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
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
a Let his Excellency discovered in his works be the Matter of your joy and praise O ye righteous for * â—…sal 147. 1. praise is comely for the upright b It well becomes them to Exercise themselves in this work of praising and blessing of God Partly because they have such singular and abundant Obligations and Occasions to do so and Partly because they will praise God worthily and Heartily and with due Reverence and Thankfulness as God requires and deserves to be praised whereas ungodly men do indeed disparage and 〈◊〉 the Holy Name of God while they 〈◊〉 to praâ—… and therefore God rejects their Praâ—…s and Prayers See 〈◊〉 5â—… 16. and 109. 7. Prov. 28. 9. 2. Praise the LORD with harp sing unto him with the psaltery and * Psal 92. 3. an instrument of ten strings c He mentions these Instruments because they were used in the publick Worship and Praises of God in the Tabernacle 3. * Psal. 96. 1. 〈◊〉 1. 149. 1. 〈◊〉 â—…2 10. Sing unto him a new song d Either 1. Newly Composed As God gives you 〈◊〉 occasions so do not you content your selves with the olâ—… Songs or Psalms made by the holy Men of God but make New ones suited to the occasions But neither had all the Rigâ—…ous to whom he speaks v. 1. the Gift of Composing Songs nor was it of any Necessity or Importance that they should make new Songs to praise God at least for the Works here mentioned when there were so many made by David and other Holy Prophets for the use of God's Church and People when they had any such occasion Or 2. Renewed or repeated or sung again in which Sence Iob saith his Gâ—…y was Nâ—…w or fresh in him Iâ—…b 29 20. i. e. Renewed or continued from Day to Day and the Command of Love is called New Iob. 13. 34. because it was renewed and re-inforced by Christ. So this Song is here called Nâ—…w not so much from the Matter as from the singing of it because it was sung afresh or again play skilfully with a loud noise 4. For the word of the LORD is right e All God's Counsels and Commands either contained in the Scriptures Or given forth in his Providence for the Government of the World are wise and Just and Good without deceit or defect and all his works are done in truth f i. e. All his works of Providence agree with his Word and are no other then the accomplishment of his Promises or Threatnings or other Declarations of his Mind and Will in his Word although sometimes for a season they may seem contrary to it 5. * Psal. 4â—… 7. He loveth righteousness and judgment g i. e. Just judgment by a Figure called Hendyadis as Ier. 22. 3. Or Iustice relates to the Sentence and Iudgment to the Execution of it He not onely doth Justice to all men as was implied v. 6. but which is more he Loves it and Delights in it * Psal 119. 64. the earth is full of the ‖ Or mercy goodness of the LORD h He not onely doth no man wrong but he is very kind and merciful to all Men in the World to whom he gives many Favours and Invitations to his Love and Service See Mat. 5. 45. Act. 14 17. Rom. 1. 20 21. 6. * Gen. 1. 6 7. Heb. 11. 3. 2. Pet. 3. 5. By the word of the LORD i Either 1. By the Hypostatical word Christ who is oft called God's Word even by the Chaldee Paraphrast as also Iohn 1. v. 1 2 3. where he is said to be that â—…rd by whom all things were made So that which is here spoken more darkly and doubtedly according to that state of the Church is more clearly declared in the New Testament Or 2. By his Will or Command as this very Phrase is here used v. 4. and as it seems to be explained v. 9. And so it hath a great Emphasis in it that God made this admirable structure of the Heavens and all its glorious Stars not with great pains and time and help of many Artists and Instruments as men do far meaner Works but with one single Word which is much to the Glory of the Creator were the heavens made and all the host of them k The Angels Or the Stars See on Gen. 2. 1. * Job 26. 13. by the breath of his mouth l Either 1. By the Holy Ghost so called Iob 33. 4. And so here are all the Persons of the Trinity Iâ—…hovah the Father and the Word and the Spirit to each of which this Work of Creation is elsewhere ascribed as was noted on Gen. 1. 26. Or 2. By his Word as it was expressed in the last Clause which is so called Isa. 11. 4. 2. Tâ—…s 2. 8. 7. * Gen. 1. â—… 〈◊〉 26. 1â—… 〈◊〉 â—…8 8. He gathereth m Or gathered For he speaks of the first Creation when this was done Gen. 1. the waters of the sea together * Psal. 78. 1â—… as an heap o Either in the Clouds or in the Bowels of the Earth Whence he can draw them forth when he sees fit he layeth up the depths in store houses o Either in the Clouds or in the Bowels of the Earth Whence he can draw them forth when he sees fit n By which Expression he brings to our Minds this great work of God that the Sea which is lighter and higher than Earth is yet Confined within its Bounds that it might not overâ—…ow the Earth 8. Let all the earth p All the people of the Earth as the next Clause expounds this not only Iews but Gentiles who equally enjoy the Benefit of this great and glorious work of God fear the LORD let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him 9. For * Psal. 148. 5. he spake and it q The work here mentioned v. 6 7. Or stood forth as a Servant at his Masters Command Or was or did exist was done he commanded and it stood fast r. 10. * Isa. 19. 3. The LORD †Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bringeth the counsel of the heathen s Or of the Nations though Nations combine themselves and their Counsels together yet he defeats them when he pleaseth Thus he passeth from the work of Creation to the works of Providence and from the Instances of his Power in Sensless and unreasonable Creatures to manifest his power in over-ruling the Thoughts and Wills and Actions of all Men whether single or united to nought he maketh the devices of the people of none effect 11. * Prov. 19. 2â—… Isa. 46. 10. The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever t All his Purposes and Designs and especially those which concern his choseh people of whom he speaks in the next Verse are always successful and irresistible the thoughts of his heart †Heb. to Generation and Generation
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
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
of Noah And of them was the whole Earth overspread c A Truth which the old Heathens were not ignorant of though they changed the Names and mixed their Fables with it for they tell us that Saturn and his three Sons divided the World among themselves And it is apparent that their Saturn was no other than our Noah because they tell us he was the common Parent and Prince of all mankind also an Husbandman and Vine-dresser all which Noah was They say he was born of the Sea because Noah came out of the Waters That he devoured all his Children except three because Noah condemned and foretold the destruction of all the rest of the World 20. And Noah began to be an Husbandman d i. e. Was an Husbandman as he had been before The Verb to begin doth oft abound and is applied to him that continueth or repeateth an action begun before Thus Christ is said to begin to cast out Mark 11. 15. and to begin to speak Luk. 12. 1. For which in the parallel places he is said only to cast out Matth. 21. 12. and to speak Matth. 16. 6. and he planted a Vineyard 21. And he drank of the Wine and was drunken e Either through ignorance and inexperience of the nature and strength of that Liquor or through the infirmity of the Flesh which was tempted by its great and to him new pleasantness and by the refreshment he found in it under the weary labours of his Body and the sad thoughts of his mind for the desolate condition of the World and he was uncovered f Either to releive himself against the heat of the Climate and Season or from his negligence and carelessness which might easily happen because mens garments at that time were loose as they were in the following ages when breeches were not in common use and therefore were peculiarly prescribed to the Priests Exod. 28. 42. Ezek. 44. 18 19. within his Tent. 22. And Ham g Whose grown age was a great aggravation of this sin the Father of Canaan h This is here added as a reason of Canaan's Curse ver 25. saw the nakedness ‖ i. e. The secret parts oft so called as Levit. 18. and elsewhere of his Father and told his two Brethren without * i. e. Who were then without the house or room where their Father lay in that posture whom he invited to that prospect 23. And Shem and Iapheth took a Garment and laid it upon both their shoulders and went backward and covered the nakedness of their Father and their faces were backward and they saw not their Fathers nakedness 24. And Noah awoke from his Wine †i. e. From his drunkenness or from his sleep the effect of it and knew i Either by the information of his Sons Or by divine inspiration what his younger Son k Or His little Son either Ham mentioned ver 22. or Canaan mentioned in the next verse by comparing of which places it may be gathered that Canaan first saw it and told his Father Ham of it and he told it to his Brethren The latter seems here principally intended 1. Because the curse following is appropriated to him 2. Because of the title of younger or little Son which seems not to be so properly added if Ham was meant both because it doth not appear that he was the youngest for wheresoever these three Brethren are mentioned he is always put in the middle place and because that addition seems to be unnecessary and impertinent to the present business which if Canaan be intended is proper and pertinent by way of distinction to shew that he spake of his Grandson oâ—… his Sons Son Object He calleth him his Son Answ. Grand-children are frequently called their Grand-fathers Sons in Scripture as Gen. 29. 5. 2 Sam. 19. 24. 1 Chron. 1. 17. had done unto him 25. And he said l Not from the passion of revenge but by divine inspiration and the Spirit of Prophesie Cursed m i. e. Hateful to God abhorred by men miserable in his person and posterity be Canaan n Quest Seeing Ham committed the crime why is the curse inflicted upon his Son Canaan Answ. 1. When Canaan is mentioned Ham is not exempted from the curse but rather more deeply plunged into it whilest he is pronounced accursed not only in his person which is manifestly supposed by his commission of that sin for which the curse was inflicted but also in his posterity which doubtless was a great aggravation of his grief As on the contrary Ioseph is said to be blessed when his Children are blessed Gen. 48. 15 16. 2. It seems therefore very probable from these words and the Hebrew Doctors and others affirm it that Canaan did partake with his Father in the sin yea that he was the first discoverer of his Fathers shame 3. Canaan is particularly mentioned by the spirit of Prophesâ—…e in regard of the future extirpation of that people and this is here remembred for the encouragement of the Israelites who were now in their expedition against them 4. This may be an ellipsis or defect of the word Father for such relative words are oft-times omitted and understood in Scripture as Matth. 4. 21. Iames of Zebedee for the Son of Zebedee Ioh. 19. 25. Mary of Clâ—…opas for the wife of Cleopas Act. 7. 16. Emmor of Sychem for the Father of Sychem as our English Translation rightly supplies it from Gen. 33. 19. Thus Goliah is put for Goliahs Brother as is evident by comparing 2 Sam. 21. 19. with 1 Chron. 20 5. So here Canaan may be put for the Father of Canaan as the Arabick Translation hath it that is Ham as the seventy here render it And though Ham had more Sons yet he may be here described by his relation to Canaan because in him the Curse was more fixed and dreadful reaching to his utter extirpation whilst the rest of Hams posterity in after ages were blessed with the saving knowledge of the Gospel a Servant of Servants o i. e. The vilest and worst of Servants as vanity of vanities is the greatest vanity Eccles. 1. 2. and great wickedness Hos. 10. 15. is in the Hebrew wickedness of wickedness and King of Kings is put for the chief of Kings shall he be unto his Brethren 26. And he said Blessed be the Lord God of Shem p Quest. What is this to Sem For it is not Sem but God who is here blessed Answ. 1. Shem also is here blessed and that in the highest degree because the Lord hath here declared himself to be Shems God Now for God to be said to be any mans God is every where mentioned as the height of blessedness See Gen. 17. 7. Psal. 144. 15. Ier. 31. 33. Matth. 22. 32. But the phrase is here justly varied The curse is fixed upon Ham because man alone is the Author of his own sin and the cause of his ruine
