unto Makkedah 11 And it came to pass as they fled from before Israel and were in the going down to Bethoron that the LORD cast down great stones q i. e. Hailstones of extraordinary greatness and hardness cast down with that certainty as to hit the Canaanites and not their Pursuers the Israelites and with that force as to kill them Iosephus affirms That Thunder and Lightning were mixed with the Hail which may seem probable from Habak 3. 11. from heaven upon them unto Azekah and they died they were moe which died with hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword 12 ¶ Then spake Joshua to the LORD r To wit in way of Petition for this Miracle being moved to beg it out of zeal to destroy Gods Enemies and directed to it by the motion of Gods Spirit and receiving a gracious Answer and being filled with holy Confidence of the success he speaks the following words before the people that they might be Witnesses of it in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel and he said in the sight of Israel s i. e. In the presence and audience of Israel seeing being sometimes put for hearing as Gen. 42. 1. compare with Act. 7. 12 Although these words may seem rather to be joyned with the following thus in the sight of Israel stand still O Sun c. which sense the Hebrew accents favour * Isa. 28. 21. Hab. 3. 11. Sun †stand thou still upon Gibeon t i. e. Over and above or against Gibeon i. e. In that place and posture in which now it stands towards and looks upon Gibeon Let it not go down lower and by degrees out of the sight of Gibeon It may seem that the Sun was declining and Ioshua perceiving that his Work was great and long and his time but short begs of God the lengthning out of the day and that the Sun and Moon might stop their course and keep the place in which they now were and thou moon in the valley u Or upon the valley as before upon Gibeon the Preposition being the same there and here of Ajalon x Either 1. that Ajalon which was in the Tribe of Zebulun Judg. 12. 12. Northward from Gibeon Or rather 2. that Ajalon which was in the Tribe of Dan Josh. 19. 42. Judg. 1. 35. Westward from Gibeon For 1. this was nearer Gibeon than the other 2. This was most agreeable to the Course of the Sun and Moon which is from East to West 3. This way the Battel went from Gibeon Westward to Ajalon and so further Westward even to Lachish v. 31. And he mentions two places Gibeon and Ajalon not as if the Sun stood over the one and the Moon over the other which is absurd and ridiculous to affirm especially these places being so near one to the other but partly to vary the Phrase as is common in Poetical Passages partly because he was in his March and the Pursuit of his Enemies to pass from Gibeon to Ajalon and he begs that he may have the help and benefit of longer light to pursue them and to that end that the Sun might stand still and the Moon also not that he needed the Moons light when he had the Suns but because it was fit either that both Sun and Moon should go or that both should stand still to prevent Disorder and Confusion in the heavenly Bodies ‡ Heb. be silent 13 And the sun stood still y Heb. was silent i. e. still as this Phrase is commonly used as 1 Sam. 14. 9. Psal. 4. 4. Ionah 1. 12. the cessation of the Tongues motion being put synecdochically for the cessation of any other Motion or Action and the moon stayed until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies z i. e. Till they had utterly destroyed them as is mentioned in the following Chapter Is not this written in the book of †Jasher a Either of a man so called or of the righteous or upright wherein possibly the memorable Actions of worthy men were recorded and this amongst the rest And this Book was written and published before Ioshua wrote his and so is fitly alledged here But this as well as some few other
Isa. 51. 21. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink m To wit this day See above v. 7 8. but have poured out my soul n Have been breathing forth the Griefs and Perplexities and Desires of my Soul The like Phrase is Iob 30. 16. Psal. 62. 8. and 142. 2. before the LORD 16 Count not thine hand-maid for a daughter of Belial o For such a wicked Monster as a Drunken Women is for out of the abundance of my ‖ Or meditation complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto p The oppression of my spirits hath forced me to speak and that so liberally at this time for the ease of my sinking heart 17 Then Eli answered and said Go in peace q I recal my Censure and give thee my Blessing and wish thee Peace i. e. a quiet and composed mind free from whatsoever it is that Grieves and Oppresses thee and withal good Success and Prosperity in what thou desirest for Peace is a very comprehensive word among the Hebrews and the God of Israel grant r Or will grant for it may be either a Prayer or a Prediction which he might deliver either from the consideration of Gods known goodness and readiness to hear Prayers or he might be directed to say so by a special instinct of Gods Spirit which sometimes was given to the High-Priests even when they were wicked men as Iohn 11. 51. and much more when they were Holy Men as Eli was And some add that he was a Prophet thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him 18 And she said Let thine hand-maid find grace in thy sight s That favourable Opinion and good Will and gracious Prayer which thou hast expressed on my behalf be pleased to continue towards me So the woman went her way and did eat and her ‖ Or heaviness was no more See Job 9. 27. Hebr. countenance was no more sad t Her heart being cheared by the Priest's comfortable words and especially by God's Spirit setting them home upon her and assuring her that both his and her Prayers should be heard quickly appeared in her countenance Heb. her indignation or vexation as the word Face is sometimes understood as Gen. 32. 20. Psal. 21. 9. and 34. 16. was no more i. e. it vanished away 19 ¶ And they rose up in the morning early u Partly for their Journey and partly for Prayer as it follows for which this was a very fit and usual time Psal. 5. 3. 119. 147. and worshipped before the LORD and returned and came to their house to Ramah and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife and the LORD remembred her x i. e. Manifested his remembrance of her by the effect 20 Wherefore it came to pass ‡ Heb. in the revolution of days when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived that she bare a son x So the sence is When the usual time from the Conception to the Birth was past she brought forth her Son Heb. In or After the Revolution or Expiration of some Days Hannah Conceived and in due time bare a Son So the meaning is That although her Husband knew her Conjugally at his return and God was mindful of her and intended in his time to give her his Blessing yet she did not Conceive at first but after some days or time afterwards and called y i. e. She called not doubting of her Husbands consent to the Name The Names of Children were given to them sometimes by the Fathers and sometimes by the Mothers See Gen. 4. 1 26. and 5. 29. and 21. 3. and 19. 37 38 c. his name ‖ That iâ—… asked of God Samuel saying Because I have asked him of the LORD 21 And the man Elkanah and all his house z i. e. His Wife Penimah and his Children which are oft-times called a Mans House in Scripture Hannah only and her Child excepted as it here follows went up to offer unto the LORD the yearly sacrifice a That Solemn Sacrifice which was offerd up once every Year probably the Paschal Lamb which is oft called a Sacrifice as Exod. 12. 27. and 34. 25. and his vow b By which it appears though it was not expressed before that he heard and consented to her Vow which was necessary to make it Obligatory Numb 30. and that he added a Vow of his own of some singular Sacrifice to be offered if God answered his Prayers 22 But Hannah went not up c To wit that Sacred Anniversary-Feast to which she went up before but now did not because she could not with satisfaction to her Mind and Conscience appear before the Lord Empty or without paying her Vow nor bring her Child thither to God and then carry him away from God to her own House Nor did she Sin by not going up for the Women were not obliged to go up at the Solemn Feasts but the Men only Exod. 23. 17. for she said unto her husband I will not go up until the child be weaned d Not only from the Breast and the Milk which was done within Two or Three Years at most but also from the Mothers Knee and Care and from Childish Food till the Child be something grown up and fit to do some Service in the Tabernacle for it seems that as soon as he was brought up he Worshipped God v. 28. and presently after Ministred to Eli 1 Sam. 2. 11. And this may further appear from the very Nature of the Vow which must needs design a Service and an Advantage to the Tabernacle and not a Burden and Encumbrance as it would have been if a Young Child had been brought up to it and left upon it and then I will bring him that he may appear before the LORD and there abide for ever e That when once he is presented to the Lord he may continue in his Service as long as he liveth as is said v. 28. 23 And Elkanah her husband said unto her Do what seemeth thee good tarry until thou have weaned him onely the LORD establish his word f Either First The word of God made known to them by Eli above v. 17. which being delivered by Gods High-Priest and that in answer to his and his Wives Prayers he took to be a kind of Oracle sent from God But that word was already fulfilled in the Birth of a Son Or Secondly Some other Word or Message from God to Elkanah or his Wife concerning Samuel for such Revelations were frequent in those Ages of the Church and were oft vouchsafed by God concerning such Children as were extraordinary Persons or in a special manner Devoted to God as concerning Isaac Gen. 18. and Sampson Iudg. 13. 3 4. and Iohn Baptist Luk. 1. 13 14 c. and others And so it might be here though it were not mentioned before there being many such things in Scripture omitted in their proper places which afterwards are
the occasion of his eminent Victories and the blessings of his wife and righteous Government some whereof we have in the Book of Psalms Or 2dly As the Author of them he who was eminent and famous among the people of God for the composing of sweet and holy Songs to the praise of God and for the use of his Church in after Ages For he did not only indite most of the Book of Psalms by the direction of Gods Spirit but also invented the Tunes or appointed Tunes to which they were to be Sung and the Instruments of Mâ—…sick which were used in and with those Holy Songs 1 Chron. 25. 2 6. Amos 6. 5. If the expressions here used seem arrogant and not fit to be said by David in his own praise let him consider First That Holy men spake by inspiration from God and therefore must follow his suggestions impartially as indeed they do sometimes in the publishing their own praises which yet is never done unnecessarily and always moderately and sometimes in the publishing of their own infirmities and shame as they are moved thereunto and as the Edification of the Church requires Secondly That these seem not to be the words of David but of the Sacred Penman of this Book to make way for and gain the greater attention and respect unto David's following words said 2 The spirit of the LORD spake by me and his word was in my tongue e The following words and consequently the other words and Psalms composed and uttered by me upon the like Solemn occasions are not to be looked upon as my private fancies or human inventions but both the matter and the words of them are suggested and governed by Gods Spirit which is the great teacher of the Church 3 The God of Israel said * Deut. 〈◊〉 The Rock of Israel f He who is the strength and defence and protector of his people which he here manifests by obliging and directing Kings and Rulers so to manage their Power and Authority as may most conduce to their comfort and benefit spake to me g By way of command Or of me by way of prediction and promise concerning me and my House and the Messias who is to come out of my Loyns ‖ Or Be 〈◊〉 ruler He that ruleth over men must be just ruling in the fear of God h Thus it is a Precept or Declaration of the Duty of Kings and particularly of Solomon his Son to whom as a dying man he gives this advice and of his Successors the Kings of Gods Israel for whose instruction he gives this Rule And so here are the two principal parts of a Kings duty answerable to the two Tables of Gods Law Justice towards men and Piety towards God both which he is to maintain and promote among his people To which if you add benignity and clemency whereby a King renders his Government not frightful and burdensom but acceptable and amiable to his people which possibly may be meant by the following similitudes here is a compleat Character of an excellent Prince or Governor Others make it a Prophesie of Christ and then the words are or may be thus rendred There shall be a Ruler over men or rather among men as the Hebrew word properly signifies to wit the Messias who though he be the Eternal and Invisible God yet shall visibly appear and rule among men a Iust or Righteous one a title oft given to Christ as Isa. 53. 11. Ier. 23. 5 6. and 33. 15. Zech. 9. 19. ruling in the fear of the Lord making it his great business to advance the Service and Worship and Glory of the Lord or as it is in the Hebrew ruling the fear of the Lord i. e. Governing and ordering the Worship of God which is 〈◊〉 called the fear of God And so this clause iâ—… added to prevent or remove scandals and offences which might be taken at the Messias when he should come because of his changing and abrogating the Ceremonial Law and to insinuate that he should have no less power in the governing of Gods House and Worship than Moses had and that he might make such Laws as he thought meet And if this be the meaning of the place then as Iacob being greatly afflicted with the troubles which he by the Spirit of Prophecy foresaw were coming upon his Posterity comforts himself with the thoughts of that Great and Glorious Salvation of God which he also foresaw and waited for Gen. 49. 18. So David reflecting upon the great disorders and miscarriages and calamities which had already arisen in his house and either wisely presaging or foreseeing by the Spirit of the Lord v. 2. that the same sins and miseries should befal his Posterity and Successors he supports and comforts himself with this Consideration That one of them should be a most excellent Person Just and Pious and Merciful and an unspeakable Blessing to David himself and to all his Family and People and to the whole World even the great Messias who was undoubtedly Revealed to and expected by David as appears by many passages of the Psalms and by other Scriptures 4 And * Judg. 5. 31. Psal. 89. 36. Proâ—… 4. 18. Hos. 6. 5. he shall be i These Words are either 1. A further Description of the Kings Duty which is not onely to Rule with exact Justice and Piety but also with sweetness and gentleness and condescention to the Infirmities of his People to render his Government as pleasant and acceptable to them as is the Sun-shine in a clear Morning or the tender Grass which springs out of the Earth by the warm and refreshing Beams of the Sun after the Rain which hath a peculiar kind of sweetness and fragrancy in it Or rather 2. A Prediction or Declaration of the sweet and blessed Effects of such a Government both to the Governour himself in that Peace and Prosperity and Glory and Happiness which it brings to him and to his People to whom it is no less grateful and comfortable and beneficial than those great and publick Blessings of Sun-shine and Rain and the Fruits which they produce Which is true of every good King or Governour but most eminently of the Messias as the light of the morning when the sun riseth even a morning without clouds as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain 5 Although my house be not so with God k Although God knows that neither I nor my Children have Lived and Ruled as we should have done so justly and in the fear of the Lord and therefore have not enjoyed that uninterrupted Prosperity which we might have enjoyed but our Morning-light or the beginning of that Kingdom promised to me and mine for ever hath been overcast with many black and dismal Clouds and my Children have not hitherto been like the tender Grass springing out of the Earth and thriving by the Influences of the Sun and Rain but rather like
towards the end of the Third Year it makes up these Three Years and Six Months Iac. 5. 17. Or 2. From the time of his going to Sarepta which probably was a Year after the Famine begun See on Chap. 17. 7. and so this might be in the middle of the Third Year which also makes up the Three Years and Six Months saying Go shew thy self unto Ahab b To acquaint him with the cause of Judgment ver 18. and to advise him to remove it and upon that condition to promise him Rain and I will send rain upon the earth c According to thy Word and Prayer which thou shalt make for it Thus God takes care to maintain the Honour and Authority of his Prophet and in Judgment remembers Mercy to Israel for the sake of the Holy Seed yet left among them who suffered in this common Calamity 2 And Elijah went to shew himself unto Ahab d Wherein he shews a strong Faith and resolute Obedience and invincible Courage that he durst at God's Command run into the mouth of this raging Lion which was a degree of Martyrdom and there was a sore famine in Samaria 3 And Ahab called ‡ Heb. 〈◊〉 ahu Obadiah which was ‡ Heb. over 〈◊〉 house the governour of his house e Being valued by Ahab for his great prudence and fidelity and therefore indulged as to the worship of the Calves and Baal now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly f Quest. How could he and some other Israelites be said to fear the Lord when they did not go up to Ierusalem to Worship as God had Commanded Ans. Although they seem not to be wholly excusable in this neglect because they should have preferred Gods Service before their Worldly commodity according to the good example of the Priests and Levites and the generality of the Godly People who did so 2 Chron. 11. 13 16. yet because they Worshipped God in Spirit and Truth and performed all Moral Duties to God and their Brethren and abstained from Idolatry and being kept from Ierusalem by violence they thought necessity and the apparent hazard of their Lives would excuse them from Ceremonial Services and God bare with their infirmity herein 4 For it was so when ‡ Heb. Izebel Jezebel cut off the prophets of the LORD that Obadiah took an hundred prophets g Which name is not onely given to such as are endowed with an extraordinary Spirit of Prophecy but to such Ministers as Devoted themselves to the Service of God in Preaching Praying Praising God and the like as 1 Sam. 10. 10 11 12. and in this place compared with v. 22. where Elijah saith I onely remain a prophet of the Lord to wit strictly so called and Matth. 10. 41. 1 Cor. 12. 28 29. and 14. 29. and hid them by fifty in a cave and fed them h With the hazard of his own life and against the Kings command as wisely considering that no command of an Earthly Prince could over-rule the command of the Supreme Lord the King of kings or discharge him from those acts of Piety to God and Charity to Men which Gods Law indispensably required with bread and water i Either properly which was a great kindness in those circumstances or figuratively i. e. with meat and drink 5 And Ahab said unto Obadiah Go into the land unto all fountains of water and unto all brooks k About which Grass was most probably to be found in that great drought peradventure we may find grass to save the horses and mules alive ‡ â—…eb that we cut not off 〈◊〉 selves from the beasts that we lose not all the beasts 6 So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it Ahab went one way by himself l Not daring to trust any other Obadiah excepted lest being bribed by such as had Grass for their own use they should not give him a true account and Obadiah went another way by himself 7 ¶ And as Obadiah was in the way behold Elijah met him and he knew him and fell on his face m By this profound reverence shewing his great Respect and Love to him and said Art thou that my lord Elijah 8 And he answered him I am go tell thy lord n Ahâ—… whom though a very wicked man he owns for Obadiah's lord and King thereby instructing him that he did well in owning him as such and that the wickedness of Kings doth not exempt their Subjects from obedience to their Lawful commands Behold Elijah is here 9 And he said What have I sinned o Wherein have I so offended God and thee that thou shouldest inflict this punishment upon me and expose me to certain ruin by this means that thou wouldest deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab to slay me 10 As the LORD thy God liveth there is no nation or kingdom p To wit near to his own where he could in reason think that Elijah had hid himself Nothing is more frequent than to understand general expressions with such limitations whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee and when they said He is not there he took an oath of the kingdom and nation that they found thee not q Not that he could force other Kingdoms to take an Oath but that by his persuasions he prevailed with the chief persons in several Kingdoms for his satisfaction to Swear that they did not know of Elijah's being among them Which was not hard for him to obtain For Ahab was a great Prince and had a great interest among the Neighbouring Kings The King of Tyre was his Father-in-law the King of Moab Tributary to him Iehoshaphat his Friend and Relation to whom the King of Edom was Tributary We read also of all the kings of Arabia and of all the Kings of the Hittites and of Syria 1 King 10. 15 29. which as they corresponded with Solomon so how far they might be Allied to or Confederate with Ahab we know not nor what Articles or Agreements were between him and them among which this might be one That they should deliver up to one another all their fugitive or banished Subjects upon demand which might give sufficient ground for his desire or expectation of this Oath Quest. How then could Elijah lye hid in the House of the Widow of Sarepta Ans. That might easily be either because she her self or at least others did not know particularly who he was or because she used all possible care to conceal him her Conscience and Interest both obliging her so to do or because God secured him there 11 And now thou sayest Go tell thy lord Behold Elijah is there 12 And it shall come to pass as soon as I am gone from thee that the Spirit of the LORD r The Holy Ghost to whom the inspiration and conduct of the Prophets is commonly ascribed in Holy Scripture as Isa. 48. 16. and 61. 1. Matth. 4.
fire p i. e. That shall consume the Sacrifice by Fire sent from Heaven which the People knew the True God used to do as Genesis 4. 4. Iudges 6. 21. and 13. 20. let him be God And all the people q Even the Baalites themselves partly because they could not without great reproach to themselves and Baal refuse so equal a motion and partly because they were confident of Baal's power and divinity having probably had some experiments of supernatural and prodigious Events done in the worship of Baal by Gods Just and Wife permission for the hardening of that Apostatical and wicked People in their Idolatry as God hath in several Ages for the like reason suffered lying wonders to be wrought by the Devil whom they worshipped in and by their Idols answered and said ‡ Heb. The word is good it is well spoken 25 And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal Chuse ye one bullock for your selves and dress it first for ye are many r And I am willing to give you the precedency This he did partly because if he had first offered and God had answered by Fire as he knew that he would do Baal's Priests would have been discouraged and upon some excuse which would easily be accepted in regard of the Kings Authority and the Favour which they had with the People would have desisted from making the trial on their part and partly because the disappointment of the Priests of Baal of which he was well assured would notably prepare the way for the Peoples more diligent attention unto his words and actions and cause them to entertain the Prophets good success with more admiration and affection and this coming last would leave the greater impression and relish upon their hearts And this they accepted because they might think that if Baal did answer them first which they presumed he would the People would be so confirmed and heightned in their Opinion of Baal that they by the Kings assistance might murder Elijah before he came to his experiment and call on the name of your ‖ Or God gods but put no fire under 26 And they took the bullock which was given them s Which being chosen by them v. 25. was now put into their hands by those who had the Beasts in their custody till they were taken away for Sacrifice and they dressed it t Cut it in pieces and laid the parts in or upon the Wood. and called on the name of Baal from morning u From the time of the morning-Sacrifice which advantage Elijah suffered them to take for their Sacrifice even until noon saying O Baal ‖ Or 〈◊〉 hear us But there was no voice nor any that ‖ Or 〈◊〉 answered And they ‖ Or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 leapt upon the altar x Or over the altar which might easily be done the Altar being low and suddenly made for the present use Or rather beside as the Hebrew al oft signifies the altar or before it They used some superstitious unusual and disorderly gestures either pretending to be acted by the Spirit of their God and to be in a kind of Holy rage and Religious extasie or in way of Devotion to their god which they might borrow from the practise of their progenitors who amongst other things used Dancing in Gods Service and presence as Exod. 15. 20. and 32. 19. Iudg. 21. 21. 2 Sam. 6. 14. which was made y Heb. which he made Either First Elias which some think was already made though the making of it be not mentioned till afterwards ver 31. and that it was their design by leaping upon his Altar to overthrow it Or rather Secondly Ahab on their behalf or any other person that being onely an Hebraism the third person active being put for the passive Verb as our Translators well render it 27 And it came to pass at noon z When they had long tried all means in vain that Elijah mocked them a Derided them and their gods which were indeed and had now proved thmselves to be ridiculous and contemptible things By this example we see that all jesting is not unlawful but onely that which intrencheth upon Piety and good Manners See on Eph. 5. 4. and said Cry ‡ Heb. with a great 〈◊〉 aloud for he is a god either ‖ Or â—…e â—…tateth he is talking or he ‡ Heb. 