angel of the LORD s i. e. Christ the Angel of the Covenant as appears from ver 12. 16. called unto him out of heaven and said Abraham Abraham t He repeats his name to prevent Abraham whom he knew to be most expeditious in Gods service and just ready to give the deadly blow And he said Behold here am I. 12 And he said lay not thine hand upon the lad neither do thou any thing unto him for now I know u God knew the sincerity and resolvedness of Abrahams faith and obedience before and without this evidence and from eternity foresaw this fact and all its circumstances and therefore you must not think that God had now made any new discovery But this is spoken here as in many other places of God after the manner of men who is then said to know a thing when it is notorious and evident to a mans self and others by some remarkable effect Thus David prayeth that God would search and know his Heart and his thoughts Psal. 139. 23. Though he had before professed that God understood his thought afar off ver 2. This therefore is the sense Now I know i. e Now I have what I designed and desired now I have made thee and others to know As the Spirit of God and of Christ is said to cry Abba Father Gal. 4. 6. when it makes us to cry so Rom. 8. 15. that thou fearest God seeing thou hast not with-held thy son thine onely son from me x From my service and Sacrifice Or for me i. e. for my sake i. e. thou hast preferred mine Authority and Honour before the Life of thy dear Son By which word it appears that God himself speaks these words 13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked and behold behind him ‖ Which way he looked either because the voice came that way Or because he heard the noise made by the motion of the Ram in the thicket a ram y Which had gone astray from the rest of the Flock and whose errours were directed hither by Gods wise and powerful Providence and being young though horned it might be called either Lamb as v. 7. or Ram as it is here There needs no curious enquiry how he could offer up that to God which was not his own both because it was found in a publick place and in all probability utterly lost to his owner and because he had no doubt a warrant and inspiration for it from the great Lord and supreme owner of all things caught in a thicket by his horns and Abraham went and took the ram and offered him up for a burnt-offering in the stead of his son 14. And Abraham called the name of that place ‖ That is the Lord will see or provide Jehovah-jireh z The same Hebrew Letters differently pointed make the sense either active the Lord will see i. e. provide or take care of those that commit themselves and their affairs to him or passive the Lord will be seen i. e. will appear and shew himself in the behalf of all those that love him as it is said to this day a Wherein Moses wrote this Book this is still used as a Proverb in the mount b i. e. In greatest extremities and distresses as we say at the pits brink of the LORD it shall be seen c Or the Lord shall be seen or manifested And although these words are used by way of remembrance of this great deliverance and by way of accommodation to such like eminent preservations from great dangers yet they may have a further respect and may signifie that this was but an earnest of further and greater blessings to be expected in this place where the Temple was built and the Lord Christ was manifested in the Flesh. 15 And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time 16 And said * Psal. 105. 9. Luk. 1. 73. Heb. 6. 13. By my self have I sworn d So the Lord swears by his name Ier. 44. 26. By his soul in the Hebrew text Ier. 51. 14. By his Holiness Amos 4. 2. Which is the same with by himself here Hence also it appears that the Angel who speaks here is Christ and God because this is Gods prerogative to swear by himself as appears from Heb. 6. 13. saith the LORD for because thou hast done this thing e Not that Abraham by this act did properly merit or purchase the following promises as plainly appears because the same things for substance had been freely promised to Abraham long before this time and action Gen. 12. 2. and 13. 16. onely what before was promised is now confirmed by an Oath as a Testimony of that singular respect which God had to Abraham and to this heroical instance of Faith and Obedience and hast not with-held thy son thine onely son 17 That in blessing I will bless thee and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is upon the sea †Heb. lip shore and thy seed shall possess the gate f i. e. The City by an usual Synecdoche as Deut. 12. 15. and 18. 6. all the Cities and consequently the Country adjacent gate for gates The sense is they shall subdue their Enemies For the gates of Cities were the places both of jurisdiction or judicature Deut. 21. 19. and 22. 15. Amos 5. 12 15. Zech. 8. 16. and of fortification and chief strength in War Iudg. 5. 8. Psal. 147. 13. Isa. 22. 7. Ezek. 21. 22. And this promise was fulfilled both literally in Israels conquest of Canaan in David Solomon c. and spiritually in Christ Psal. 110. 1 2 3. of his enemies 18 * Chap. 12. 3. and 18. 18. Acts 3. 25. Gal. 3. 8. And in thy seed shall all the nations of the Earth be blessed because thou hast obeyed my voice 19 So Abraham returned unto his young men and they rose up and went together to Beer-sheba and Abraham dwelt at Beer-sheba 20 And it came to pass after these things that it was told Abraham saying Behold * Chap. 11. 29. Milcah she hath also born children unto thy brother Nahor g This narration and Genealogy is added for Rebekahs sake and to make way for the following relation 21 Huz his first-born and Buz h From whom descended as some conceive Elihu the Buzite Iob 32. 2. his brother and Kemuel the father of Aram i So called possibly because he dwelt amongst the Syrians as Iacob for the same reason was called a Syrian Deut. 26. 5. But there was another more antient Aram from whom the Syrians descended Gen. 10. 22. 22 And Chesed and Hazo and Pildash and Jidlaph and Bethuel 23 And Bethuel begat * Called Rom. 9. 10. Rebecca Rebekah k Afterwards Isaac's Wife Chap. 24. these eight Milcah did bear to Nahor Abrahams brother 24 And his concubine l
speak to you not by an interpreter as hitherto I have done but immediately and in the Hebrew Language 13 And you shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt and of all that you have seen and ye shall haste and * Acts 7. 14. bring down my father hither 14 And he fell upon his brother Benjamins neck and wept and Benjamin wept upon his neck 15 Moreover he kissed all his brethren and wept upon them and after that his brethren talked with him r To wit freely and familiarly being encouraged by his kindness 16 And the fame thereof was heard in Pharaohs house saying Josephs brethren are come and it †Heb. was good in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 pleased Pharaoh well and his servants s Because they all owed their lives unto Ioseph and his favour was now fresh and present and therefore he had more influence upon them and they more kindness for him 17 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph Say unto thy brethren This do ye Lade your beasts and go get you unto the land of Canaan 18 And take your father and your housholds and come unto me and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt and ye shall eat * chap. 27. 28. the fat of the land t The choicest fruits of the land Fat oft is put for the best of any sort as Numb 18. 12 29. Deut. 32. 14. Psal. 63. 5. and 147. 14. 19 Now thou art commanded u Besides that absolute power which I have given thee to dispose of all things as thou pleasest I do particularly and especially command thee to do this thing this do ye Take you wagons out of the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives and bring your father and come 20 Also †Heb. let not your eyes spare c. regard not your stuff x Heb. Let not your eye pity or spare any part of your stuff as loath to leave it behind you or afraid to lose it Sparing or pitying is an act of the mind but it is ascribed to the eye here as also Ezek. 7. 4 9. and 16. 5. partly because there it discovers it self by tears or otherwise and partly because the sight of the eye doth oft affect the heart and move pity for the good of all the land of Egypt is yours 21 And the children of Israel did so and Joseph gave them wagons according to the †Heb. mouth commandment of Pharaoh and gave them provision for the way 22 To all of them he gave each man changes of raiment y New and handsome garments which upon their coming into Pharaohs presence and on other occasions they might wear in stead of those more old and homely ones which they brought with them from Canaan Compare Iudg. 14. 12 19. 2 King 5. 5. but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of raiment 23 And to his father he sent after this manner z Heb. according to this What Either what went before changes of raiment or what follows ten asses c. ten asses †Heb. carrying laden with the good things of Egypt and ten she asses laden with corn and bread and meat for his father by the way 24 So he sent his brethren away and they departed and he said unto them See that ye fall not out a Or contend one with another each vindicating himself and laying the blame upon his brother by the way 25 And they went up out of Egypt and came into the land of Canaan unto Jacob their father 26 And told him saying Joseph is yet alive and he is governour over all the land of Egypt And †Heb. his Jacobs heart fainted b Or was weakned or failed he fell into a swoon as it is ordinary because of the greatness and suddenness of the news and the conflict of contrary and violent passions raised hereby grief at the remembrance of his former loss and excessive joy for Iosephs recovery and felicity hope that this might be true and fear lest it should be but a fiction of theirs any one of these passions are able to cause a fainting of the Spirits but much more when all meet together especially in an aged person for he believed them not c Partly because of the greatness and strangeness and desireableness of the thing compare Psal. 126. 1. and partly because they were by this very relation convicted of one lye about Ioseph in saying that he was dead and therefore might easily be thought guilty of another 27 And they told him all the words of Joseph which he had said unto them and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him the spirit of Jacob their father revived 28 And Israel said It is enough d I desire no more no greater happiness in this world than to see him Which when I have done I am willing to die Joseph my son is yet alive I will go and see him before I die CHAP. XLVI 1 AND Israel took his journey with all that he had and came to Beersheba and offered sacrifices a Both in thankfulness to God for former favours and especially for Iosephs preservation and happiness and by way of supplication to God for his direction in this great case whether he might leave the promised land of Canaan and go into the idolatrous and impious land of Egypt and for his protection and blessing as well in his journey as in Egypt unto the God of his father Isaac b Whom Isaac honoured and served and who had constantly protected and provided for Isaac and confirmed his covenant with him He mentions Isaac rather than Abraham partly for Isaacs honour to shew that though Isaac was much inferiour to Abraham in gifts and graces yet God was no less Isaacs than Abrahams God and therefore would be his God also notwithstanding his unworthiness and partly for his own comfort because Isaac was Iacobs immediate Parent and had transferred the blessing of the Covenant from Esau to Iacob and the validity of that translation depended upon Isaacs interest in God 2 And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night c i. e. In that way or manner of visions which God affordeth to men by night and in their sleep See Gen 20. 3. Iob 33. 15 16. Mat. 1. 20. and 2. 13 19. Act. 16 9. and 18. 9 c. and said Jacob Jacob d He doubles the name both in token of his friendship and familiarity with him and to raise Iacobs attention Compare Gen. 22 11. 1 Sam. 3. 10. And he said here am I. 3 And he said I am God the God of thy father fear not e For here were many causes of fear lest he should do evil in forsaking the promised and blessed land and going to a place which had been incommodious to his grandfather Gen. 12. 15. and forbidden to his father
beast they shall surely be put to death their blood shall be upon them 17 * chap. 18. 9 Deut. 27. 23. And if a man shall take his sister his fathers daughter or his mothers daughter and see her nakedness x Seeing is here understood either 1. properly and so God would cut off the occasions of further filthiness Or rather 2. improperly for touching her or lying with her for 1. the sence of seeing is oâ—…t put for other sences as for hearing Ger 42. 1. compared with Act. 7. 12. Exod. 2â—… 18. Rev. 1. 12. and for touching as Ioh. 2â—… 25 29. 2. that act is expressed by words parallel to this of seeing as by 〈◊〉 or discovering and by knowing Gen. 4. 1. 3. so it is directly explained in the following words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 uncovered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which manifestly signifies lying with her â—… it is not probable that an equal punishment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dest sight and to the highest act of filthiness 5. nor seems there to be any reason why this crime should be restrained to this rather than to any other relations when it was as great yea a greater crime in some other relations and she see his nakedness it is a wicked thing and they shall be cut off in the sight of their people y i. e. Publickly for the terrour and caution of others he hath uncovered his sisters nakedness he shall bear his iniquity 18 * chap. 18. 19. See ch 15. 24. And if a man shall lie with a woman z Wittingly and willingly See on Lev. 15. 24. and 18. 19. having her sickness a i. e. her monethly infirmity and shall uncover her nakedness he hath †Heb. made naked discovered her fountain b Or her issue Thus the fountain of blood in Mark 5. 29. is the issue of blood Luk. 8. 44. the fountain put for the stream the cause for the effect which is common and she hath uncovered the fountain of her blood and both of them shall be cut off from among their people 19 * ch 18. 12 13. And thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mothers sister nor of thy fathers sister for he uncovereth his near kin they shall bear their iniquity 20 * chap. 18. 14. And iâ—… a man shall lie with his uncles wife he hath uncovered his uncles nakedness they shall bear their sin they shall die childless c i. e. Either shall be speedily cut off ere they can have a child by that incestuous conjunction that the remembrance of the fact may be blotted out or if this seem a less crime than most of the former incestuous mixtures because the relation is more remote and therefore the Magistrate shall forbear to punish it with death yet they shall either have no children from such an unlawful bed or their children shall die before them Hos. 9. 11 12. or shall not be reputed their genuine children but bastards and therefore excluded from the congregation of the Lord Deut. 23. 2. 21 * chap. 18. 16. And if a man shall take his brothers wife d Except in the case allowed by God Deut. 25. 5. it is †Heb. a separation an unclean thing e An abominable thing like the uncleanness of a menstruous woman which is oft expressed by this word Heb a separation or removing i. e. a thing deserving separation or exclusion from society with others or a thing to be removed out of sight or out of the world he hath uncovered his brothers nakedness they shall be childless 22 Ye shall therefore keep all my †chap. 18. 26. statutes and all my judgments and do them that the land whither I bring you to dwell therein * chap. 18. 25. spue you not out 23 And ye shall not walk in the manners of the nation which I cast out before you for they committed all these things and * Deut. 9. 5. therefore I abhorred them 24 But I have said unto you Ye shall inherit their land and I will give it unto you to possess it a land that floweth with milk and honey I am the LORD your God which have separated you from other people f By my special grace and favour vouchsafed to you above all people in glorious and miraculous works wrought for you and among you and in ordinances and other singular priviledges and blessings imparted to you all which calls for your special love and service 25 * chap. 11. 