〈◊〉 pursuit is pursuing or he is in a journey b He is employed about some other business and hath not leisure to mind you for being a god of a small and narrow understanding he cannot mind two things at once and you are immodest and unreasonable to expect it from him or peradventure he sleepeth and must be awaked 28 And they cried aloud c As if Eltas had spoken the truth and their god needed rowzing and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancers d Mingling their own blood with their Sacrifices as knowing by experience that nothing was more acceptable to their Baal which was indeed the Devil than humane blood and hoping hereby to move their god to pity and help them And this indeed was the practise of divers Heathens in the worship of their false gods as is manifest both from Scripture as Levit. 19. 28. Deut. 14. 1. 1 King 18. 28. and from the express testimonies of Plutarch Lucian Apuleius and many others till ‡ Heb. 〈◊〉 out blood upon them the blood gushed out upon them 29 And it came to pass when mid-day was past and they ‡ Heb. had prophesied e i. e. Praised and prayed unto and worshipped their God for so the word prophecying is used 1 Sam. 10. 10. and 19. 20 c. 1 Chron. 25. 2 3. Matth. 7. 22. 1 Cor. 11. 4 and 14. 5 6 c. until the time of the ‡ Heb. 〈◊〉 ending offering of the evening sacrifice f Heb. of the sacrifice which being here opposed to the time of their offering which was the morning ver 26. must needs be meant of the Evening Sacrifice of which see Exod. 29. 39 c. which is called the sacrifice by way of Eminency because it was more solemn and publick and frequented than the Morning Sacrifice of which divers reasons may be given See Exod. 12. 6. Psal. 141. 2. Act. 3. 1. that there was neither voice nor any to answer nor any ‡ Heb. attention that regarded g Heb. there was no attention Either First Of their god who was so far from answering that he did not mind any of their words and actions Or Secondly Of the People who were now tired out with so long attention and expectation and therefore more readily deserted them and approached to Elijah and his Altar at his call v. 30. 30 And Elijah said unto all the people Come near unto me h Come away from these impudent deceive â—…to me and expect from me what satisfaction
as that word is elsewhere used of Seraiah Ezra 7. 1. who was the High-Priest 2 Kin. 25. 18. 1 Chr. 6. 14. and he was a ready Scribe in the Law of Moses Ezra 7. 6 and endowed with a more than ordinary measure of Gods Spirit as is evident from this Book and was himself an Eye-witness of all these Transactions In his time also there lived divers other holy men of God as Daniel and Nehemiah and Mordecai and Zorobabel and Joshuah Which makes that probable which the Iews report that these Prophets and other holy and learned men did review the Canonical Books of the Old Testament and added here and there some few passages in the historical Books and digested them into that order in which now we have them in our Hebrew Bibles This being a work most suitable to the Prudence and Piety and sacred Function of these Persons and to the present Estate of the Iewish Nation who had been long in Captivity in Babylon where it was to be feared that many of them were ignorant or corrupt in the Principles of Religion and who were yet in a broken condition and likely to be exposed to farther calamities and dispersions which also might be signified to some of them and to that care which the wise and gracious God hath ever used for the guidance of his Church according to their several occasions and necessities CHAP. I. 1 NOw in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia a To wit of his Empire or Reign in Babylon For he had now been King of Persia for many Years that the word of the LORD * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 22 〈◊〉 25. 12. 〈◊〉 10. by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus b i. e. Put into him a Mind and Will to this work king of Persia that he †〈…〉 made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and put it also in writing saying 2 Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia The LORD God of Heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth c To wit in those parts of the World all that vast Empire formerly under the Assyrians and Babylonians The Gift of which he ascribes to the great God either by virtue of those common notions which were in the Minds of the Heathens who though they worshipped Idols yet many of them did acknowledge a true and supream God Or by that clear and express Prophecy of Isaiah concerning him Isa. 44. 28. 45. 1 13. so long before he was born which Prophecy the Jews had doubtless shewed him which also carried a great evidence with it especially to him who was so highly graâ—…ified and incouraged by it or by a special Illumination which God vouchsafed to him as he did to Nebuchadnezzar and Darius and some others of the Heathen Princes and he hath * 〈◊〉 44. 28. â—…â—…5 13. charged me d Either by his Prophets Isaiah formerly or Daniel now or by an inward suggestion to his Mind to build him an house at Jerusalem which is in Judah 3 Who is there among you of all his people d To wit of Israel A material clause by vertue of which they justly refused the help of those Aliens who pretended to join with them in the building ch 4. 2 3. his God be with him e Let his God help him as I also shall do and let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah and build the house of the LORD God of Israel he is the God which is in Jerusalem f Or only in Ierusalem as it is in the Hebrew So it notes the place where he allows and requires them to build it 4 And whosoever remaineth g Who when his Brethren were gone up was desirous to go with them but forced to tarry there for want of necessaries for his Journey in any place where he sojourneth let the men of his place †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…im 〈◊〉 help him h I require my Officers to take care that they may be supplied either by the voluntary Contributions of the People or by a moderate Tax to be laid either only upon those Jews who were resolved to stay or upon the Gentiles also which the Persian Monarchs being absolute had a power to do and which was the more reasonable because the King himself submitted to it and bore a great part of the burden and because it was for the House of that great God to whom they all owed their present Peace and great felicity with silver and with gold i Which upon this occasion I give you leave to transport and with goods and with beasts besides the free-will-offering for the house of his God that is in Jerusalem 5 Then rose up the chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin i And with them some of other Tribes as appears from 1 Chr. 9. 3. but these only are named because they were most considerable for number and quality and the priests and the Levites with all them whose spirit God had raised to go up k To whom God had given that pious Disposition and that Fortitude and Resolution which it required to break through their difficulties which were great and many such as their present penury the length and hazards and costliness of the journey their settlements in comfortable Habitations their dispersion in several and distant places which hindred the Conjunction of their Counsels and Actions the multitude of their Enemies the actual possession of their Country by others the great backwardness of many of their own Brethren to go with them and many other discouragements to build the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem 6 And all they that were about them ‖ That is helped them strengthened their hands l Either because they had embraced or at least favoured the Jewish Religion concerning which they were instructed by the Israelites that had now for a long time dwelt among them or rather that they might hereby gratifie the Kings humour and purchase his favour for they perceived him to be hearty and forward in the work with vessels of silver with gold with goods and with beasts and with precious things besides all that was willingly offered 7 Also Cyrus the King brought forth the vessels of the house of the LORD * 2 Kin. 24. 13. 2 Chr. 36. 7. which Nebuchad-nezzar had brought forth out of Jerusalem m Obj. These are said to have been cut in pieces 2 Kin. 24. 13. how then are they here returned Ans. That Hebrew word used 2 Kin. 24. 13. signifies not so properly to cut in pieces as to cut off as from the use of the word Deut. 25. 12. 2. Sam. 4. 12. 2 Kin. 18. 16. Ier. 9. 26. And these vessels when they were taken away from the Temple might very well be said to be cut off from it because they had for so long time been so constantly and as it were inseparably united to
blessings which by thy great goodness they obtained and enjoyed f i. e. Neglected and despised them would not regard nor observe them whereas they should have had them continually before their eyes to direct and govern them Compare Psal. 50. 17. Ezek. 23. 35. 26 Nevertheless they were disobedient and rebelled against thee * 1 Kin. 14. 9. cast thy law behind their backs f Of which see on Levit. 18. 5. Ezek. 20. 11. Rom. 10. 5. Gal. 3. 12. and slew thy * 1 Kin. 19. 10. prophets which testified against them to turn them to thee and they wrought great provocations 27 * Judg. 2. 14. 3. 8. c. Therefore thou deliveredst them into the hand of their enemies who vexed them and in the time of their trouble when they cried unto thee thou heardest them from heaven and according to thy manifold mercies thou gavest them saviours who saved them out of the hand of their enemies 28 But after they had rest †Heb. they returned to dâ—… evil they did evil again before thee therefore leftest thou them in the hand of their enemies so that they had the dominion over them yet when they returned and cried unto thee thou heardest them from heaven and many times didst thou deliver them according to thy mercies 29 And testifiedst against them that thou mightest bring them again unto thy law yet they dealt proudly and hearkned not unto thy commandments but sinned against thy judgments which if a man do he shall live in them f Of which see on Levit. 18. 5. Ezek. 20. 11. Rom. 10. 5. Gal. 3. 1â—… and †Heb. 〈◊〉 gave a withdrawing â—…oulder withdrew the shoulder and hardened their neck g i. e. Would not submit to thy yoke like stubborn oxen and would not hear 30 Yet many years didst thou †Heb. protract over them forbear them h i. e. Thou didst delay to bring upon them these judgments which thou hadst threatned and they had deserved and didst wait for their repentance and testifiedst * 2 Kin. 17. 13. against them by thy spirit †Heb. in the hand of thy prophets in thy prophets i By thy prophets who spake to them by the inspiration of thy holy Spirit whom therefore they should have obeyed yet would they not give ear k i. e. Would not obey them nor would they vouchsafe so much as to hear them therefore gavest thou them into the hand of the people of the lands 2 Chr. 36. 15. 31 Nevertheless for thy great mercies sake thou didst not utterly consume them nor forsake them for thou art a gracious and merciful God 32. Now there ore our God the great * Exod. 3â—… 6 7. the mighty and the terrible God who keepest covenant and mercy l i. e. Covenanted mercy or thy covenant of mercy and peace Or he adds mercy because the covenant in its self was not a sufficient ground of hope because they having so basely broken it God was discharged from keeping it and therefore they fly to Gods free and rich mercy for relief let not all the †Heb. weariness trouble seem little before thee m Do not thou account it small and insufficient for our punishment and that it is fit to continue and encrease it †Heb. that hath found us that hath come upon us on our kings on our princes and on our priests and on our prophets and on our fathers and on all thy people since the time of the kings of Assyria n Strictly and properly so called for from them was the beginning of all the calamities both of Iudah and of Israel as appears from 2. Kings 15. 19. and 18. 13. Or the kings of Babylon so called a Chron. 33. 11. unto this day 33 Howbeit thou art just in all that is brought upon us for thou hast done right but we have done wickedly 34 Neither have our kings our princes our priests nor our fa ther 's kept thy law nor hearkened unto thy commandments and thy testimonies wherewith thou didst testifie against them 35 For they have not served thee in their kingdom and in thy great goodness that thou gavest them and in the large and fat land which thou gavest before them o i. e. Which thou didst lay open to their view and possession removing their enemies and all impediments out of the way neither turned they from their wicked works 36 Behold we are servants this day and for the land that thou gavest unto our fathers to eat the fruit thereof and the good thereof behold we are servants in it p In that land wherein heretofore under thee and by thy favour we were rightful lords and owners 37 And it yieldeth much increase unto the kings whom thou hast set over us q We plow and sow and labour and thou givest thy blessing to our indeavors and yet in a great measure this is not for our selves as formerly it was but for our kings to whom we pay great heavy tributes for these things of which see Ezra 6. 8. and 7. 24. because of our sins also they have dominion over our bodies and over our cattel r Pressing or foreing both us and our beasts to go and do what they please at their pleasure and we are in great distress 38 And because of all this s Because all this misery lies upon us for our sins we do heartily repent of them resolve to forsake them we make a sure covenant t Or we faithfully promise and engage our selves to future obedience and write it and our princes Levites and priests †Heb. are at the sealing or sealed seal unto it CHAP. X. 1 NOW †Heb. at the sealings or over the sealers those that sealed a Both in their own names and in the name of all the rest It may seem strange that Ezra doth not appear among them But that might be because he was prevented either by death or by some sickness or other extraordinary impediment for which we have this presumption that whereas Ezra appears and preacheth and prayeth with Ieshua and Bani c. before the feast of Tabernacles 〈◊〉 8. v. 4 c. We have no mention of him ch 9. but the whole work of that solemn fast day was managed by them alone without any mention of Ezra whose name would not have been omitted if he had been then present It is true we meet with Ezra after this at the dedication of the wall of Ierusalem ch 12 36. and therefore he was then freed from this impediment whatsoever it was but thence it appears that he was not dead were Nehemiah ‖ Or the Governor the Tirshatha b This is added to distinguish him from others of that name whereof we have one Ne. 3. 16. the son of Hachaliah and Zidkijah 2 Serajah Azariah Jeremiah 3 Pashur Amariah Malchijah 4 Hattush Shebaniah Malluch
is in his Presence and under his Providence So far am I from imagining that God cannot see through a dark Cloud as you traduced me Chap. 22 13. that I very well know that even Hell it self that place of utter darkness is not hid from his sight k i. e. The place of destruction as it is also used Prov. 15. 11. by a Metonymy of the Adjunct l To wit such as to keep it out of his sight 7. * Chap. 9. 8. Psal. 104. 2 c. He stretcheth out the North m i. e. The Northern Pole or part of the Heavens which he particularly mentions and puts for the whole visible Heaven because Iob and his Friends lived in a Nothern Climate and were acquainted only with that part of the Heavens the Southern Pole and parts near it being wholly unknown to them The Heavens are oft and fitly said to be spread or stretched out like a Curtain or Tent to which they are resembled over the empty place n To wit the Air so called not Philosophically as if it were wholly empty but popularly because it seems to be so and is generally void of solid and visible bodies and hangeth the earth upon nothing o Upon its own Center which is but an imaginary thing and in truth nothing Or upon no Props or Pillars but his own Power and Providence Which is justly celebrated as a wonderful Work of God both in Scripture and in Heathen Authors 8. He bindeth up the waters in his thick clouds and the cloud is not rent under them p This also is a miraculous Work of God considering the nature of these Waters which are fluid and heavy and pressing downward especially being oft-times there in great abundance and withal the quality of the Clouds which are thin and loose bodies of the same nature with Fogs and Mists upon the Face of the Earth and therefore of themselves utterly unable to bear that weight and to keep up those Waters from falling suddenly and violently upon the Earth 9. He holdeth back q i. e. To wit from our view that its lustre and glory should not reach us and so dazle our sight he covereth it with a Cloud as the next words explain it Or He holdeth fast or binds together or strengthens it that it may be able to bear that burden the face of his throne r Either 1. this lower Air which is as the Face or open part of the Heavens which is often called God's Throne as salm 11. 4. Isa. 66. 1. Amos 9. 6. Or 2. the appearance or manifestation of the Heaven of Heavens where he dwelleth whose light and glory is too great for mortal eyes which therefore by Clouds and other ways he hides from us and spreadeth his cloud upon it 10. * Ps. 33 7. 104 9. He hath compassed the waters s To wit of the Sea for of the upper Waters coming out of the Clouds he spake before with bounds t Which are partly the Rocks and Shores and principally God's appointment made at the first Creation and renewed after the Deluge Gen. 9. 11. 15. that the Waters should not overwhelm the Earth See Iob 38. 8 10 11. Psalm 104. 3. Ier. 5. 22. †Heb. until the end of light with darkness until the day and night come to an end u i. e. Unto the end of the World for so long these Vicissitudes of Day and Night are to continue Gen. 8. 22. 9. 9 c. Ier. 5. 22. 31. 35 36. 11. The pillars of heaven x Either 1. those Mountains which by their height and strength may seem to reach and support the Heavens as the Poets said of Atlas for this is a Poetical Book and there are many Poetical expressions in it These tremble sometimes by force of Earthquakes or by God's glorious appearance in them as Sinai did Or 2. Holy Angels but they are not subject either to trembling or to God's rebuke Or 3. the Heavenly Bodies as the Sun and Moon and Stars which as they may seem in some sort to support so they do certainly adorn the Heavens And we know Pillars are oft made not for support but only for Ornament as the two famous Pillars of the Temple Iachin and Boaz 1 Kings 7. 21. And these oft-times seem to tremble and be astonished as in Eclipses or Tempests and terrible Works of God in the Air by which they are frequently said to be affected and changed because they seem so to us and many things are spoken in Scripture according to appearance See Isa. 13. 10. 24. 23. Ioel 2. 10 31. Mat. 24. 29. c. Either 1. when God rebuketh them for God is sometimes said in Scripture to rebuke the lifeless Creatures which is to be understood figuratively of the Tokens of God's anger in them Or 2. when God reproveth not them but men by them manifesting his displeasure against sinful men by Thunders or Earthquakes or prodigious Works tremble and are astonished at his reproof y. 12. * Isa. 51. 15. He ‖ Or stilleth Chap. 38. 11. divideth the sea z He speaks either 1. of God's dividing the Red-sea for the Israelites to pass over And consequently the Hebrew word Rahab which here follows and is translated pride or the proud is meant of Egypt which is oft called Rahab as Psalm 87. 4. 89. 10. Isa. 51. 9. But it seems most probable that that Work was not yet done and that Iob lived long before Israels coming out of Egypt Or rather 2. of the common Work of Nature and Providence in raising Tempests by which he breaketh or divideth the Waves of the Sea by making deep Furrows in it and casting up part of the Waters into the Air and splitting part of them upon the Rocks and Shores of the Sea with his power and by his understanding a i. e. By his wise Counsel and administration of things so as may obtain his own glorious ends he smiteth thorough †Heb. pride the proud b Either 1. the Whale which is called King over all the children of pride Job 41. 34. and which is sometimes by force of Tempests cast upon the shore Or rather 2. the Sea which is fitlâ—… called proud as its Waves are called Iob 38. 11. because it is lofty and fierce and swelling and unruly which God is said to smite when he subdues and restrains its rage and turns the storm into a calm 13. By his * Psal. 33. â—… spirit c Either 1. by his Divine Vertue or Power which is sometimes called his Spirit as Zach. 4. 6. Mat. 12. 28. Or 2. by his holy Spirit to which the Creation of the World is ascribed Gen. 1. 2. Iob 33. 4. Psalm 33. 6. he hath garnished the heavens d Adorned or beautified them with those glorious Lights the Sun and Moon and Stars his hand hath formed the †Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a bâ—…r
die while * Job 6. 4. I suffer thy terrors b Upon my mind and conscience which do accompany and aggravate my outward miseries I am distracted 16 Thy fierce wrath goeth over me thy terrors have ‖ almost cut cut me off 17 They came round about me ‖ Or all the day daily like water c As the Waters of the Sea encompass him which is in the midst and bottom of it they compassed me about together 18 Lover and friend hast thou put far from me d Of which see the note on v. 8. and mine acquaintance into darkness PSAL. LXXXIX ‖ Or a psalm for Ethan the Ezrahite to give instruction Maschil of * 1 Chron. 2. 6. Ethan the Ezrahite a Either first He who is mentioned 1 Kings 4. 31. And then the Psalm is prophetical of things to come which yet after the manner of the Prophets he represents as present And this Prophetical Psalm might be left upon record as a cordial for Davids Family in their future distresses which Ethan by the spirit of Prophecy foresaw Or secondly some other person of the same name and inspired by the same spirit who had lived in the times of which the Psalmist here speaketh This Psalm manifestly treats of the declining and calamitous time and state of the House and Kingdom of David either first in Rehoboams Reign as a late judicious Interpreter conceives To which those expressions v. 40 41 42. do not agree or rather secondly in or about the time of the Babylonish Captivity 1 I Will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever b Intending to discourse of the doleful estate of Davids Family and of the Kingdom he prefaceth this partly lest the following complaints of present miseries should argue ingratitude for former mercies and partly to move God to pity from the remembrance of his former mercies with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness c Whatsoever hath befallen or shall befal Davids House or any other it proceedeth not from thy unfaithfulness but from some other causes †Heb. to generation and generation to all generations 2 For I have said d Within my self I have been assured in my own mind Mercy shall be built up for ever e As thou hast laid a sure foundation of mercy to Davids Family by that everlasting Covenant which thou hast made and established with it so I concluded That thou wouldst carry on the same project of mercy towards it that thou wouldest build it up and not destroy it * Psal. 119. 8â—… thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens f So the sence may be this Thou sittest in the Heavens and there thou didst make this everlasting and unchangeable Decree and Covenant concerning David and his House and from thence thou beholdest and orderest all the affairs of his lower World and therefore I doubt not thou wilt so order these matters as to accomplish thine own counsel and word But the Hebrew words are by some others and may very well be translated thus with as the Hebrew prefix Beth is oft rendred the very heavens i. e. as firmly and durably as the Heavens themselves as with the sun in the Hebrew Text Psal. 72. 5. is by most Interpreters rendred as long as the sun endureth as our translation hath it And so this phrase in this last branch of this Verse answers to for ever in the former as it is also in the foregoing Verse and so in v. 4. in both which Verses for ever in the first clause is explained thus in the latter to all generations 3 I have made a covenant with my chosen g With David whom I have chosen to the Kingdom I have * 2 Sam. 7. 11 c. sworn unto David my servant 4 Thy seed will I establish for ever and build up thy throne †Heb. to generation and generation to all generations h I will perpetuate the Kingdom to thy Posterity which was promised upon condition and was literally and fully accomplished in Christ who was of the seed of David Selah 5 And * Psal. 19. 1. the heavens i i. e. The Inhabitants of Heaven the Holy Angels as Iob 15. 15. who clearly discern and constantly adore thy mercy and faithfulness when men upon earth are filled with doubts and perplexities about it shall praise thy wonders O LORD thy faithfulness also k Understand shall be praised out of the foregoing clause which supplements are most usual in Scripture as hath been already shewed by divers instances in the congregation of the saints l Either first of thy Saints upon Earth in their publick Assemblies who always acknowledge and celebrate thy truth although they cannot always discern the footsteps of it Or rather secondly of the Angels of Heaven of whom he speaks in the foregoing clause who are oft called Saints or holy ones as Deut. 33. 2. Iob 15. 15. Dan. 4. 13 17. 8. 13. 6 For * Psal. 86. 8. who in the heaven can be compared unto the LORD who among the sons †Heb. of God So Gr. Psal. 29. 2. of the mighty m Either first among the Potentates of the Earth or rather secondly among the highest Angels who well may and needs must admire and adore thee because thou art incomparably and infinitely more excellent than they can be likened unto the LORD 7 God is greatly to be feared n With a fear of reverence for dread and terrour have no place in those blessed Mansions and holy Spirits in the assembly of the saints o To the whole Society of Angels called Saints as v. 5. and ‖ Or terrible above all that are about him So Gr. to be had in reverence of all them that are about him p The Angels which are always in his presence and encompass his Throne 8. O LORD God of hosts †Heb. who is strong like unto thee O LORD Psal. 130. 5. Ezr. 9. 6. who is a strong LORD like unto thee q Who is equal to thee in Power or as it follows in faithfulness or to thy faithfulness round about thee r Heb. and thy faithfulness is round about thee like a girdle adorning and encompassing thee It appeareth in all thy paths and actions in thy words and works 9 * Psal. 65. 7. Thou rulest the raging of the sea s Giving commands and setting bounds to its waves when they are most impetuous and unruly when the waves thereof arise thou stillest them 10 * Exod. 14. 26. Thou hast broken ‖ Or Egypt Rahab t Egypt as Psal. 87. 4. in pieces as one that is slain u Thou didst wound them not slightly but unto death See Exod. 14. 15. thou hast scattered thine enemies †Heb. with the arm of thy strength with thy strong arm 11 * Gen. 1. 1. Psal. 24. 1.