2. Deut. 14. 4. Ye shall therefore put difference between clean beasts and unclean and between unclean fowls and clean and ye shall not make your souls abominable by beast or by fowl or by any manner of living thing that ‖ Or moveth creepeth on the ground which I have separated from you as unclean g i. e. As things which by my sentence I have made unclean and which you must avoid as such 26 And ye shall be holy unto me * Verse 7. chap. 19. 2. Peâ—… 1. 1â—… 1 for I the LORD am holy and have severed you from other people that ye should be mine 27 * Deut. 1â—… 10 11. 1 Sam 28. 7 8. A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit or that is a wizard shall surely be put to death they shall stone them with stones their blood shall be upon them CHAP. XXI 1 AND the LORD said unto Moses Speak unto the priests the sons of Aaron and say unto them * Ezek. 44. 25. There shall none be defiled for the dead a To wit by touching of the dead body or abiding in the same house with it or assisting at his funerals or eating of the funeral feast The reason of this law is evident because by such pollution they were excluded from converse with men to whom by their function they were to be serviceable upon all occasions and from the handling of holy things Num. 6. 6. and 19. 11 14 16. Deut. 26. 14. Hos. 9. 4. And God would hereby teach them and in them all successive Ministers of holy things that they ought so entirely to give themselves to the service of God that they ought to renounce all expressions of natural affections and all worldly employments so far as they are impediments to the discharge of their holy services See Lev. 10. 3 7. Deut. 33. 9. Mat. 8. 22. Hereby also God would beget in the people a greater reverence to the Priestly function and oblige the Priests to a greater degree of strictness and purity than other men among his people 2 But for his kin that is near unto him b Under which general expression his wife seems to be comprehended though she be not expressed in the following instances because from the mention of others more remote it was easie to gather that so near a relation was not excluded And hence it is noted as a peculiar and extraordinary case that Ezekiel who was a
that * Josh. 8. 32. thou shalt set thee up great stones and plaister them with plaister b For conveniency of writing upon them 3 And thou shalt write upon them all the words of this law c Either 1. all the words of this book of Deuteronomy But that seems too large for this place Or 2. the blessings and curses here following But they are mentioned as a different thing Or 3. the law properly so called i. e. the sum and substance of the precepts or laws of Moses especially such as were moral and general as may be guessed from the following part of the chapter where the curses pronounced against all that confirm not all the words of this law to do them are particularly applied unto the transgressours of moral laws onely ver 15 16 c. And especially the Decalogue which oft goes under that name Compare Ios. 8. 32. c. when thou art passed over that thou mayest go in unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee a land that floweth with milk and hony as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee 4 Therefore it shall be when ye are gone over Jordan that ye shall set up these stones which I command you this day in mount Ebal ‖ The mount of cursing Here the law is written to signify that a curse was due to the violatours of it and that no man could expect justification or blessing from the works of the law by the sentence whereof all men are justly accursed as being all guilty of the transgression of it in one kind and degree or other Here the sacrifices are to be offered to shew that there is no way to be delivered from this curse but by the blood of Christ which all these sacrifices did typifie and by Christs being made a curse for us Gal. 3. 13. and thou shalt plaister them with plaister 5 And there thou shalt build an altar unto the LORD thy God an altar of stones * Exod. 20. 25 Josh. 8. 31. thou shalt not lift up any iron tool upon them 6 Thou shalt build the altar of the LORD thy God of whole stones d i. e Rough not hewed nor polished and thou shalt offer burnt-offerings thereon unto the LORD thy God 7 And thou shalt offer peace-offerings and shalt eat there and rejoyce before the LORD thy God 8 And thou shalt write upon the stones all the words of this law very plainly e So as to be easily read by all 9 And Moses and the priests the Levites spake unto all Israel saying Take heed and hearken O Israel this day thou art become the people of the LORD f By thy solemn renewing of thy covenant with me thy God 10 Thou shalt therefore obey the voice of the LORD thy God and do his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day 11 And Moses charged the people the same day saying 12 These shall stand upon mount Gerizzim g Obj. In Ios. 8. 33. they stood over against mount Gerizim Ans. 1. Both are true they who stood upon the one mount stood over against the other 2. These words may be rendered beside or near to as the Hebrew al oft signifies mount Gerizim which might be over against it to â—…less the people h Whence it appears that the blessings also were pronounced as well as the curses though they be not here mentioned See Ios. 8. 33. when ye are come over Jordan Simeon and Levi and Judah and Issachar and Joseph and Benjamin i All these were the children of the free-women Leah and Rachel to shew both the dignity of the blessings above the curses and that the blessings belong onely to those that are Evangelically such as this is expounded and applied Gal. 4. 22 c. even to those that receive the Spirit of adoption and liberty Ioseph is here put for both his sons and tribes Manasseh and Ephraim which are here reckoned as one tribe because Levi is here numbred but when Levi is omitted as it is where the division of the land is made there Manasseh and Ephraim pass for two tribes 13 And * chap. 11. â—… these shall stand upon mount Ebal †Heb. â—…r â—… cursing to curse k He saith to bless the people ver 12. but here onely to curse not expressing whom either because he was loath to mention the people as objects of the curse or because he presumed and hoped that though some particular persons might deserve the curse yet the generality of the people would keep out of the reach of it or to intimate that though the blessing was peculiar to the people of Israel yet the curse was indefinite and common to all nations as may appear from the particular sins here numbred which are such as made the Gentiles guilty and abominable to God as is elsewhere affirmed See Lev. 18. 28. Reuben Gad and Asher and Zebulun Dan and Naphtali l Four of these are the children of the bondwomen to shew that the curse belongs to those of servile and disingenuous spirits and carriages to God With these are joyned Reuben who by his shameful sin fell from his dignity Gen. 49. 4. and Zabulon as the youngest of Leahs children who was necessarily to be joyned with those that the numbers might be equal 14 And * Dan. 9. 11. the Levites m i. e. Some of the Levites to wit the Priests which bare the Ark as it is expressed Ios. 8. 33. for the body of the Levites stood upon mount Gerizim v. 12. But these stood in the valley between Gerizim and Ebal looking towards the one or the other mountain as they pronounced either the blessings or the curses as may be gathered from Ios. 8. 33. shall speak and say unto all the men of Israel with a loud voice n So as they might be heard by a great number of the people by whom the rest were informed and directed by some signal when they should answer 15 * Exod. 20. â—… 23. and 34. 1â—… Lev. 19. 4. Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image o Under this particular he understands all the gross violations of the first Table as under the following branches he comprehends all other sins against the second Table as is manifest from hence that there are other sins not here mentioned which are as sinful as these and will as certainly expose a man to the curse as any of the rest an abomination unto the LORD the work of the hands of the craftsmen and p Or although as that particle sometimes signifies putteth it in a secret place q He takes special notice of such partly to shew the folly of those men who think to hide their sins by this means and partly to deter men from such practises which men could not see nor punish by making them their own condemners and executioners and all the people shall
and happiness of this People if they had had wit to know it or hearts to prize it And all the Infelicities of Israel under this kind of Government did not proceed from the Nature of the Government but from the ungovernableness and wickedness of the People which they might be sure would produce the same or greater Calamities under their Kingly Government Qu. First Did not God Reign over them when they had Kings Ans. Yes in a general way but not in such a peculiar manner as he did by the Judges who were generally raised and called by Gods particular Appoitnment Endowed and Sanctified by his Spirit directed and assisted by his special Providence upon all Emergencies whereas all things were for the most part contrary in their Kings Qu. Secondly Was it simply unlawful for the People to desire a King Ans. No as appears from Deut. 17. 14. but herein was their Sin That they desired it upon Sinful grounds of which see on v. 7. and in an Impetuous manner and at an unseasonable time and without asking Leave or Advice from God which in so weighty and difficult a Case they could not neglect without great Sin 8 According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day wherewith they have forsaken me and served other gods so do they also unto thee p Thou farest no worse than my self This he speaks for Samuel's Comfort and Vindication 9 Now therefore ‖ Or obey hearken unto their voice ‖ Or notwithstanding when thou hast solemnly protested against them then thou shalt shew c. howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them q That if it be possible thou maist yet prevent their Sin and Misery and shew them the manner of the king r i. e. Of the Kings which they desire like the Kings of other Nations He speaks not of the just Authority or the right of their Kings but of their Practice as is evident from divers of the following particulars which are expresly forbidden and condemned in Scripture as we shall see that shall reign over them 10 ¶ And Samuel told all the words of the LORD unto the people that asked of him a king 11 And he said This will be * Chap 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the manner of the king that shall reign over you he * Chap 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will take your sons s To wit Inâ—…uriously and by Violence as this Hebrew word is oft used as Gen. 20. 3. and 27. 36. Iob 5. 5. and so it must be here because otherwise the King would have no more priviledge than any of his Subjects for any Man might take a Son with his own or Parents consent and appoint tâ—…m for himself for his charets and to be his horsmen t Or and for his Horses for so the Hebrew word Parosh sometimes signifies as Isa. 21. 7 9. and 28. 28. to ride his Horses and some shall run before his charets 12 And he will appoint him u Heb. To or for himself Emphatically i. e. for his own fancy or glory or conveniency or evil design and not only when the necessities of the Kingdom or Commonwealth require it as the Judges did And though this might seem to be no incumbrance as it is here represented but an honour and advantage to the Persons so advanced yet even in them that Honour was accompanied with great Dangers and Pernicious Snares of many kinds which those faint Shadows of Glory could not recompence and as to the publick their Pomp and Power proved very Burdensom and Oppressive to the People whose Lands and Fruits were taken from them and bestowed upon these for the support of their State as it follows below v. 14 15. captains over thousands and captains over fifties and will 〈◊〉 them to ear his ground and to reap his harvest x At his own pleasure and without their consent when possibly their own Fields required all their time and pains and to make his instruments of war and instruments of his charets y He will press them for all sorts of his work and that upon his own terms 13 And he will take your daughters z Which would be more grievous to their Parents and more dangerous to themselves because of the tenderness of that Sex and liableness to many injuries to be confectioners and to be cooks and to be bakers 14 And * 1 King 21. 7 he will take your fields a To wit by fraud or force as Ahab did from Naboth and your vineyards and your oliveyards even the best of them and give them to his servants b He will not only take the Fruits of your Lands for his own use but will take away your Possessions to give to his Servants 15 And he will take the tenth c Besides the several Tenths which God hath reserved for his Service and Servants he will when he pleaseth impose another Tenth upon you of your seed and of your vineyards and give to his ‡ Heb. Eunuchs officers d Heb. to his Eunuchs which may be properly understood and may imply a further injury that he should against the command of God make some of his People Eunuchs and take those into his Court and Favour which God would have cast out of the Congregation and to his servants 16 And he will take your men-servants and your maid-servants and your goodliest young men and your asses and put them to his work e By constraint and without sufficient recompence 17 He will take the tenth of your sheep and ye shall be his servants f i. e. He shall use you like Slaves and deprive you of that Liberty which you now enjoy 18 And ye shall cry out in that day g Ye shall bitterly mourn for the sad Effects of this inordinate desire of a King because of the king which ye shall have chosen you and the LORD will not hear you in that day h Because you will not hear him nor obey his Counsel in this Day Compare Prov. 1. 24 c. Zech. 7. 13. 19 ¶ Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel and they said Nay i i. e. These things shall never be these are but vain Suppositions to affright us from our purpose Thus they are not ashamed ot give Samuel the lye of whose Modesty Integrity and Prophetical Spirit they had so great assurance as if he had feigned those pretences meerly to keep the power in his own and his Sons hands but there shall be a king over us k We will have a King whatsover it cost us although all thy Predictions should be verified 20 That we also may be like all the nations l Woful Stupidity Whereas it was their Glory and Happiness that they were unlike all other Nations Numb 23. 9. Deut. 33. 23. as in other Glorious Priviledges so especially in this That the