which is called the spirit of a beast Eccles. 3. 11. which is called their breath or spirit for the word is the same there and here v. 29. and here may be called Gods spirit because it was given and preserved by him Or rather 2. thy quickning spirit for here seems to be an opposition between their spirit v. 29. and thy spirit here and this latter is mentioned as the creating or productive cause of the former And this may be understood either 1. of the Holy Ghost to whom no less than to the Father and the Son the work of Creation is ascribed Iob 33. 4. Psal. 33. 6. or rather 2. that quickning power of God by which he produceth life in the Creatures from time to time For he speaks not here of the first Creation but of the continued and repeated production of living Creatures they are created u Either 1. the same living Creatures which were languishing and dying are strangely revived and restored which may not unfitly be called a creation as that word is sometimes used because it is in a manner the giving of a new life and being to a Creature Or 2. other living Creatures are produced or generated the word created being taken in its largest sence for the production of things out of indisposed matter by second Causes as it is used Isa. 41. 20. and 54. 16. c. thou renewest the face of the earth x And thus by thy wise and wonderful Providence thou preservest the succession of living Creatures upon the Earth which otherwise would be desolate or without Inhabitants 31 The glory of the LORD †Heb. shall be shall endure for ever the LORD shall rejoyce in his works y So the sence is Thus God doth and will advance the glory of his wisdom and power and goodness in upholding and continuing the works of his hands from generation to generation and he doth and will take pleasure both in the preservation and blessing of his works as also in his reflection upon these works of his Providence as he did rest and delight himself in the contemplation of his works of Creation as is noted Gen. 1. 31. 2. 2 3. But the words are by divers and as it may seem more agreeably to the Hebrew Text rendred thus Let for the first word is of the Imperative Mood the glory of the Lord endure for ever and let the Lord have joy Or then shall the Lord rejoyce in his works So this is added as a convenient Doxology or Thanksgiving after the Commemoration of his great and gracious works and the sence may be this Seeing therefore God hath enriched the Earth and us with so many fruits of his bounty let it be our constant desire and endeavour that God may be perpetually served and glorified in and by them and that God may be no more grieved at the remembrance of his kindness to us as he was Gen. 6. 5 6. and thereby be again provoked to destroy us but may take pleasure in beholding and cherishing of his own workmanship 32 He looketh on the earth and it trembleth * Psal. 144. 5. he toucheth the hills and they smoke z This is a further illustration of Gods powerful Providence over all the Creatures and their dependence upon him As when he affords his favour to Creatures they live and thrive so on the contrary one angry look or touch of his upon the Hills or Earth makes them tremble and smoke as once Sinai did when God appeared in it And this consideration he may possibly suggest to inforce the foregoing exhortation of glorifying God because if we do not give him the glory due to his name he can quickly right himself and destroy us and all his works 33 * Psal. 146. 2. I will sing unto the LORD a But whatsoever others do I will not fail to give God his glory and due praises as long as I live I will sing praise unto my God while I have my being 34 My meditation b Or my speech or discourse my praising of God mentioned v. 33. of him c Concerning the glory of his works shall be sweet d Either 1. to God he will graciously accept it praise being his most acceptable Sacrifice as is affirmed Psal. 69. 30 31. Or rather 2. to my self as may be gathered from the next Clause He implies that he shall not onely do this work which a man may do unwillingly or by constraint but that he will do it chearfully and with delight which is most pleasing to God I will be glad in the LORD e I will rejoice in the contemplation of Gods works and in praising him for them 35 Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth and let the wicked be no more f But as for those ungodly Creatures who do not regard the works of the Lord which is noted as a most grievous sin and punished with a grievous imprecation like this Psal. 28. 4 5. nor give him the glory due to his name but dishonour God and abuse his Creatures and thereby provoke God to destroy the Earth and the men and things which are upon it it is my Prayer for thine honour and for the safeguard of all mankind that those Sinners who obstinately and resolutely continue in this practice of dishonouring and disobeying their Creatour may be taken out of this World that they may no longer infect it nor procure its total destruction Or it may be a prediction delivered in the form of an imprecation as hath been noted before in like Cases bless thou the LORD O my soul g But thou O my Soul come not into this wretched Society but employ thy self in this great work of blessing and praising God and it is my desire and hope that others will follow my Example Praise ye the LORD PSAL. CV The Pen-man of this Psalm was David as is manifest from 1 Chron. 16. 8 c. It is a thanksgiving to God for his mercies to his People of Israel 1 O * 1 Chron. 16. 8. Isai. 12. 4. Give thanks unto the LORD call upon his name a Or proclaim his name i. e. the same and glory of his works as it follows make known his deeds among his people b Each of you amongst his and your people or even among the Heathens as you have opportunity 2 Sing unto him sing psalms unto him talk ye of all his wondrous works 3 Glory ye in his holy name b Glory in the God whom you serve as the onely true God and one of infinite power and goodness let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD c That seek his face or presence as it follows his acquaintance and favour above all the World 4 Seek the LORD and his strength d i. e. by a figure called Hendiaduo the Lord in his strength to wit in his Sanctuary or before the Ark which is called
Princes and Rulers are the builders whose office it was to erect and support and improve the building and to use their wisdom and power in chusing fit materials for the several parts and purposes of the building and in the rejection of what was unprofitable and inconvenient And these Master-builders rejected David as an obscure and treacherous and rebellious person fit to be not only laid aside and thrown away but also to be crushed to pieces And so their successors rejected Christ as an enemy to Moses a friend to sinners and a blasphemer against God and therefore deserving death and damnation is become the head stone of the corner f The chief stone in the whole building by which the several parts of the building are upheld and firmly united and kept together Thus David united all the Tribes and Families of Israel who had been miserably distracted and divided by the Civil Wars between the Houses of Saul and David And thus Christ united Jews and Gentiles together as is observed Eph. 2. 14 c. And although David alludeth to himself and his own condition yet it is not to be doubted but that having the Prophetical spirit by which he foresaw the coming of Christ and his ill usage from the Jews of which he speaks very particularly Psal. 22. and elsewhere and having his thoughts much taken up with Christ and the events of his Kingdom of which he speaks in divers of his Psalms he had his eye principally fixed upon him in these and the following expressions And therefore this place is justly expounded of Christ in the New Testament as Mark 12. 10. Acts 4. 11. Rom. 9. 32. Eph. 2. 20. 1 Pet. 4. 6. compared with Isa. 28. 16. And to him indeed the words agree much more properly and fully than to David 23 †〈◊〉 This is 〈◊〉 the LORD This g This strange event the Feminine gender being put for the Neuter as it is in other places of Scripture is the LORD 's doing h Peculiarly an effect of his Omnipotent wisdom done not only without the help of man but against all the artifices and forces of men it is marvellous in our eyes 24 This is the day which the LORD hath made i Either created or exalted and glorified as this word is used 1 Sam. 12. 6. or sanctified by his glorious presence and work and by his appointment as a time or season never to be forgotten but to be observed with great thankfulness and rejoycing as it follows we will rejoyce and be glad in it 25 Save now I beseech thee k Or we beseech thee for the Hebrew words may be rendred either way These seem to be the words of the Levites to whom he spake v. 19. or of the people using these joyful acclamations or prayers to God for the preservation of their King and Kingdom This also is interpreted of and was applied to Christ even by the Jews themselves Mark 11. 9. Ioh. 12. 13. O LORD O LORD I beseech thee send now prosperity 26 * Mat 21. 9. 23. 39. Mark 11. 9. Luke 19. 38. See Zech. 4. 7. Blessed be he l We earnestly pray that God would bless his person and government and all his enterprises that cometh m To wit Unto us from whom he was long banished or unto the Throne or from his Father into the World the Messias who is known by the name of him that cometh or was to come as Mat. 11. 3. 21. 9. Luke 7. 20. 13. 35. Ioh. 12. 13. and of whom this very word is used Gen. 49. 10. Isa. 35. 4. He who is about to come or will certainly come in the Name of the LORD n By command and commission from him and for his service and glory we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD o We who are the Lords Ministers attending upon him in his house and appointed to bless in his Name Numb 6. 23. Deut. 10. 8. do pray for and in Gods Name pronounce his blessing upon thee So these are the words of the Priests 27 †Heb. The LORD is God and hath shewed c. Psal. 18. 31. God is the LORD p God hath proved himself to be the Lord Jehovah by the accomplishment of his promises See the Notes on Exod. 6. 3. Or as it is in the margent the Lord or Iehovah is God as it was said upon another solemn occasion and appearance of God 1 Kings 18. 39. or is the mighty God as this Name of God signifies and as he shewed himself to be by this his mighty and wonderful work which hath shewed us light q Who hath caused light to shine out of darkness who hath scattered our thick and dark clouds and put us into a state of peace and comfort and safety and happiness all which are frequently signified by light in the holy Scripture Or who hath discovered and will in due time send the Messias who is called the light of the Gentiles or of the world or of men Isa. 42. 6. Ioh. 1. 4. 8. 12. 12. 35 46. and by whom he will more clearly and fully reveal his whole mind and will to us and tell us all things as the Jews expected Ioh. 4. 25. who also will enlighten our dark minds by his Spirit bind the sacrifice with cords even unto the horns of the altar r These words as well as those which go before them in this verse and those which follow after them v. 28. may be the words of David unto the Priests who had now blessed him in Gods Name v. 26. And this blessing of God which you wish me God hath already given me and therefore in way of gratitude I will offer Sacrifices to him which do you O ye Priests according to your Office bind to the horns of the Altar of which see Exod. 27. 2. Which horns are supposed by divers learned men to be made for this very use that the beasts should be bound and killed there And this may seem probable from Exod. 29. 11 12. and Levit. 4. 7 c. where we read that the beasts were to be killed by the door of the Tabernacle which was very near the Altar of Burnt offerings and then immediately part of their blood was to be put upon the horns of the Altar and the rest poured out at the bottom of it Although these words may be thus rendred Bind and bring one pregnant word being put for two as above v. 5. and in many other places of Scripture the sacrifice with cords unto the horns of the Altar that it may be killed beside it and its blood put upon the horns after the manner So they may be Davids words to his servants to go and bring one of his beasts to be offered to God in his Name 28 Thou art my God and I will praise thee thou art my God and I will exalt thee 29 O give thanks unto the