z Whose kindness and compassion to him as he had formerly experienced so now he expected it in his deep distress This practice of divination by the dead or by the Ghosts or Souls of dead Persons called up by Magical Art was very usual among all Nations and from them Saul learned it 12 And when the woman saw Samuel she cryed with a loud voice a For fear of her life Saul himself being Witness of her Crime and the woman spake to Saul saying Why hast thou deceived me for thou art Saul b This she knew either by some Gesture of Reverence which this supposed Samuel might shew to Saul as to the King or by information from this Ghost or from the Spirit by whose help she had raised him 13 And the king said unto her Be not asraid for what sawest thou And the woman said unto Saul I saw ‖ Or a god gods c i. e. A god a Divine Person Glorious and full of Majesty and Splendor exceeding not onely Mortal men but common Ghosts She useth the Plural Number gods either after the manner of the Hebrew Language which commonly useth that word of one Person or after the Language and Custom of the Heathens But the whole Coherence shows that it was but one For Saul desired but one v. 11. and he enquires and the Woman answers onely of one v. 14. ascending out of the earth d As if it came from the place of the dead 14 And he said unto her ‡ Heb. what is his form What form is he of And she said An old man cometh up and he is covered with a mantle e The usual Habit of Prophets 2 King 2. 8 13. Zech. 13. 4. and particularly of Samuel 1 Sam. 15. 27. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel f The Woman pretended and Saul upon her Suggestion believed that it was Samuel indeed And so many Popish and some other Writers conceived But that it was not Samuel but the Devil representing Samuel is sufficiently evident For First It is most incredible that God who had just now refused to answer Saul by the means which himself appointed and used in that case would answer him or suffer Samuel to answer him in that way and upon the use of those means which God detested and contemned which would have given great countenance and encouragement to Saul and the Witch and all Professors and Consulters of those Devillish Arts. Secondly There are divers passages in this Relation which plainly discover that this was no good but an evil Spirit as first That he receives that Worship from Saul v. 14. which good Spirits would not suffer Revel 19. 10. and 22. 8 9. Secondly That amongst his other sins for which he condemneth him he omitteth this of asking Counsel of one that had a familiar Spirit to enquire of it for which transgression with others he is expresly said to have died 1 Chron. 10. 13. which the true Samuel who was so Zealous for Gods Honour and so Faithful a Reprover would never have neglected especially now when he takes Saul in the very Fact Thirdly That he pretends himself to be disquieted and brought up v. 15. by Saul's Instigation and the Witches Art which is most false and impious and absurd to imagine concerning those Blesâ—…ed Souls who are returned to their God Eccles. 12. 7. and entred into peace and rest Isa. 57. 2. and lodged in Abraham's bosom Luk. 16. 22. and rest from their labours Revel 14. 13. The onely Argument of any colour to the contrary is onely this That the Devil could not so particularly and punctually discover Saul's future Events as this Samuel doth v. 19. But this also hath little weight in it it being confessed and notoriously known that evil Spirits both in the Oracles of the Heathen and otherwise have oft-times foretold future contingencies God being pleased to Reveal such things to them and to permit them to be the Instruments of Revealing them to Men for the trial of some and for the terror and punishment of others Besides the Devil might foresee this by strong conjectures as by the numerousness strength courage and resoluteness of the Philistine Host and the quite contrary condition of the Israelites and by divers other symptoms far above the reach of Mortal men but such as he by his great Sagacity could easily discern And for that express determination of the time to morrow v. 19. that word may be understood not of the very next day but indefinitely of some short time after this as it is taken Exod. 13. 14. Deut. 6. 20. Ios. 4. 6 21. And then it was easie to gather from the present posture of the two Armies that the Fight and the Ruin of the Israelites was very near And that it was not the very next day but some days after this is evident from the course of the Story and hath been proved by a late Learned Writer See my Latin Synopsis on this place and he stooped with his face to the ground and bowed himself 15 ¶ And Samuel said to Saul Why hast thou disquieted me to bring me up g As the Devil appeared in Samuel's Shape and Garb so also he speaketh in his Petson that he might 〈◊〉 Saul and encourage others to seek to him in this wicked way And God permits him to do so for Saul's greater condemnation and punishment And Saul answered I am fore distressed for the Philistines make war against me and God is departed from me and answereth me no more neither ‡ Heb. by the hand of prophets by prophets nor by dreams h He omitteth the Uâ—…im here because he neither did nor could enquire by that because Abiathar had carried it away to David and so he expected no answer that way therefore I have called thee that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do 16 Then said Samuel Wherefore then dost thou ask of me seeing the LORD is departed from thee and is become tâ—…ine enemy 17 And the LORD hath done ‖ Or 〈◊〉 himself to him i i. e. To David as it is explained in the following words The Pronoun Relative put before the Noun to which it belongs as is usual in the Hebrew Text as Psal. 87. 1. and 105. 19. Prov. 7. 7 8. Ier. 40. 5. Otherwise to him is put for to thee such changes of Persons being frequent among the Hebrews Otherwise for himself i. e. for the accomplishment of his Counsel and Prediction and Oath and for the Glory of his Justice and Holiness * Chap. 1â—… as he spake by †me k Still he nourisheth this persuasion in Saul that it was the true Samuel that spake to him for the LORD hath rent the kingdom out of thâ—…ne hand and given it to thy ‡ Heb. 〈◊〉 hand neighbour even to David 18 * Chap. 〈◊〉 Because thou obeyedst not the voice of the LORD nor executedst his fierce wrath upon Amalek
by Zadok or Abiathar or some other of the Priests whom they persuaded or constrained to do this office for this being a Sacred Ceremony of great reputation and a likely means to gain the more authority and veneration from the people to Absalom as one whom God by his Vicegerent had constituted and set up and this rite being usual upon all translations of the Government from one person to another in an extraordinary way as this confessedly was it is not likely that they would now omit it though otherwise Anointing is frequently put for designing or constituting over us is dead in battel r And therefore we have no obligation to him and no hope of any thing from him now therefore why ‡ Heb. are ye silent speak ye not a word s The People of Israel speak thus to the Elders of Israel as appears by comparing this Verse with the next Seeing their designs for Absalom disappointed they now repented of that undertaking and were willing to testify so much by their forwardness to bring back David and re-establish him of bringing the king back 11 ¶ And king David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests saying Speak unto the elders of Judah t Who being the first and chief Abettors of Absalom's Rebellion despaired of ever obtaining the Kings grace and pardon and therefore were backward to promote the Kings Restauration saying Why are ye the last to bring the king back to his house u To his Royal Palace at Ierusalem â—…eeing the speech of all Israel is come to the king even to his house x i. e. Even to Mahanaim where now the Kings House and Family is Thus sometimes one word is taken in divers senses in the same Verse as Matth. 8. 22. Or rather thus about bringing the King back to his house For First Those words are very fitly and easily understood here out of the foregoing member of the Verse such defects being usual in the Hebrew which is a very concise or short Language So it is Exod. 22. 15. and Deut. 1. 4 c. Secondly It seems most reasonable to understand the same Phrase to his house being twice here used in the same sense in both places to wit of his House in Ierusalem and this is most agreeable to rule and to Scripture-usage Thirdly Thus the words have more Emphasis than the other way for if the Speech came to the King at Mahanaim it matters not whether it found him in his House there or in the Gate-house or in the field Fourthly David had no House in Mahanaim which could properly be called his house as he had in Ierusalem And then the Parenthesis should close before those last words even to his house or even to his own house to wit that at Ierusalem 12 Ye are my brethren ye are my bones and my flesh y Of the same Tribe and some of you of the same Family with my self and therefore if I should revenge my self of you which perhaps you may fear I will do when I have fully regained my power I should but tear my own Flesh in pieces and hate my own Body which Nature and Interest obligeth every man to preserve wherefore then are ye the last to bring back the king z This delay doth not suit with the relation you have and the affection you owe to me 13 And say ye to Amasa a Absalom's late General who judging his case above all others desperate might be ready to use all his Interest with that Tribe to delay or hinder the Kings return Art thou not * Chap. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of my bone and of my flesh b i. e. My near Kinsman my Nephew See 1 Chron. 2. 16 17. God do so to me and more also if thou be not captain of the host before me c i. e. In my presence or now whilst I live lest he should think he promised him onely the reversion of it continually in the room of Joab d Who besides his other Crimes had lately exasperated the King by his wilful Murther of Absalom contrary to David's express command and by his insolent carriage towards him And therefore the King having now the opportunity of another person who had a greater interest both in Iudah and Israel than Ioab he gladly complies with it that so he might both chaftise Ioab for his faults and rescue himself from the Bondagein which Ioab had hitherto held him Yet is it not necessary from those words in the room of Ioab to conclude that Ioab was to be displaced to make room for Amasa but that he might be in like condition with Ioab But what follows in the next Chapter makes very probable that he was indeed displaced and Amasa put in his place 14 And he e Either First Amasa by his great influence upon them Or rather Secondly David by this prudent and kind message and his free offer of pardon and favour to them as if they had never offended bowed the heart of all the men of Judah * Judg. 20. 1. even as the heart of one man so that they sent this word unto the king Return thou and all thy servants 15 So the king returned and came to Jordan and Judah came to Gilgal to go to meet the king to conduct the king over Jordan f To attend upon the King in his passage over Iordan and to furnish him with conveniences for his passage and journey See below v. 41 42. 16 ¶ And * Chap. 16. 5. 1 King 2. â—… Shimei the son of Gera a Benjamite which was of Bahurim hasted and came down with the men of Judah to meet king David 17 And there were a thousand men of Benjamin with him g Whom he brought partly to shew his power and interest in the people whereby he was able to do David either great service or great disservice and partly as intercessors on his behalf and as witnesses of David's clemency or severity that in him they might see what the rest of them might expect and * Chap. 16. 1. Ziba the servant of the house of Saul h Who being conscious of his former abuse of David and of his Master Mephibosheth which he knew the King would understand designed to sweeten David's Spirit towards him by his great officiousness and forwardness in meeting him and congratulating his return and his fifteen sons and his twenty servants with him and they went over Jordan before the king i They did not tarry on this side Iordan waiting till the King came over as the most of the men of Iudah did but went over Iordan to pay their respects and duty to the King there to express their eager and impatient desire to see the King 18 And there went over a ferry boat k Made by the men of Iudah for the Kings proper use besides which there were doubtless many Boats ready for the use of others to carry the kings
God of my rock in him will I trust he is my shield and the horn of my salvation my high tower and my refuge my saviour thou savest me from violence 4 I will call on the LORD who is worthy to be praised so shall I be saved from mine enemies 5 When the ‖ Or pangs waves of death compassed me the floods of ‡ Heb. Belial ungodly men made me afraid 6 The ‖ Or cords sorrows of hell compassed me about the sâ—…ares of death prevented me 7 In my distress I called upon the LORD and cried to my God and he did hear my voice out of his temple and my cry did enter into his ears 8 Then the earth shook and trembled the foundations of heaven moved and shook because he was wroth 9 There went up a smoke ‡ Heb. by out of his nostrils and fire out of his mouth devoured coals were kindled by it 10 He bowed the heavens also and came down and darkness was under his feet 11 And he rode upon a cherub and did flie and he was seen upon the wings of the wind 12 And he made darkness pavilions round about him ‡ Heb. binding of waters dark waters and thick clouds of the skies 13 Through the brightness before him were coals of fire kindled 14 The LORD thundred from heaven and the most High uttered his voice 15 And he sent out arrows and scattered them lightning and discomfited them 16 And the chanels of the sea appeared the foundations of the world were discovered at the rebuking of the LORD at the blast of the breath of his nostrils 17 He sent from above he took me he drew me out of ‖ Or great many waters 18 He delivered me from my strong enemy and from them that hated me for they were too strong for me 19 They prevented me in the day of my calamity but the LORD was my stay 20 He brought me forth also into a large place he delivered me because he delighted in me 21 The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me 22 For I have kept the ways of the LORD and have not wickedly departed from my God 23 For all his judgments were before me and as for his statutes I did not depart from them 24 I was also ‖ Or perfect upright ‡ Heb. to him before him and have kept my self from mine iniquity 25 Therefore the LORD hath recompensed me according to my righteousness according to my cleanness ‡ Heb. before his eyes in his eye-sight 26 With the merciful thou wilt shew thy self merciful and with the upright man thou wilt shew thy self upright 27 With the pure thou wilt shew thy self pure and with the froward thou wilt ‖ Or wrestle Psal. 18. 20. shew thy self unsavoury 28 And the afflicted people thou wilt save but thine eyes are upon the haughty that thou mayest bring them down 29 For thou art my ‖ Or candle lamp O LORD and the LORD will lighten my darkness 30 For by thee I have ‖ Or broken a troop run through a troop by my God have I leaped over a wall 31 As for God his way is perfect the word of the LORD is ‖ Or refined tried he is a buckler to all them that trust in him 32 For who is God save the LORD and who is a rock save our God 33 God is my strength and power and he ‡ Heb. riddeth or looseth maketh my way perfect 34 He ‡ Heb. equalleth maketh my feet like hinds feet and setteth me upon my high places 35 He teacheth my hands ‡ Heb. for the war to war so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms 36 Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation and ‡ Heb. thy hearkning to me So Gr. thy gentleness hath ‡ Heb. multiplied me made me great 37 Thou hast enlarged my steps under me so that my ‡ Heb. ankles feet did not slip 38 I have pursued mine enemies and destroyed them and turned not again until I had consumed them 39 And I have consumed them and wounded them that they could not arise yea they are fallen under my feet 40 For thou hast girded me with strength to battel them that rose up against me hast thou ‡ Heb. caused to bow subdued under me 41 Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies that I might destroy them that hate me 42 They looked but there was none to save even unto the LORD but he answered them not 43 Then did I beat them as small as the dust of the earth I did stamp them as the mire of the street and did spread them abroad 44 Thou also hast delivered me from the strivings of my people thou hast kept me to be head of the heathen a people which I knew not shall serve me 45 ‡ Heb. sons of the stranger Strangers shall ‖ Or yield feigned obedience ‡ Heb. lie submit themselves unto me assoon as they hear they shall be obedient unto me 46 Strangers shall fade away and they shall be afraid out of their close places 47 The LORD liveth and blessed be my rock and exalted be the God of the rock of my salvation 48 It is God that ‡ Heb. giveth avengement for me avengeth me and that bringeth down the people under me 49 And that bringeth me forth from mine enemies thou also hast lifted me up on high above them that rose up against me thou hast delivered me from the violent man 50 Therefore I will give thanks unto thee O LORD among * Rom. 15. 9. the heathen and I will sing praises unto thy name 51 He is the tower of salvation for his king and sheweth mercy to his anointed unto David and * Chap. 7. 12. to his seed for evermore CHAP. XXIII NOw these be the last words of David a Not simply the last that he spoke but some of the last uttered in his last days upon the approach of his death or the last which he spake by the Spirit of God assisting and directing him in an extraordinary manner David the son of Jesse said and the man who was raised up on high b Advanced from an obscure Family and Estate to the Kingdom the anointed of the God of Jacob c Whom though despised by Men and rejected by his own Brethren God himself singled out from all his Fathers House and out of all the Families and Tribes of Israel and anointed to be King and the sweet psalmist of Israel d Or sweet or delightful or amiable in the Songs of Israel Either First As the object of them he whom the people of Israel mentioned in their Songs with joy and praise as when they Sung Saul hath slain his thousands and David his ten thousands and many others which doubtless they made and Sung concerning him upon
and his Angels sitting in the third Heaven but that he saw a representation of the Divine Presence in the Air attended with good and bad Angels standing by him f In the posture of Ministers to receive and execute his Commands on his right hand and on his left 20 And the LORD said Who shall ‖ Or deceive perswade Ahab g This is not to be grosly understood as if God did ask and take counsel from his Creatures or were at a loss to find out an expedient to accomplish his own Will did consider several ways and then close with that which upon debate appeared to be best all which it is ridiculous to imagine concerning a God of perfect and infinite knowledge but onely to bring down Divine things to our shallow capacities and to express the various means which God hath to execute his own Designs that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead And one said on this manner and another said on that manner 21 And there came forth a spirit h An evil spirit came out of the knot or company of them standing possibly on the left had and presented himself before the Throne as having something to say to the Lord. and stood before the LORD and said I will perswade him 22 And the LORD said unto him Wherewith And he said I will go forth and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets k I will inspire a lye into the minds and mouths of his Prophets And he said * Judg. 9. 23. Thou shalt perswade him and prevail also l I will give them up into thy hands and blind their minds and leave them to their own ignorance and wickedness which will certainly lead them into dreadful mistakes go forth and do so m This is not a command but onely a permission which is oft expressed in the Imperative Mood as 1 Sam. 16. 10. Matth. 8. 22. Ioh. 13. 27. I will not hinder thee from tempting them nor give them Grace to withstand their temptation whereby thou maist be assured of success 23 Now therefore behold the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets and the LORD hath spoken evil concerning thee 24 But Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah n The chief of the false Prophets who was much in the Kings favour upon which he now presumed went near and smote Micaiah on the cheek o In way of contempt and scorn Iob 16. 10. Ier. 20. 2. Lament 3. 30. Mark 14. 65. and said * 2 Câ—… 18. 〈◊〉 Which way went the spirit of the LORD from me to speak unto thee p i. e. In what manner went it Forasmuch as I and my Brethren have consulted the Lord and answered in his Name and have the same spirit which thon pretendest to have and not a lying spirit as thou dost falsly and maliciously affirm How is it possible that the same spirit should tell us one thing and thee the quite contrary 25 And Micaiah said Behold thou shalt see in that day when thou shalt go ‖ Or from chamber to chamber into ‡ Heb. a chamber in a chamber an inner chamber to hide thy self q Out of a just fear and expectation of the deserved punishment of a false Prophet and of the great Author and Abettor of this pernicious War and of Ahab's destruction 26 And the king of Israel said Take Micaiah and carry him back r To wit into Prison where it seems he was before shut up for so the Lords Prophets were used by Ahab And some think he was the deliverer of that unwelcome message â—…hap 20. 41 42. unto Amon the governour of the city and to Joash the kings son 27 And say Thus saith the king Put this fellow in the prison and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction s i. e. With a very course and sparing Diet whereby he may be onely supported to endure his torment See Deut. 16. 3. 2 Chr. 18. 26. Isa. 30. 20. until I come in peace t Until I return in triumph which I doubt not I shall do in spight of all his malicious suggestions to the contrary and then I shall call him to an account for all his lyes and impudence 28 And Micaiah said If thou return at all in peace the LORD hath not spoken by me u I acknowledge my self to be an Impostor and to deserve Death And he said x i. e. Micaiah the person last named being assured of the truth of his Prophecy calls all the people to be witnesses of it Hearken O people every one of you 29 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah y Who though a good man yet was easily deceived in this matter partly because Micaiah was a person unknown to him and both he and the other Prophets pretending to give their answer in the Name of the Lord it seemed hard to him to determine the controversy which onely the event could decide and therefore it is no wonder if he was overborn by the vast disproportion of 400 Prophets to one and by his Relation and Obligation and Affection to Ahab and partly because the War was Just and Lawful to recover his own rights which the Syrian King unjustly detained from him went up to Ramoth-gilead 30 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat ‖ Or when he was to disguise himself and enter into the battel I will disguise my self z i. e. Put off my Imperial habit that the Syrians may not know me and direct their main Force against me which they will assuredly endeavour as knowing that this War proceedeth from me and is likely to die with me and then thou shalt see that this Man is a false Prophet and I shall have the success which I desire and expect notwithstanding all his presages and enter into the battel but put thou on thy robes a Thy Royal Robes which thou maist do without any danger because thou art not the object either of the Syrians rage or of this false Prophecy And the king of Israel disguised himself and went into the battel 31 But the king of Syria commanded his thirty and two captains that had rule over his chariots b And the men that fought from them or with them i. e. his whole Army Possibly the Chariots and the whole Army were distributed into thirty two several parts and each Captain ruled those Chariots and Soldiers attending upon them which fell to his share saying Fight neither with small nor great save onely with the king of Israel c This he ordered either in Policy truly supposing this to be the best way to put an end to the War or with design to take him Prisoner that thereby he might wipe out the stain of his own Captivity and recover the honour and advantage which then he lost or
to Bethel as also to Iericho to the Schools of the Prophets there that he might comfort and strengthen their hearts in God's Work and give them his last and dying Counsels and Elisha said unto him As the LORD liveth and * 1 Sam. 1 â—…6 as thy soul liveth I will not leave thee So they went down to Bethel 3 And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha and said unto him Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master c This was Revealed to some of the Sons of the Prophets and by them to the whole Colledge from thy head d Heb. from above thy head Which Phrase may respect either 1. The manner of sitting in Schools where the Scholar sate at his Masters feet Deut. 33. 3. Act. 22. 3. Or 2. The manner of Elijah's Translation which was to be by a Power sent from Heaven to take him up thither to day And he said Yea I know it hold you your peace e Do not aggravate my grief nor divert me with any unseasonable Discourses that I may digest my Sorrow and prepare my self for so great a Stroke and diligently attend all my Masters steps lest he be snatched away from me whilst I am talking with you and that I may beg and obtain some great Blessing from him before his departure 4 And Elijah said unto him Elisha tarry here I pray thee for the LORD hath sent me to Jericho and he said As the LORD liveth and as thy soul liveth I will not leave thee So they came to Jericho 5 And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha and said unto him Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy Master from thy head to day And he answered Yea I know it hold you your peace 6 And Elijah said unto him Tarry I pray thee here for the LORD hath sent me to Jordan And he said As the LORD liveth and as thy soul liveth I will not leave thee And they two went on 7 And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood ‡ Heb. in â—…ight or over against c. to view f To observe this great Event Elijah's Translation to Heaven which they expected every moment now when he had taken his last farewell of all the Prophets and whereof they desired to be Spectators not so much to satisfie their own curiosity as that they might be Witnesses of it to others afar off and they two stood by Jordan 8 And Elijah took his mantle and wrapt it together and smote the waters and * â—…o Exod. 1â—… 21. Josh. 3. 15. and they were divided hither and thither so they two went over on dry ground ¶ 9 And it came to pass when they were gone over that Elijah said unto Elisha Ask what I shall do for thee before I be taken away from thee And Elisha said I pray thee let a double portion of thy spirit g Either 1. Double to what is in thee Which it seems not probable that he had confidence either to ask or to expect Or rather 2. Double to what the rest of the Sons of the Propheâ—…s maâ—…â—…eceive at thy Request upon this occasion He allude 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 double portion of the First-born Deut. 21. 17. But though Elisha desired no more yet God gave him more than he desired or expected and he seems to have had a greater portion of the Prophetical and Miraculous Gifts of God's Spirit than Elijah had be upon me 10 And he said ‡ Heb. Thou hast done hard in asking Thou hast asked a hard thing h i. e. A rare and singular Blessing which I cannot promise thee which onely God can give and he gives it onely when and to whom he pleaseth nevertheless if thou see me when I am taken from thee it shall be so unto thee but if not it shall not be so i This Sign he proposed not without the instinct and direction of God's Spirit that hereby he might engage him more earnestly to wait and more fervently to pray for this mercy 11 And it came to pass as they still went on and talked that behold there appeared a * Chap. 6. 