All my postures and motions my actions and my cessations from action thou understandest my thought c All my secret counsels and designs afar off d Before they are perfectly formed in my mind Thou knowest what my thoughts will be iâ—… such and such circumstances long before I know it yea from all eternity 3 Thou ‖ Or winâ—…owest compassest my path e Thou watchest me on every side and therefore discernest every step which I take It is a Metaphor either from huntsmen watching all the motions and lurking places of wild beasts that they may catch them or from Souldiers beâ—…ieging their enemies in a City and setting watches round about them and my lying down f Me when I lye down in my bed where men oft contrive what they execute in the day time and art acquainted with all my ways 4 For there is not a word in my tongue but lo O LORD thou knowest it altogether g Thou knowest what I speak and with what design and disposition of mind Or rather as others render it and which is more admirable When there is not a word c. Thou knowest what I intend to speak either in prayer to thee or in conversation with men when I have not yet uttered one word of it 5 Thou hast beset me behind and before h With thine all-seeing and all-disposing Providence and laid thine hand upon me i Thou keepest me as it were with a strong hand in thy sight and under thy power 6 * Psal. 131. 1. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me it is high I cannot attain unto it k I am so far from equalling thy knowledge that I cannot apprehend it in what manner thou dost so perfectly know all things even such as are most secret and have yet no being and seem to depend upon many casualties and uncertainties 7 * Jer. 23. 24. Whither shall I go from thy spirit l Either 1. from the Holy Ghost the third Person in the Trinity or 2. from thee who art a Spirit and therefore canst penetrate into the most secret parts or 3. from thy mind or understanding of which he is here speaking as this word seems to be taken Isa. 40. 13. compared with Rom. 11. 34. for what there is called the Spirit of the Lord is here called the mind of the Lord. And as the Spirit of God is oft used in Scripture for its gifts and graces so the Spirit of God in this place may be put for that knowledge which is an Attribute or action of God or whither shall I flee from †Heb. thy â—…ace So Gâ—… thy presence m A man can go to no place which is out of thy sight 8 * Am. 9. 2 3 4. If I ascend up into heaven thou art there if * Prov. 15. 11. I make my bed in hell n If I should or could repose and hide my self in the grave or in the lowest parts of the earth which are at the farthest distance from Heaven behold thou art there 9 If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea o If I should flee as swiftly from thy presence as the morning light doth which in an instant scatâ—…ereth it self from East to West for the Sea being the Western border of â—…anaan is oft put for the West in Scripture And wings are Poetically ascribed to the morning or morning light here as they are elsewhere to the Sun as Mal. 4. 2. and to the winds as Psal. 18. 11. 104. 3. and to other things of eminent swiftness 10 Even there shall thy hand lead me and thy right hand shall hold me p I could neither go thither without thy conduct nor subsist there without thy powerful support and much less could I go out of thy sight for a man may see many things which are out of his power 11 If I say Surely the darkness shall cover me even the night shall be light q Shall be as clear and manifest to God as the light it self about me 12 Yea * Job 26. 6. 34. 22. Heb. 4. 1â—… the darkness †Heb. darkneth not hideth not from thee but the night shineth r Or enlightneth as this word is used Psal. 19. 9. Prov. 29. 13 c. discovereth me and all mine actions as the day †Heb. as is 〈◊〉 darkness so is the light the darkness and the light are both alike to thee s This is repeated so oft to reprove and confute the ridiculous conceits of many ungodly men who flatter themselves with hopes of secrecy and impunity for those sins which they commit in the dark See Isa. 29. 15. 13 For thou hast possessed t Or thou dost possess thou dwellest in them thou art the Owner and Governor of them and therefore must needs know them Or thou hast formed as some of the Ancients and others render it my reins u The most inward and hidden part of the body supposed also to be the seat of mens lusts and passions thou hast covered me x Either 1. with that covering called the after-birth wherein the infant is wrapped and preserved in the womb by the wonderful care of Divine providence Or 2. with skin and flesh as it is expressed Iob 10. 11. in my mothers womb 14 I will praise thee for †Heb. by 〈◊〉 things I aâ—… become 〈◊〉 I am fearfully and wonderfully made y Thy infinite wisdom and power manifested in the rare and curious structure of mans body doth fill me with wonder and astonishment and with the dread of thy Majesty marvellous are thy works z Both in the lesser world man and in the greater and that my soul knoweth †Heb. greatly right well a I am well assured both by thy word and by the contemplation and study of thy works to which I have much addicted my self that they are wonderful although I do not so accurately understand all the particulars of them as I would do 15 * Job 10. 8 10. Eccl. 11. 5. My ‖ Or strength 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 substance b Or My bone as the LXX and others render the word And bone may be here taken collectively for bones as is usual in such words or for the whole fabrick of the bones And the bones may be very fitly mentioned here because they are inward and invisible as being covered with skin and flesh and sinews Or the bones may be put Synecdochically for the whole body as being the most substantial part of it as they are Psal. 35. 10. was not hid from thee when I was made in secret c In the dark vault of my mothers womb and curiously wrought d Heb. embroidered exquisitely composed of bones and muscles and sinews and veins and arteries and other parts all framed with such wonderful skill that even Heathens upon the contemplation of
enemy hath persecuted my soul e i. e. My life for nothing less will satisfie him he hath smitten my life down to the ground f He hath beaten me down to the ground where I lie strugling for life he hath made me to dwell in darkness g He hath forced me to have mine abode in dark vaults and caves as those that have been long dead h Where I am out of sight and memory and in as â—…orlorn and hopeless a condition in the eye of man as those that have â—…ain long rotting in the grave 4 Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me i See on Psal. 61. 2. 14â—… 3. my heart within me is desolate k Deprived of all hope and comfort Or is astonished 5 I * Psal. 77. 5. 11. remember the days of old l i. e. What thou hast done for thy servants in former times Which he mentions either 1. as matter of terror to consider how unlike God now was to himself and to his former dealings or 2. as matter of support from former experience because God was still the same Either way it drive him to his prayers which here follow I meditate on all thy works I muse on the works of thy hands 6 I stretch forth my hands unto thee m I pray to thee â—…ervently See on Psal. 141. 2. * Psal. 63. 1. my soul thirsteth after thee n After thy favour and help as a thirsty land o To wit thirsâ—…eth for rain Selah 7 Hear me speedily O LORD my spirit faileth hide not thy face from me * Psal. 28. 1. ‖ Or for I am become like c. lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit p That are dead and buried of whom there is no hope 8 Cause me to hear thy loving kindness in the morning q i. e. Early as this phrase is taken Psal. 90. 14. and elsewhere seasonably and speedily for in thee do I trust cause me to know the way wherein I should walk r So as to please thee and to secure my self for * Psal. 25. 1. I lift up my soul unto thee 9 Deliver me O LORD from mine enemies I †Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with thee flee unto thee to hide me s Without whose care these caves and rocks can give me no protection 10 * Psal. 25. 4 5. 139. 24. Teach me to do thy will t To continue in faithful obedience to thee notwithstanding all tempâ—…ations to the contrary for thou art my God thy spirit is good lead me u Or rather as it is exactly in the Hebrew and as many both ancient and modern Translators render it Let thy good Spirit lead me Leave me not to my own blind and vain mind or corrupt affections neither give me up to the evil Spirit as thou didst Saul â—…ut conduct me in all my ways by thy good i. e. gracious and holy Spirit into the land of uprightness x Or in plain or even land or ground in a straight and smooth path that I may not stumble nor fall either into sin or mischief This is opposed to the crooked and rugged ways in which sinners are said to walk See Psal. 125. 5. Prov. 2. 15. Isa. 40. 4. 11 Quicken me O LORD for thy Names sake for thy righteousness sake bring my soul out of trouble 12 And of thy mercy y Out of thy mercy to me whose life they seek cut off mine enemies and destroy all them that afflict my soul for * Psal. 16. 16. I am thy servant PSAL. CXLIV A Psalm of David The matter of this Psalm is partly gratulatory for mercies received and partly petitionary for further blessings It seems to have been composed after Sauls death and in the beginning of Davids reign when he was exposed to many perils both from his own rebellious Subjects and from the Philistins and other foreign enemies yet so that he had a good prospect and assurance of a more compleat and established felicity 1 BLessed be the LORD †Heb. â—…y rock my strength * â—… Sam. 22. â—…5 which teacheth my hands †Heb. to the war c. to war and my fingers to fight a Who hast given me that skill in military conduct and that dexterity in the management of my weapons which was wholly unsuitable to and much above my education and former course of life 2 * 2 Sam. 22. 2 3 40. 48. ‖ Or my mercy My goodness b Or my mercy or the God of my mercy as God is called Psal. 59. 10 17. the Name of God being eaâ—…ily understood from the foregoing verse Or he who is exceeding good or merciful to me as good as goodness it selâ—… the abstract being put for the concrete as it is frequently in speeches of God who is called wisdom Truth Goodness c. and sometimes of men as Psal. 12. 2. Prov. 10. 29. where faithfulness and uprightness are put for faithful and upright men and my fortress my high tower and my deliverer my shield and he iâ—… whom I trust who subdueth my people under me c Who hast disposed my peoples hearts to receive and obey me as their King 3 * â—…ob 7. 17. Psal. 8. 4. Heb. 2. 6. LORD what is man d He aggravates Gods goodness to him expressed v. 2. by the consideration of his own meanness Though I am King over my people yet alâ—…s I am but a man a base sinful mortal and miserable creature if compared with thee less than nothing and vanity that thou takest knowledge of him e i. e. Hast any care and kindness for him as words of knowledge commonly imply in Scripture or the son of man that thou makest account of him f The same thing repeated in other words 4 * 〈◊〉 14. 2. 〈◊〉 39. 5. â—… 9. Man is like g In his nature and continuance in the world to vanity h Or to a vapor or a breath as Isa. 57. 13. which is gone in an instant his days are as a shadow that passeth away i Or that declineth as Psal. 102. 11. 109. 23. that groweth less and less till it be quite out of â—…ight and lost 5 * 〈◊〉 18. 9. Bow thy heavens O LORD and come down k To help me before it be too late remembring what a srail and perishing creature I am * 〈◊〉 104. 32. touch the mountains and they shall smoke l Or that they may smoke or and let them smoke as Sinai did at thy glorious appearance Exod. 19. 18. This is a figurative and Poetical description of Gods coming to take vengeance upon his enemies which is continued in the next verse 6 * 〈◊〉 18. 13 〈◊〉 Cast forth lightning and scatter them shoot out thine arrows m Thy thunderbolts which oft accompany the lightnings and thunder and destroy
gone before thee the Prophets and Apostles and after and in subordination to them and to their Writings others whom I shall raise from time to time to feed my People with Wisdom and Understanding 9 I have compared thee s Heb. I have made thee like which may be understood either 1. Verbally by comparing Or 2. Really by making a real resemblance in Quality or Condition * Ch. 2. 2 10 1â—… 4. 1 7. â—… 2. 6. 4. Joh. 14. 15. O my love to a company of Horses in Pharaohs chariots t Either 1. For comeliness for an Horse is a very stately and beautiful Creature and the Egyptian Horses were preferred before others 1 King 10. 28. Isa. 31. 1. and Pharaohs own Charet Horses were doubtless the best of their kind Or 2. For excellent order and usefulness as those Horses did equally and orderly draw the Chariot and carried Pharaoh with ease and speed whither he designed to go Or rather 3. For strength and courage to overcome all thine Enemies For Horses are famous for that property Iob 39. 21 c. And the strength of the Battle was then thought to consist very much in Horses Prov. 21. 31. and Chariots and especially in a company or multitude of them And the Chureh in this Book is represented not only as fair and beautiful but also as terrible to her enemies Cant. 6. 10. Compare Rev. 19. 11 14. 10 * Ezek. 16. 11 12 13. Thy cheeks are comely with rows of jewels u Which being fastened to the Heads of Brides used to hang down upon and to adorn their Cheeks according to the manner in those times He mentions the Cheeks as the chief seat of Beauty and he intimates that the Churches Beauty is not natural nor from her self but from the jewels wherewith Christ adorns her thy neck x Which is mentioned as another visible part and seat of Beauty Hos. 10. 11. But to accommodate every part and ornament named in this Book to some particular thing in the Church seems to have more of curiosity and Artifice than of solidity and use with chains of gold y Whereby as well as by the rows of Jewels he may seem to design all those persons and things wherewith the Church is made beautiful in the Eyes of God and of men such as excellent Ministers and Saints righteous Laws holy Ordinances and the Gifts and Graces of Gods spirit all which are given by God to the Church and are her best ornaments 11 We z I thy Bridegroom with the cooperation of my Father and of the holy Spirit Such plural Expressions are somtimes used in Scripture concerning one God to note the plurality of Persons in one Divine Essence as hath been noted upon Gen. 1. 26. and elsewhere will make thee borders of gold with studs of silver a Beautiful and honourable Ornaments such as those v. 10. Variety of Expressions are used to signifie the various kinds and Improvements of the Gifts and Graces which are bestowed by Christ upon the Church The Phrase here used may be compared with that of Apples of Gold in pictures of silver Prov. 25. 11. 12 While the king b My Royal Husband sitteth at his table c Either 1. With the spirits of just men and blessed Angels in heavenly Glory to which Christ was advanced after his sufferings and from which he poureth down his Spirit upon his People Or rather 2. With me in his Gospel and Ordinances in which Christ entertaineth his People and is in a special and gracious and glorious manner present with them Mat. 18. 20. 28. 20. which also is oft represented in Scripture under the notion of a Feast or Banquet of which see Prov. 9. 