17. chariot of fire and horses of fire k A bright Cloud formed into such a likeness managed by Holy and Blessed Angels sent from Heaven to Conduct him thither and parted them both asunder and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven l Into the Third Heaven being in the way so transformed and changed as might make him meet to be admitted into those blessed Mansions 12 ¶ And Elisha saw it and cried * Chap. 13 14 My father my father m So he calls him for his fatherly Affection to him and for his fatherly Authority which by his Office he had over him in which respect the Scholars of the Prophets are called their Sons as 1 King 20. 35. the chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof n Who by thy Example and Counsels and Prayers and Power with God didst more for the Defence and Preservation of Israel than all their Chariots and Horses or other Warlike Provisions The expression alludes to the form of Chariots and Horses which he had seen And he saw him no more and he took hold of his own clothes and rent them in two pieces 13 He took up also the mantle of Elijah that â—…ell from him o God so ordering it for Elisha's comfort and the strengthning of his Faith as a Pledge that together with Elijah's Mantle his Office and Spirit should rest upon him and went back and stood by the ‡ Heb. lip bank of Jordan 14 And he took the mantle of Elijah that sell from him and smote the waters and said Where is the LORD God of Elijah p Who at Elijah's Request divided these Waters and is as able to do it again and hath given me his Spirit and Office and therefore I humbly beg and confidently expect his Assistance in this matter and when he had smitten the waters they parted q But these words are by many rendred otherwise and that agreeably to the Hebrew even himself or even the same which words they joyn with the former as an Emphatical Addition or Repetition which is usual in fervent Prayers But they may be rendered without an Interrogation thus Surely he is to wit here present and ready to help me Or surely he is the same to wit to me that he was to Elijah as able and willing to work for me as for Elijah Then the following words they render as they are in the Hebrew and he smote the water and it was divided By which Repetition it may seem that he smote it twice and that at the first smiting the success did not answer his desire and expectation Which God so ordered partly to keep him in a modest and humble sence of his own Insufficiency that he might not be
against the Holy Ghost That they might be guilty of many other hainous Crimes which God and the Prophet knew and were guilty of Idolatry which by Gods Law deserved death that the Idolatrous Parents were punished in their Children and that if any of these Children were more innocent and ignorant of what they said God might have Mercy upon their Souls and then this death was not a misery but a real blessing to them that they were taken away from that wicked and Idolatrous Education which was most likely to expose them not onely to Temporal but to an Eternal destruction in the Name of the LORD m Not from any carnal or revengeful passion but by the motion of Gods Spirit and by Gods command and commission as appears by Gods concurrence with him Which God did partly for the terror and caution of all other Idolaters and prophane persons who abounded in that place partly to vindicate the Honour and maintain the Authority of his Prophets and particularly of Elisha now especially in the beginning of his Sacred Ministry And this did beget such a confidence in Elisha that he durst venture to go into Bethel after this was done and such a terror in the Bethelites that they durst not avenge themselves of him and there came forth two she-bears n Possibly robbed of their Whelps and therefore more fierce Prov. 17. 12. Hos. 13. 8. but certainly acted by an extraordinary fury which God raised in them for this purpose out of the wood and tare forty and two children o This Hebrew word signifies not onely young Children but those also who are grown up to maturity as Gen. 32. 22. and 34. 4. and 37. 30. Ruth 1. 5. of them 25 And he went from thence to mount Carmel p Partly to decline the fury of the People of Bethel partly that he might retire himself from men and converse more freely with God and so fit himself more for the discharge of his employment and partly that he might visit the Sons of the Prophets who lived in that place or near it and from thence he returned to Samaria q By the direction of Gods Spirit for the service which he did chap. 3. 11 c. CHAP. III. NOw Jehoram the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah a Quest. How can this be true when Ahaziah Iehoram's predecessor who Reigned two Years began his Reign in Iehoshaphat's 17th Year 1 King 22. 51 Ans. Either Ahaziah Reigned the greatest part of two Years to wit of the 17th and 18th Years of Iehoshaphat parts of Years being oft called years in the computation of times both in Scripture and other Authors and Iehoram began his Reign towards the end of his 18th Year or Ahaziah Reigned part of this two Years with his Father and the rest after him and reigned twelve years 2 And he wrought evil in the sight of the LORD but not like his father and like his mother for he put away the ‡ Heb. 〈◊〉 image of Baal * 1 King 16. 31 32. that his father had made b Not from any principle of Conscience for that would have reached the Calves also but either because he was startled at the dreadful Judgments of God inflicted upon his Father and Brother for Baal-worship or because he needed Gods help to subdue the Moabites which he knew Baal could not do or to gratify Iehoshaphat whose help he meant to crave which he knew he should never obtain without this and for this reason it seems Iezabel was willing to connive at it as a trick of State 3 Nevertheless he cleaved unto the sins of Jeroboam c i. e. The worship of the Calves which all the Kings of Israel kept up as a Wall of partition between their Subjects and those of Iudah Thus he shews that his Religion was over-ruled by his Interest and Policy the son of Nebat which made Israel to sin he departed not therefrom 4 ¶ And Mesha king of Moab was a sheep-master d A man of great wealth which in those times and places consisted much in Cattel which enabled and emboldned him to Rebel against his Sovereign Lord. and rendred unto the king of Israel an hundred thousand lambs and an hundred thousand rams with the wool 5 But it came to pass when * Ahab was dead that the king of Moab rebelled e See of this ch 1. 1. It is here repeated to make way for the following Story Ahaziah did not attempt the recovery of Moab either because he was a man of a low spirit and courage or because his Sickness or the shortness of his Reign gave not opportunity for it against the king of Israel 6 ¶ And king Jehoram went out of Samaria f To some place appointed for the Rendezvous of his people the same time and numbred all Israel g To wit such as were fit for War 7 And he went and sent to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah saying The king of Moab hath rebelled against me wilt thou go with me against Moab to battel and he said I will go up I am as thou art my people as thy people and my horses as thy horses h Of which see on 1 King 22. 4. He joyns with him in this War partly because the War was very just in it self and convenient for Iehoshaphat both in the general that Rebels and Revolters should be chastised and suppressed lest the example should pass into his Dominions and the Edomites should be hereby encouraged to revolt from him as they did from his Son and in particular that the Moabites should be humbled who had with others Invaded his Land before this time 2 Chron. 20. 1. and might do so again if they were not brought low for which a fair opportunity was now offered to him and partly because Iehoram had reformed some things and Iehoshaphat hoped by this means to engage him to proceed further in that work 8 And he i Either Iehoshaphat or rather Ioram for the following answer may seem to be Iehoshaphat's said Which way shall we go up And he answered The way through the wilderness of Edom k Which though it was much the longer way yet they thought it best partly to secure the King or Vice-Roy of Edom of whom they might have some suspition from that passage 2 Chron. 20. 22. and to carry both him and his Soldiers along with them into the War both to get their assistance and to prevent them from making a War of diversion against Iudah whilst Iehoshaphat was engaged against Moab and partly that they might invade Moab on their weakest side and where they least expected them God also thus disposed their hearts to make way for the following miracle 9 So the king of Israel went and the king of Judah and the king of Edom l i. e. The Vice-Roy under Iehoshaphat 1 King 22. 47.
6. of the congregation with singing until Solomon had built the house of the LORD in Jerusalem and then they waited on their office according to their order s Which David had appointed by the Spirit as it follows in this Book 33 And these t To wit Heman here mentioned and Asaph v. â—…9 and Ethan v. 44. are they that †Heb. stâ—…od waited with their children of the sons of the Kohathite Heman a singer the son of Joel the son of Shemuel u Or Samuel the Prophet 34 The son of Elkanah the son of Jeroham the son of Eliel the son of ‖ Ver. 26. Nahâ—…th Toah 35 The son of ‖ or Zophai Zuph the son of Elkanah the son of Mahath the son of Amasai 36 The son of Elkanah the son of ‖ Ver. 24. Shaul Uzziah Uriel Joel the son of Azariah the son of Zephaniah 37 The son of Tahath the son of Assir the son of * Exod. 6. 24. Ebiasaph the son of Korah 38 The son of Izhar the son of Kohath the son of Levi the son of Israel 39 And his brother x Asaph is here called Hemans Brother both by birth being of the same Tribe and Father Levi and by his Office and Employment which was the same with his Asaph who stood on his right hand even Asaph the son of Berechiah the son of Shimea 40 The son of Michael the son of Baasiah the son of Melchiah 41 The son of Ethni the son of Zerah the son of Adajah 42 The son of Ethan the son of Zimmah the son of Shimei 43 The son of Jahath the son of Gershom the son of Levi. 44 And their brethren the sons of Merari stood on the left hand Ethan y Called also Ieduthun 1 Chron. 9. 16. 2 Chron. 35. 15. and in the Titles of divers Psalms the son of ‖ Or Kushajah Ch. 15. 17. Kishi the son of Abdi the son of Malluch 45 The son of Hashabiah the son of Amaziah the son of Hilkiah 46 The son of Amzi the son of Bani the son of Shamer 47 The son of Mahli the son of Mushi the son of Merari the son of Levi. 48 Their brethren also the Levites z Such of them as had no skill in Singing were otherwise employed were appointed unto all manner of service of the tabernacle of the house of God 49 But a Having mentioned the Work and Employment of the High-Priests he briefly rehearseth the Names of the Persons who successively performed it Aaron and his sons offered * Lev. 1. 9. upon the altar of the burnt-offering and * Exod. 30. 7. on the altar of incense and were appointed for all the work of the place most holy and to make an atonement for Israel according to all that Moses the servant of God had commanded 50 And these are the sons of Aaron Eleazar his son Phinehas his son Abishua his son 51 Bukki his son Uzzi his son Zerahiah his son 52 Merajoth his son Amariah his son Ahitub his son 53 Zadok his son Ahimaaz his son 54 Now these are their dwelling places throughout their castles in their coasts of the sons of Aaron of the families of the Kohathite for theirs was the lot b Or this Lot or Portion which here follows Or the first Lot as appears by the sequel 55 And they gave them Hebron in the land of Judah and the suburbs thereof round about it 56 But the fields of the city and the villages thereof they gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh 57 And to the sons of Aaron they gave the cities c Or out of the Cities the Hebrew eth being put for meeth as hath been oft noted of Judah namely Hebron the city of refuge and Libna with her suburbs and Jattir and Eshtemoa with their suburbs 58 And ‖ Or Holon Josh. 21. 15. Hilen with her suburbs Debiâ—… with her suburbs 59 And ‖ Or Ain Josh. 21. 16. Ashan with her suburbs and Beth-shemesh with her suburbs 60 And out of the tribe of Benjamin Geba with her suburbs and ‖ Or Almon Josh. 21. 18. Alemeth with her suburbs and Anathoth with her suburbs All their cities throughout their families were thirteen cities d Whereof 11. are here numbred and two more added to them Ios. 21. 13. 61 And unto the sons of Kohath which were left e Over and above the Priests who were of the same Family of Kohath and Tribe of Levi. of the family of that tribe were cities given out of the half tribe namely out of the half tribe of Manasseh * Josh. 21. 5. by lot ten cities f Or by lot with a full Point for there the Sense ends All their Cities were ten cities as it is expresly said Ios. 21. 26. Those words all their cities were are to be understood out of the former Verse which is not unusual in the Holy Scripture And so this sacred Writer explains himself v. 66 c. where eight of these Cities are named whereof onely two are taken out of this half Tribe of Manasseh v. 70. the other two being named Ios. 21. 21 c. where these things are more plainly and fully declared 62 And to the sons of Gershom g Understand here cities were given which is also understood v. 61 and expressed v. 64. throughout their families out of the tribe of Issachar and out of the tribe of Asher and out of the tribe of Naphtali and out of the tribe of Manasseh in Bashan thirteen cities 63 Unto the sons of Merari were given by lot throughout their families out of the tribe of Reuben and out of the tribe of Gad and out of the tribe of Zebulun * Josh. 21. 7 34. twelve cities 64 And the children of Israel gave to the Levites h i. e. To the Tribe of Levi consisting of Priests and other Levites these cities i Which are numbred or named in this Chapter with their suburbs 65 And they gave k To wit to those Levites of the Family of Kohath who were Priests as appears both by v. 57 c. where the Cities given to the Aâ—…ronites are said to be taken out of the Tribes here named even out of Iudah under which Simeon is comprehended because his Lot lay within that of Iudah and Benjamin and by the next Verse where the other Kohathites who were not Priests are called the Residue of the Families of the Sons of Kohath by way of distinction from those of them to whom this v. 65. relates by lot out of the tribe of the children of Judah and out of the tribe of the children of Simeon and out of the tribe of the children of Benjamin these cities which are called by their names l Which are expressed by their Names above v. 57 c. 66 And the residue of the families of the sons of Kohath had cities of their coasts m Or of their borders i.
the son of Ur 36 Hepher the Mecherathite Ahijah the Pelonite 37 Hezro the Carmelite Naarai the son of Ezbai 38 Joel the brother of Nathan h Mibhar ‖ Or the 〈◊〉 the son of Haggeri q Either 1. the same who is called Iaal the son of Nathan of Zobah being possibly his brother by Birth and Nature and called his Son by adoption or right of succession to his Estate or called his brother at large for his near Kinsman and his son for his Nepheâ—… Or 2. Another who upon the death of the former was put in his stead 39 Zelek the Ammonite Naharai the Berothite the armour-bearer of Joab the son of Zerujah 40 Ira the Ithrite Gareb the Ithrite 41 Uriah the Hittite r The last of that Catalogue in 2 Sam. 23. 39. But here some others are added to the Number because though they were not of the Thirty yet they were Men of great Valour and Renown amongst Davids Commanders Zabad the son of Ahlai 42 Adina the son of Shiza the Reubenite a captain of the Reubenites and thirty s Thirty Captains who were under him as their Colonel with him 43 Hanan the son of Maacah and Joshaphat the Mithnite 44 Uzziah the Ashterathite Shama and Jehiel the sons of Hothan the Aroerite t So called possibly because his Station and Quarters were upon the River Aroer beyond Iordan being placed there for the Defence of those Parts 45 Jediael the ‖ 〈…〉 son of Shimri and Joha his brother the Tirzite 46 Eliel the Mahavite and Jerimai and Joshaviah the sons of Elnaam and Ithmah the Moabite u So called either because he was by Birth a Moabite though now proselyted to the True Religion or from some Eminent Service done by him against the Moabites as among the Romans Scipio was called Aâ—…atick and African because of his great Atchievements and Victories over those Parts and People 47 Eliel and Obed and Jaasiel the Mesobaite CHAP. XII 1 NOw * 1 Sam 27. 2 these are they that came to David to Ziklag †Heb. being shut up while he yet kept himself close a Or was shut up or shut out from his own Land and People for he speaks not of that time when he was shut up and hid himself in Caves in the Land of Iudah but when he was at Ziklag because of Saul the son of Kish and they were among the mighty men helpers of the war 2 They were armed with bows and could use both the right hand and the left b With like nimbleness and certainty Compare Iudge 3. 15. 20. 16. in hurling stones and shooting arrows out of a bow even of Sauls brethren of Benjamin c i. e. Of Sauls own Tribe who were moved hereunto by Gods Spirit and by the Conscience of their Duty to David to whom God had given the Crown in reversion and by their Observation of Gods departure from Saul and of his special presence with David and his gracious providence for him 3 The chief was Ahiezer then Joash the sons of ‖ Or Hasmaah Shemaah the Gibeathite and Jeziel and Pelet the sons of Azmaveth and Berachah and Jehu the Antothite 4 And Ismajah the Gibeonite a mighty man among the thirty and over the thirty d i. e. Who came attended with 30 valiant Benjamites and was their Leader and Commander and Jeremlah and Jahaziel and Johanan and Josabad the Gederathite 5 Eluzai and Jerimoth and Bealiah and Shemariah and Shephatiah the Haruphite 6 Elkanah and Jesiah and Azareel and Joezer and Jashobeam the Korhites 7 And Joelah and Zebadiah the sons of Jeroham of Gedor 8 And of the Gadite there separated themselves e From Saul to whom they had hitherto adhered and from their Brethren of their own Tribe who yet maintained Sauls cause and from their Families and the places where they lived from whom they went to David unto David into the hold to the wilderness f Or into the hold of the wilderness i. e. Either to the Cave of Adullam or Engedi or rather to Ziklag as appears from v. 1. which was in the Wilderness of Iudah which is here called the hold or the fortress which name is also given to the City of David 1 Chron. 11. 7. the Hebrew word being the same both here and there men of might and men †Heb. of the host of war fit for the battel that could handle shield and buckler whose faces were like the faces of lions g Who were full of Courage and by the Majesty and Fierceness of their Countenances terrified their Adversaries and were †Heb. as the roes upon the mountains to make hast as swift as the roes upon the mountains h As their very Looks daunted their Enemies and put them to flight so they could easily pursue and overtake and destroy them in their Flight 9 Ezer the first Obadiah the second Eliab the third 10 Mishmannah the fourth Jeremiah the fifth 11 Attai the sixth Eliel the seventh 12 Johanan the eighth Elzabud the ninth 13 Jeremiah the tenth Machbanai the eleventh 14 These were the sons of Gad captains of the host ‖ one of the least was over an hundred and †Heb. Or one that was least could resist an hundred and the greatest a thousand the greatest over a thousand i Not that they brought now so many men with them but either 1. they had hitherto been Captains or Colonels under Saul or in the established Militia or Bands of their Tribe Or 2. they were so afterwards under David who for their Valour and Fidelity thus advanced them 15 These are they that went over Jordan k To wit in Saul time when it seems the Enemies of the Israelites had made an Inâ—…oad and done some Mischiefs to the Israelites beyond Iordan to whose Help these then came in the first month when it had †Heb filled oâ—… overflown all his banks l As it commonly did about that time See Ios. 3. 15. 4. 18. Ier. 49. 19. This is noted either as a Description of the Time when this was done it being usual with Historians to note the Circumstances of great Actions or as an Aggravation of the Fact And possibly these being Men of great Nimbleness and Dexterity did swim over Iordan through their ardent Desire to help their Brethren and to fight with their Enemies and they put to flight all them of the vallies m i. e. The People that lived in the Valleys or Deserts beyond Iordan who as it seems when Saul was engaged against the Philistins took that Advantage to fall upon the Israelites beyond Iordan both toward the east and toward the west n Either 1. the People that lived more Eastward and remote from Iordan and those who lived more Westward or nearer to it Or 2. they made them fly several ways some Eastward some Westward as they saw the way open for them See Deut.
28. â—… 25. 16 And there came ‖ 〈◊〉 of the children of Benjamin and Judah to the hold o To the same Hold mentioned v. 8. where see the Notes unto David 17 And David went out †Heb. before 〈◊〉 to meet them and answered p i. e. 〈◊〉 as that word is oft used in Scripture even of him that speaketh 〈◊〉 and said unto them If ye be come peaceably unto me to help me mine heart shall †Heb. be one be knit unto you q I shall ever esteem and love you and shew this by my 〈◊〉 to you hereafter but if ye be come to betray me to mine enemies r Which your Number and Quality and near Relation to Saul gives me some cause to suspect seeing there is no ‖ Or violence wrong in mine hands s I have done no Injury to Saul nor to you but have spared him and you when it was in my Power to have destroyed you the God of our fathers look thereon and rebuke it t To wit by his Hand and Power manifested for me and against you for your Persidiousness 18 Then †Heb. the spirit clothed Amasal So Judg. 6. 34. the spirit came upon Amasal u Not onely saving Graces but other heroical and generous Motions are ascribed to Gods Spirit which here stirred up in him a more than ordinary greatness and presentness of Mind and Resolution who was chief of the captains and he said Thine are we David and on thy side thou son of Jesse peace peace be unto thee and peace be to thine helpers for thy God helpeth thee x We have observed Gods singular and gracious Care of thee and Kindness to thee and if we should oppose thee we should be Fighters against God and his Word and Providence Then David received them and made them captains of the band y i. e Of those Forces which they brought with them Or he put them among the heads or officers of his band i. e. He gave them Commands either now in his small Army each according to his Quality or afterwards when he was advanced to the Kingdom for it is not here expressed when he did this 19 And there fell some of Manasseh to David when he came with the Philistins against Saul to battel but they helped them not z i. e. The Manassites here named and the rest of Davids Forces to whom they had now joyned themselves did not help the Philistins in Battel as David had pretended to do for the lords of the Philistins upon advisement sent him away saying * 1 Sam. 29. 4. He will fall to his master Saul †Heb. on our heads to the jeopardy of our heads 20 As he went to Ziklag a As he returned from the Camp of the Philistins to Ziklag 1 Sam. 29. 11. there fell to him of Manasseh Adnah and Jozabad and Jedaiel and Michael and Jozabad and Elihu and Zilthai captains of the thousands that were of Manasseh 21 And * 1 Sam. 30. 1 9 10. they helped David ‖ Or with a band against the band of the rovers b i. e. Against the Amalekites who had taken and burnt Ziklag whom David and his 600 Men were now pursuing whom these accompanied in that Expedition Or with a band or troop of Souldiers which they brought along with them to Davids Assistance for they were all mighty men of valour c Therefore they readily came to Davids help and were captains in the host d Therefore they brought others along with them 22 For at that time e i. e. While he was at Ziklag and in his March to Hebron and principally at Hebron as the next Verse explains it day by day there came to David to help him until it was a great host like the host of God f i. e. Innumerable like the Stars or Angels both which are called Gods hosts Oth. the host of God i. e. a very great Host great things being so called as Cedars Mountains c. of God But the particle of likeness here added excludes this Sence for it had been very improper to say a great host like a great host i. e. like it self 23 And these are the numbers of the ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bands that were ready armed to the war and * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 came to David to Hebron to turn the kingdom of Saul to him * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the word of the LORD g Whereby he had settled the Crown upon David after Sauls death 24 The children of Judah that bare shield and spear were six thousand and eight hundred h Who came thither in the name of all their Brethren for that whole Tribe stuck to David at his very first coming to Hebron ready ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 armed to the war 25 Of the children of Simeon mighty men of valour for the war seven thousand and one hundred 26 Of the children of Levi four thousand and six hundred 27 And Jehojada was the leader of †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Aaronites i Not the High-priest for that was Abiathar 1 Sam. 23. 6. but one of Eminent place under him and who had a great Power and interest among his Brethren and with him were three thousand and seven hundred 28 And * â—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Zadok k Thought to be the same who was made High-priest in Solomons time 1 Kings 2. 35. which if true he was very young at this time a young man mighty of valour and of his fathers house twenty and two captains l Whom he brought along with him 29 And of the children of Benjamin the †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 kindred of Saul three thousand for hitherto the †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 8 3. greatest part of them had kept the ward of the house of Saul m i. e. Indeavoured to keep the Crown in their own Tribe and in Sauls Family 30 And of the children of Ephraim twenty thousand and eight hundred mighty men of valour †Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 famous throughout the house of their fathers 31 And of the half tribe of Manasseh n Which was within Iordan for of the other half beyond Iordan he speaks v. 37. eighteen thousand which were expressed by name o Which were not ashamed nor afraid publickly to own David first by putting their Names to some Paper presented to them for that purpose and then by marching to him to Hebron to come and make David King 32 And of the children of Issachar which were men that had understanding of the times p Either 1. skill in the Stars and several Seasons and Changes of the Air which might be of good use in Husbandry to which this Tribe was addicted Gen. 49. 14. Deut. 33. 18. Or rather 2. Political Prudence to discern and embrace the fit Seasons for all Actions as appears 1. from the following