1 2 3 5. Isa. 25. 6. Mat. 8. 11. 22. 12. 1 Cor. 10. 21. my spikenard d The Graces of his Spirit conferred upon me and drawn forth by his powerful presence which is here compared to those sweet Ointments which the Master of the Feast caused to be poured out upon the Heads of the Guests of which see Mark 14. 3. Luk 7. 38. in which Ointments Spikenard was a chief ingredient Ioh. 12. 2 3. sendeth forth the smell thereof e Which notes the exercise and manifestation of her Graces which is a sweet smelling favour in the nostrils of her Husband and of her Companions 13 A bundle of mirrh f Or A bag of mirrhe in which there was a considerable quantity of the Gum which droppeth from the Mirrhe Tree Mirrhe is bitter to the taste but sweet to the smell and therefore was ever reckoned amongst the best perfumes See Exod. 30. 23. Psal. 45 8. Ioh. 19. 39. is my beloved unto me g He is most precious and comfortable to me and the Author of my sweet smell last mentioned he shall lie all night betwixt my breasts h In the place where bundles or bags of Mirrhe or other persumes hung down being fastened about their Necks which yet were taken away and laid aside by night But the Church intimates that she will not part with Christ neither day nor night Or this Phrase may note the Churches intimate Union with and hearty Affection unto Christ. 14 My beloved is unto me as a cluster of ‖ Or cypress camphire i Or Cypress as others render it It was an odoriferous plant growing in Vineyards and some think that it was a most pleasant kind of Vine like that which bears Muscatella Grapes yea some very learned men understand it of that Plant which dropped balm which grew in or near the place here specified as is affirmed not only by the Jews but also by Pagan Writers as Diodorus and Tâ—…ogus Nor are we concerned to know which or what it was it being confessed and evident that it was some pleasant and grateful Plant and that it sets forth that great delight which the Church hath in the enjoyment of Christ. in the vineyards of En-gedi k A pleasant and well watered place in the Tribe of Iudah Ios. 15. 62. Ezek. 47. 10. where there were many pleasant Plants whence it was called Hazazon Tamar 2 Chron. 20. 2. 15 * Ch. 4. 1. â—… 12. Behold thou art fair ‖ Or 〈◊〉 compaâ—…ion my love behold thou art fair l This is the Speech of Christ. The words are doubled partly to note the certainty of the thing notwithstanding her mean and modest opinion of her self and partly to manifest his high esteem and fervent affection for her and to assure her that notwithstanding all her infirmities he was very well pleased with her thou hast doves eyes m Which are 1. Comely and pleasant 2. Modest and humble not lofty as the looks of some other Creatures are 3. Mild and harmless not fierce and fiery not looking and watching for prey as the Eyes of revenous Birds are 4. Chast and faithful looking only to their Mates so that if any
and in stead of well-set hair baldness and in stead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloth and burning p By the heat of the Sun to which they are now commonly exposed from which they used formerly to guard themselves with great care in stead of beauty 25 Thy men shall fall by the sword and thy †Heb. might mighty in the war 26 And her gates q The Gates of Zion or Ierusalem which by a Figure very usual in Sacred Scripture and all Authors are said to lament to imply the great Desolation of the Place that there should be no People to go out and come in by the Gates or to meet together in the Gates as they used to do shall lament and mourn and she being ‖ Or emptied †Heb. cleansed desolate shall sit upon the ground r Like a mournful Woman bewailing the loss of her Husband and Children CHAP. IV. AND in that day a Of which he hath hitherto been speaking Chap. 2. 3. and still continueth to speak In that calamitous time seven b Many A certain number for an uncertain women shall take hold c Shall sue to him and even lay hands upon him contrary to their Custom and their natural Modesty of one man d Because few Men shall survive that dreadful Stroke They who before were not contented with their own Husbands are now glad of a Seventh part of an Husband saying We will eat our own bread and wear our own apparel e We will ease thee of that Charge which otherwise would fall upon thee by Gods Law Exod. 21. 10. onely †Heb. let thy name be called upon us let us be called by thy name f Own us for thy Wives ‖ Or take thou away to take away our * Luk. 1. 25. reproach g Virginity was esteemed a Reproach especially among that People because it was a Token of Contempt from Men and of the Curse of God Children the usual Fruit of Marriage being both an Honour to their Parents before Men and a great Blessing of God especially to that People from some of whose Loins the Messâ—…ah was to spring 2 In that day h About and after that time when the Lord shall have washed away as this time is particularly expressed v. 4. the filth of Zion by those dreadful Judgments now described shall the Branch of the LORD i Either 1. the Church and People of Israel oft called Gods vine or vineyard as we saw before and the Branch of Gods planting Isa. 60. 21. or 2. the Messiah who is commonly defined in Scripture by this Title the Branch Isa. 11. 1. Ier. 23. 5. 33. 15. Zech. 3. 8. whose name is expresly said to be the Branch Zech. 6. 12. of whom not onely Christians but even the Hebrew Doctors understand it For after the foregoing Miseries were brought upon the Iews by the Remainders of the Grecian Empire of which Daniel prophecies so exactly and particularly and afterwards by the Roman Empire the Messiah was born and after that utter Destruction brought upon the Jewish City and Temple and Nation by Titus the Kingdom of the Messiah became beautiful and glorious as it here follows be †Heb. beauty and glory beautiful and glorious and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent k The Land which for the Sins of the People was made barren upon their Repentance and return to Christ shall recover its former Fertility Under this one Mercy he seems to understand all temporal Blessings which together with spiritual and eternal God shall confer upon them and withal to intimate the Fruitfulness of the People the earth or land being oft put for its Inhabitants in Knowledge and Grace and all good works and comely †Heb. for the escaping of Israel for them that are escaped l That shall survive all the forementioned Calamities of Israel 3 And it shall come to pass that he that is left in Zion and he that remaineth in Jerusalem shall be called holy m i. e. Shall be really holy as is said Chap. 60. 21. To be called is oft put for to be as Gen. 21. 12. Isa. 1. 26. 44. 5. even every one that is written ‖ Or to life So Gr. among the living n So this is a Restriction of the foregoing indefinite Proposition Not all that are left but a great number of them shall be holy even all that are written c. i. e. all the Elect who are frequently described by this Character that they are written in Gods or the Lambs book or in the book of life or of the living Psal. 69. 28. Dan. 12. 1. Phil. 4. 3. Rev. 3. 5. 13. 8. 17 8. c. But this last Clause of the Verse is by some Learned Interpreters rendred thus all that are in Ierusalem i. e. a very great number of them as such general Expressions are frequently used or the generality of them shall be written unto life i. e. shall be such as are elected unto Salvation through Sanctification Which may deserve consideration So he notes the singular Priviledge of this People at this time above the former Ages in which many were called but few were chosen in Jerusalem o Of the People living in or belonging to Ierusalem 4 When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughter of Zion p This shall be accomplished when God hath thorowly cleansed the Iewish Nation from their Sins and shall have purged the blood q The Blood-guiltiness and especially that of killing the Lord of Life their own Messiah of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by * Chap. 32. 15 16. the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning r This is opposed to the former Legal way of Purification which was by Water By the spirit he seems to understand the Holy Spirit of God to which this washing and purging Work is commonly ascribed as 1 Cor. 6. 11. and elsewhere which Spirit did accompany the Preaching of the Gospel and did this Work in part in some of the Iews and will do it more fully in the Body of the Nation And this Spirit may well be called a spirit of judgment because it executes Judgment in the Church and in the Consciences of Men separating the precious from the vile convincing men of Sin and Righteousness and Judgment Ioh. 16. 8 9. manifesting the Secrets of mens Hearts in the Preaching of the Word 1 Cor. 14. 25. accusing and terrifying and punishing some witnessing for and with others and filling them with Peace and Joy in believing hardning some and softning and subduing others to God as this Spirit is particularly promised to do the Iews Zech. 12. 10. And the same Spirit may be fitly called the spirit of burning as he is compared to fire Mat. 3. 11. because he doth burn up and consume the Dross which is in the
his Father Ahaz in whose time this Prophecy was delivered was King by comparing 2 Kings 16. 2. 18. 2. but of the Messiah out of his roots f Out of one of his Roots i. e. Branches as this Word root is sometimes used by a very usual Figure called a Metonymy as it is here below v. 10. Isa. 53. 2. Hos. 14. 5. 2 And the spirit of the LORD g The Holy Ghost wherewith he was anointed Act. 10. 38. and by whom his Mother was overshadowed Luk. 1. 35. shall rest upon him h Not onely come upon him at certain times as he did upon the Prophets now and then at his pleasure but shall have its constant and setled abode in him although the same phrase be sometimes used of other Prophets in an inferiour sense as Numb 11. 17. 2 Kings 2. 15. the spirit of wisdom and understanding i Which hath these Perfections in it self and confers them upon him It is neither easie nor at all necessary exactly to distinguish these two Gifts it is sufficient that they are necessary Qualifications for a Governour and for a Teacher both which Offices were to meet in the Messiah and it is evident that they signifie a practical and perfect Knowledge of all things necessary for the discharge of his Trust and for his own and Peoples Good and a sound Judgment to distinguish between things that differ the spirit of counsel and might k Of Prudence to give good Counsel and of Might and Courage to execute it which are two necessary Qualifications of a Ruler the spirit of knowledge l Of the perfect Knowledge of the whole Will and Counsel of God especially that which concerns the Salvation of Men the prosecution whereof was his great Work as also of all secret and hidden things yea of the Hearts of Men the Knowledge whereof is ascribed to Christ Mat. 9. 4. Revel 2. 23. and of the fear of the LORD m Not a Fear of Diffidence or Horrour but of Reverence a Care to please him and lothness to offend him which well became the Messiah towards his God and Father 3 And shall make him of †Heb. scent or smell quick understanding n Heb. he shall make him smell i. e. perceive as that Word is used Iudg. 16. 9. Iob 39. 25. understand or judg as it is explained in the next Clause Or his smelling shall be Smelling is put for Judging because the Sense of Smelling where it is quick and good is more exact and sure in the judging of its proper Objects than the Senses of Seeing and Hearing are in the fear of the LORD o Which is added either 1. as the Object of his Judging He is most perspicacious and judicious in the things which concern the fear i. e. the Worship and Service of God which he was to order and establish in his Church Or rather 2. as the Rule and Manner of his Judging as may be gathered from the opposite and following Clause So the sence is He shall not judge rashly and partially but considerately and justly as the Fear of God obligeth all Judges to do and he shall not judge p Of Persons or Causes And judging seems to be here Synechdochically put for absolving or giving Sentence for a Person as it is used Psal. 7. 9 11. and in many other places because this is opposed to reproving in the next Clause after the sight of his eyes q According to outward Appearance as men must do because they cannot search mens Hearts 1 Sam. 16. 7. or with respect of Persons but with righteous judgment which is opposed to judging by appearance Ioh. 7. 24. neither reprove r i. e. Condemn or pass Sentence against a Person For Christ is here supposed to be a Judge and so he speaks of a Judicial Reproof after the hearing of his ears s By false or uncertain Rumours or Suggestions but shall throughly examine all Causes and search out the Truth of things and the very Hearts of men 4 But * Psal. 17. 2. Rev. 19. 11. with righteousness shall he judge the poor t Defend and deliver them as judging is oft used as Deut. 32. 36. Ier. 5. 28. 22. 13. c. Or judge for the poor the Prefix lamed being understood out of the next Clause as is usual in the Hebrew Language He mentions the poor partly to signifie the Justice of this Judge because Humane Judges commonly neglect and oppress the Poor and partly to declare the Nature of Christ's Kingdom and the Quality of his Subjects who should for the generality of them be the poor and contemptible sort of men Mat. 11. 5. Iam. 2. 5. and ‖ Or argue reprove u Or as this Word seems to be taken v. 3. condemn to wit their malicious and furious Enemies with equity for the meek x On their behalf or giving Sentence for them He calls them meek whom before he called poor partly to shew his Justice in defending them who are most exposed to the Contempt and Injuries of men and partly to signifie that his Subjects should be poor in Spirit as well as in the World and not poor and proud as many worldly men are of the earth and he shall * Job 4. 9. 2 Thess. 2. 8. Rev. 1. 16. 2. 16. 19. 15. smite y i. e. Slay as this Word is used Isa. 37. 36. and very commonly and as it is expounded in the next Clause the earth z The men of the Earth the wicked as it is in the next Branch of the Verse fitly called earth either because of their Earthly Minds and Conversations as they are called the men of this world that have their portion here upon the Earth Psal. 17. 14. or because the far greatest part of the Inhabitants of the Earth is wicked the whole world lies in wickedness 1 Ioh. 5. 19. for which reason they are oft called the world as Iob. 16. 20. 17. 9 25. c. with the rod †Or word of his mouth of his mouth a With his Word which is his Scepter and the rod of his power Psal. 110. 2. which is sharper than a sword Heb. 4. 12. by the preaching whereof he subdued the World to himself and will destroy his Enemies 2 Thess. 2. 8. This he adds further to declare the Nature of Christ's Kingdom that it is not of this World and that his Scepter and Arms are not carnal but Spiritual as is said 2 Cor. 10. 4. and with the breath of his lips b With his Word breathed out of his Lips whereby he explains what he meant by the foregoing rod. shall he slay the wicked c Either spiritually by inflicting deadly Plagues upon their Souls or properly which he doth very frequently by his terrible Judgments executed upon many of them and will certainly do and that fully and universally at his coming to Judgment 5
And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins d It shall adorn him and be the Glory of his Government as a Girdle was used for Ornament Isa. 3. 24. and as an Ensign of Power Iob 12. 18. and it shall constantly cleave to him in all his Administrations as a girdle cleaveth to a mans loins which is the Prophets Similitude Ier. 13. 11. and faithfulness the girdle of his reins e The same thing in other Words 6 * Chap. 65. 25. Exek 34. 25. Hos. 2. 18. The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb and the leopard shall lie down with the kid f The Creatures shall be restored to that State of Innocy in which they were before the Fall of Man But this is not to be understood literally which is a gross and vain Conceit of some Iews but spiritually and metaphorically as is evident And the sence of the Metaphor is this Men of fierce and cruel and ungovernable Dispositions shall be so transformed by the Preaching of the Gospel and by the Grace of Christ that they shall become most humble and gentle and tractable and shall no more vex and persecute those meek and poor ones mentioned v. 4. but shall become such as they of which we have Instances in Saul being made a Paul and in the rugged Jaylour Act. 16. and in innumerable others But how can this be applied to Hezekiah with any colour and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together and a little child shall lead them g They will submit their proud and rebellious Wills to the Conduct and Command of the meanest Persons that speak to them in Christ's Name 7 And the cow and the bear shall feed h Together as it follows without any Danger or Fear their young ones shall lie down together and the lion shall eat straw i The Grass and Fruits of the Earth as they did at first Gen. 1. 29 30. and shall not devour other Living Creatures as now they do like the ox 8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp k A most fierce and poisonous Serpent Deut. 32. 33. Iob 20. 14 16. which also will not be charmed by any Art of Man Psal. 58. 5. and the weaned child shall put his hand on the ‖ Or adders cockatrice l A Serpent of more than ordinary Cunning and Cruelty Prov. 23. 32. The meaning is They shall not fear to be either deceived or destroyed by those who formerly watched all Opportunities to do it den 9 * Job 5. 23. Isa. 35. 9. They shall not hurt nor destroy in my holy mountain m In Zion in my Church Whereever the Gospel comes and prevails it will have this effect * Hab. 2. 14. for the earth n Metonymically put for the Inhabitants of the Earth and as before it was used for the greater part v. 4. so here it is used for the better part of the World shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD o Of saving and practical Knowledge Whereby he intimates That all that Savageness and Malignity which is in wicked men towards true Christians proceeded from their deep Ignorance and particularly from Ignorance of God and withal that a right Knowledge of God will make a marvellous and thorow Change in the Dispositions and Conversations of men as the waters cover the sea p The Channel of the Sea the thing contained being put for the thing containing by a Metonymy common in Scripture and all Authors 10 And in that day there shall be a root q A Branch growing upon the Root of which see on v. 1. of Jesse which shall stand for an ensign r Shall grow up into a great and high Tree shall become a visible and eminent Ensign of the people s Which not onely the Iews but all Nations may discern and to which they may and shall resort to it shall the * Râ—…m 15. 10 12. Gentiles seek t As the Gospel shall be preached to the Gentiles so they shall receive it and believe in the Messiah and his rest u His Resting-place as this Word frequently signifies as Gen. 8. 9. 49. 5. Psal. 132. 8 14. Isa. 34. 14. Miâ—…h 2. 10. his Temple or Church the Place of his Presence and Abode shall be †Heb. glory glorious x Shall be filled with greater Glory than the Jewish Tebernacle and Temple were of which see on Hag. 2. 9. onely this Glory shall be Spiritual consisting in Glorious Ordinances in the plentiful Effusions of the excellent Gifts and Graces and Comforts of the Holy Spirit 11 And it shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time y The first time to which this Word second relates seems to be either 1. the Deliverance out of Egypt as most both Jewish and Christian Interpreters understand it And then this second Deliverance must be that out of Babylon Or 2. the Deliverance out of Babylon And then this second Deliverance must be in the days of the Messiah Which with submission to better Judgments seems to me more probable 1. because that first Deliverance is supposed to be like the second a Deliverance of the Remnant of this People from several Countries into which they were dispersed whereas that out of Egypt was a Deliverance not of a Remnant but of the whole Nation and that out of Egypt onely 2. because this second Deliverance was universal extending to the generality of the Out-casts and Dispersed ones both of Israel or the Ten Tribes and of Iudah or the Two Tribes as is evident from v. 12 13. whereas that out of Babylon reached onely to the Two Tribes and to some few of the Ten Tribes which were mixed with them as is acknowledged both by Ieus and Christians 3. because this second Deliverance was given them in the days of the Messiah and did accompany or follow the Conversion of the Gentiles as is evident from v. 9 10. whereas that out of Babylon was long before the coming of the Messiah and the calling of the Gentiles to recover the remnant of his people which shall be left * Zech. 10. 10 11. from Assyria and from Egypt and from Pathros and from Cush and from Elam and from Shinar and from Hamath and from the islands of the sea z From all Places both far and near into which either the Ten Tribes or the Two Tribes were carried Captives for the Places of both their Captivities are here named Of which it is needless to discourse particularly because they are well known and have been considered in former Texts Onely Pathros was not named before and that was a Province in Egypt which yet is sometimes distinguished from Egypt strictly so called See on Ier. 44. 1 15. Ezek. 29. 14. 30. 14. 12 And he shall set up an ensign for the nations
price which God hereby put into his hand And as anger being ascribed to God is not meant of the affection for such passions are inconsistent with the perfection of Gods nature but of the effect so the Love of God when it is applied in Scripture to such Persons as Cyrus is not so much to be understood of an inward affection as of the outward effects of it and so this Love is explained in the following Words by that prosperous Success which God gave him against the Chaldeans he will do his pleasure on Babylon u Cyrus shall Execute all that I have appointed him to do for the Destruction of Babylon and for the Redemption of my People which was in it self a good Work And therefore this is added as the reason why God loved him and his arm shall be on the Caldeans x He shall smite and subdue them 15. I even I y Both the foreknowledge and the execution of this great Atchievement cannot be ascribed to Idols but to me onely have spoken yea I have called him I have brought him and he shall make his way prosperous z God will give him good Success in this undertaking Here is a sudden change of the Person from I to he which is very usual Or as others render it he shall prosper in his way the preposition in being most frequently understood 16. Come ye near unto me a That you may the better hear me as it follows A Speech of God after the manner of Men. hear ye this I have not spoken in secret b I have not smothered the Counsel and Word of God but have plainly and publickly declared it unto you Or I have openly Revealed my mind to you See the Note on Isa. 45. 19. where these very Words are spoken by God in his own Name as here by the Prophet in God's name and so all comes to one from the begining c Either 1. from the first time that I began to Prophecy until this time Or 2. from the beginning of my taking you to be my People and of revealing my Mind to you See on Isa. 41. 26. from the time that it was d These Words also as well as the former are the Words Either 1. of the Prophet and so the Sence seems to be this From the time that I was first called to be a Prophet I have been there i. e. I have diligently pursued my prophetical Function I have hearkned from time to time to hear what God would speak to me that I might impart it to you Or 2. of God and then the Sence may be this From the time that I first spoke of it or foretold it I am or was there to take care to effect what I had foretold I minded it carefully from that time as being then more especially obliged to do it lest my Truth or Power should be questioned Or the Words may be thuâ—… rendred and explained From the time that this shall be when the time appointed for the doing of this Work shall come there I will be to encourage and 〈◊〉 Cyrus in the Work there am I e This is opposed to those foregoing Words from the beginning and now the Lord GOD and his spirit f God by his Spirit or God even the Spirit or the Holy Ghost to whom the sending and inspiring of God's Prophets is ascribed 2 Pet. 1. 21. hath sent me g To wit the Prophet Isaiah who yet was a Type of Christ and so this may have a Respect unto him also 17. Thus saith the LORD thy Redeemer the holy One of Israel I am the LORD thy God which teacheth thee to profit h Which from time to time have made known unto thee not vain and frivolous things but all necessary and useful Doctrines which if believed and observed by thee would have been infinitely profitable to thee both for this life and that to come So that it is not my fault but thine own if thou dost not profit which leadeth i Which acquainteth thee with thy Duty and Interest in all the parts and concerns of thy Life so that thou canst not pretend ignorance thee by the way that thou shouldest go 18. O that thou hadst hearkened to my Commandements k The failure hath not been on my part but on thine I gave thee my Counsels and Commands but thou hast neglected and disobeyed them and that to thy own great disadvantage Such wishes as these are not to be taken properly as if God longed for something which he gladly would but could not effect or as if he wished that to be undone which was irrecoverably past and done which is a vain and foolish wish even in a Man and much more are such wishes inconsistent with the infinite perfection and happiness of the divine Nature but they are onely significations of God's good and holy Will whereby he requires and loves Obedience and condemns and hates Disobedience then had thy peace been as a river l Which runs Sweetly Strongly Plentifully and Constantly and such had been thy Prosperity Then thou hadst never gone into this Babylonish Captivity nor needed such prodigies of my power and goodness to Deliver thee out of it and thy righteousness m Not properly so called for he is not now speaking of their Vertues but of their Priviledges but thy Peace and Prosperity as appears by the foregoing Clause to which this manifestly answers which is called Righteousness here as it is also 1 Sam. 12. 7. and Hos. 10. 12. and elsewhere by a Metonymy because it is the fruit of Righteousness both of God's Righteousness and of Man's Righteousness as by the very same figure iniquity is very frequently put for the fruit and punishment of iniquity as the waves of the sea n Infinite and continual 19. Thy seed also had been as the sand o To wit for multitude according to my Promise made to Abraham Whereas now I have for thy Sins made thee to know thy breach of Promise as is said Numb 14. 34. and greatly diminished thy Numbers and the off-spring of thy bowels p Which come out of thy Bowels or Belly or Loins for all these are but various Expressions of the same thing like the gravel thereof his name q Which is continued in a Man's Posterity and commonly dies with them and so the name here is the same thing in effect with the seed and off-spring in the former Clauses which for the most part are the onely memorialls of Men and of their Names when they are dead and gone should not have been cut off r As now it hath been in a great measure and should have been totally and finally cut off if I had not spared them for my own Names sake as he said before nor destroyed from before me s Or out of my sight out of their own Land the place of my special Presence and Residence 20.