Tabernacle and therefore more of the Levites were to be employed and consequently they were to be sooner taken into Service and upward 25 For David said The LORD God of Israel hath given rest unto his people ‖ Or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they may dwell in Jerusalem for ever 26 And also unto the Levites r Or rather as concerning the Levites of whom he is here speaking they shall no more carry the Tabernacle nor any vessels of it for the service thereof 27 For by the last words of David s By his last Order and Constitution made by Gods Direction and by the Spirit as hath been once and again noted and proved before This is here added to signifie that this great Affair was thus settled by David not in his younger years when it might have been thought to have the Effect of youthful Heat and Confidence and Presumption and Rashness but when he was come to the greatest Maturity when he was Old and near his Death and going to give up his Account to his Lord and Maker of all his Actions and particularly of the Alterations which he made in the Service of God which he declared was done by the Spirit of God These were in a manner his dying Words which usually make the deepest Impressions the Levites were †Heb. 〈◊〉 numbred from twenty years old and above 28 Because †Heb. their 〈◊〉 was 〈◊〉 the hand of 〈◊〉 sons of 〈◊〉 their office was to wait on the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of the LORD in the courts and in the chambers and in the purifying of all holy things t i. e. Holy Places and Garments and Vessels and Sacrifices which were to be washed and cleansed from any Filthiness which possibly might cleave to them and the work of the service of the house of God 29 Both for the shew-bread and for * Lev. 6. 20. Ch. 9. 29 〈◊〉 the fine flour for meat offering and for the unleavened cakes and for that which is baked in the ‖ Or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pan and for that which is fryed and for all manner of measure and cise u This is to be understood either 1. particularly of the Measure or Quantity of fine Flour and Wine and Oil which was fixed by Gods Law Or generally of all Measures used either in Sacred or Civil Things the publick Standards whereof were kept in the Sanctuary or Temple of which see on Exod. 30. 13. and therefore the care of keeping them inviolable and producing them upon Occasion must needs belong to the Priests and under them to the Levites who were to examine other Measures and all things by them as oft as Occasion required that so the Priests might be at more leisure for their higher and greater Employments 30 And to stand every morning x The two Solemn Times of offering Sacrifices Which Work was attended with publick Prayer and Thanksgiving to thank and praise the LORD and likewise at even x The two Solemn Times of offering Sacrifices Which Work was attended with publick Prayer and Thanksgiving 31 And to offer all burnt-sacrifices unto the LORD in the sabbaths in the new moons and on the set feasts by number according to the order commanded unto them y i. e. Unto those persons the Levites of whom he speaks Or concerning them i. e. about those things continually before the LORD 32 And that they should keep the charge of the tabernacle of the congregation and the charge of the holy place and the charge of the sons of Aaron z i. e. What the Priests should commit to their Charge or command them to do their brethren in the service of the house of the LORD CHAP. XXIV 1 NOw these are the divisions a i. e. The several Branches into which that Family was divided or distributed of the sons of Aaron * 〈◊〉 10. â—… 5. The sons of Aaron Nadab and Abihu Eleazar and Ithamar 2 But * 〈◊〉 â—… 4. 〈◊〉 â—…6 6â—… Nadab and Abihu died before their father and had no children therefore Eleazar and Ithamar executed the priests office b i. e. Were the onely persons to whom and to whose Families the Execution of that Office was committed 3 And David distributed them †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Zaâ—… â—…0 3â—… both Zadok of the sons of Eleazar and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar according to their Offices c Or courses or prefectures i. e. Allotting to each of them several times wherein they or theirs should by turns have the Government of Holy Ministrations in the Temple Service in their service 4 And there were moe chief men found of the sons of Eleazar than of the sons of Ithamar and thus were they divided Among the sons of Eleazar there were sixteen chief men of the house of their fathers and eight among the sons of Ithamar according to the house of their fathers 5 Thus were they divided by lot d Partly to prevent that Envy or Emulation which otherwise might arise among them and partly that all mens Minds and Consciences might be fully satisfied in the Order now established by this Divine way of Decision one sort with another for †Heb. the 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 of God 〈◊〉 23. 6. the governours of the sanctuary and governours of the house of God e But that is no other than the Sanctuary and so it may seem to make this Division improper and irregular the several Members of it being altogether the same Or rather of the things of God i. e. of all persons ministring in the Sanctuary and of all Holy Ministrations done in it and of all other matters of the Lord as they are called by way of distinction from the kings matters 2 Chron. 19. 11. were of the sons of Eleazar and of the sons of Ithamar 6 And Shemajah the son of Nathancel the scribe one of the Levites wrote them before the king and the princes and Zadok the priest and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar and before the chief of the fathers of the Priests and Levites one †Heb. 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 principal houshold being taken for Eleazar and one taken for Ithamar f Or the Chief which Word is easily supplied out of the context of one house of the Fathers was taken to wit by Lot for Eleazar i. e. out of his Family and that which was taken after it was taken for Ithamar i. e. out of his Family The meaning is that the first Lot fell to Eleazar and the second to Ithamar and the third to Eleazar and the fourth to Ithamar and so successively until all the Families of Ithamar had received their Lots And afterwards all the Lots came forth to the rest of Eleazars Families which were double in number to those of Ithamar as was said v. 4. 7 Now the first lot came forth g To wit out of the Vessel in which all
Jeduthun the sons of Jeduthun h Or his sons the construct Form being used before the absolute of which there are Examples in Scripture Ieduthun called by his Fathers Name Otherwise they are not six unless either Ieduthun their Father be included in that Number or Shimei mentioned v. 17. be one of them as many Learned Men think See the like 1 Chron. 24. 23. Gedaliah and ‖ Or Izri ver 11. Zeri and Jeshajah Hashabiah and Mattithiah ‖ with Shimei mentioned ver 17. six under the hands of their father Jeduthun who prophesied with a harp to give thanks and to praise the LORD 4 Of Heman the sons of Heman Bukkiah Mattaniah ‖ Or 〈◊〉 ver 18. Uzziel ‖ Or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ver 20. Shebuel and Jerimoth Hananiah Hanani Eliathah Giddalti and Romamtiezer Joshbekashah Mallothi Hothir and Mahazioth 5 All these were the sons of Heman the kings seer i Or Prophet which is the same thing 1 Sam. 9. 9. Either he was a Prophet as well as a Singer or he is thus called because he prophesied in the sence designed v. 1. And he is called the kings seer either because the King took special Delight in him or because he fiequently attended upon the King in his Palace executing his Sacred Office there while the rest were constantly employed in the Tabernacle in the ‖ Or 〈◊〉 words of God k i. e. To sing such Divine Songs as were inspired by God to the Prophets or Holy Men of God to lift up the horn l Either 1. Metaphorically to extol and praise God for exalting the horn i. e. the Power and Kingdom of David of which Phrase see Psal. 92. 10. 132. 17. Or rather 2. properly to praise God with the sound of a Trumpet as was usual as 2 Chron. 5. 12. 13. 12. or some other Musical Instrument made of Horn which being a Martial kind of Musick might be most grateful to Davids Martial Spirit though he was also skilled in other Instruments of Musick which he used in the House of God as is expressed in the next Verse And God gave to Heman fourteen sons and three daughters 6 All these were under the hands m i. e. Under his Direction as v. 2. of their father â—…or song in the house of God with cymbals psalteries and harps for the service of the house of God †Heb. by the hands of the king according to the kings order to Asaph Jeduthun and Heman n Heb. by the hands of the King and of Asaph Ieduthun and Heman i. e. According to the Kings Appointment and under the Conduct of Asaph Ieduthun and Heman 7 So the number of them with their brethren that were instructed in the songs of the LORD even all that were cunning o Who were so skilful that they were able to teach others was two hundred fourscore and eight p Which together with their Scholars make up the 4000 mentioned ch 23. 5. 8 And they cast lots ward against ward q i. e. A Ward or Rank or Course of Levites answerable to one of the Priests upon whom the Levites were to wait in their holy Ministrations ch 23. 28. as well the small as the great the teacher as the scholar r Without any respect to their difrent Ages or Abilities 9 Now the first lot came forth for Asaph to Joseph s i. e. For the Family of Asaph of which Ioseph was Here that Clause he his sons and his brethren were twelve is to be understood as it is expressed in all the following verses otherwise they do not make up that number of 288. mentioned v. 7. the second to Gedaliah who t Heb. he which word being here expresly is rightly understood and supplied in the rest with his brethren and his sons were twelve 10 The third to Zaccur he his sons and his brethren were twelve 11 The fourth to Izri he his sons and his brethren were twelve 12 The fifth to Nethaniah he his sons and his brethren were twelve 13 The sixth to Bukkiah he his sons and his brethren were twelve 14 The seventh to Jesharelah he his sons and his brethren were twelve 15 The eighth to Jeshajah he his sons and his brethren were twelve 16 The ninth to Mattaniah he his sons and his brethren were twelve 17 The tenth to Shimei he his sons and his brethren were twelve 18 The eleventh to Azareel he his sons and his brethren were twelve 19 The twelfth to Hashabiah he his sons and his brethren were twelve 20 The thirteenth to Shubael he his sons and his brethren were twelve 21 The fourteenth to Mattithiah he his sons and his brethren were twelve 22 The fifteenth to Jeremoth he his sons and his brethren were twelve 23 The sixteenth to Hananiah he his sons and his brethren were twelve 24 The seventeenth to Joshbekashah he his sons and his brethren were twelve 25 The eighteenth to Hanani he his sons and his brethren were twelve 26 The nineteenth to Mallothi he his sons and his brethren were twelve 27 The twentieth to Eliathah he his sons and his brethren were twelve 28 The one and twentieth to Hothir he his sons and his brethren were twelve 29 The two and twentieth to Giddalti he his sons and his brethren were twelve 30 The three and twentieth to Mahazioth he his sons and his brethren were twelve 31 The four and twentieth to Romamti-ezer he his sons and his brethren were twelve CHAP. XXVI 1 COncerning the divisions of the porters ‖ 〈…〉 Of the Korhites was ‖ 〈…〉 Meshelemiah the son of Kore of the sons of ‖ 〈…〉 Asaph a Not that Famous Asaph the Singer but another Asaph called also Ebiasaph ch 6. 37. 2 And the sons of Meshelemiah were Zechariah the first-born Jediael the second Zebadiah the third Jathniel the fourth 3 Elam the fifth Jehohanan the sixth Elioenai the seventh Moreover the sons of Obed-edom were Shemajah the first-born Jehozabad the second Joab the third and Sacar the fourth and Nethaneel the fifth 5 Ammiel the sixth Issachar the seventh Peulthaâ—… the eighth for God blessed ‖ 〈…〉 him b To wit with a numerous Posterity and other Blessings for his Respect and Affection to the Ark. See 2 Sam. 6. 11. 6 Also unto Shemajah his son were two sons born that ruled throughout the house of their fathers c That had the Command of their Brethren and Families being as some say Captains of Hundreds or of Thousands Of which see Exod. 18. 25. 2 King 11. 9. for they were mighty men of valour d This Clause is divers times mentioned because their Office required both Strength and Courage for they were to shut the Doors of the Temple one whereof was so great and weighty that in the second Temple it required the help of twenty men to open and shut it as Iosephus an Eye-witness reports They were also to keep the Guard and to keep
host of a thousand thousand and three hundred chariots and came unto Maresha g A City upon and within the Borders of Judah Ios. 15. 44. 10 Then Asa went out against him and they set the battel in aray in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah 11 And Asa cried unto the LORD his God and said LORD †Heb. it is not for 〈◊〉 to help amongst many him that hath no strength it is * 1 Sam. 14. 6. nothing with thee h i. e. Theâ—…e is no difference or no difficulty with thee to help whether with many or with them that have no power Help us O LORD our God for we rest on thee and in thy Name i By thy 〈◊〉 in confidence of thy Assistance and for the maintenance of thy Honour and Service and People we go against this multitude O LORD thou art our God let not ‖ Or mortal man man prevail against thee 12 So the LORD smote the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah and the Ethiopians fled 13 And Asa and the people that were with him pursued them unto Gerar k A City of the Philistins who probably were Confederatâ—… with them in this Design and the Ethiopians were overthrown that they could not recover themselves for they were †Heb. broken destroyed before the LORD and before his host and they carried away very much spoil 14 And they smote all the cities round about Gerar l Partly because they had joyned with Zerah in this War and partly because the Ethiopians had sheltred a great part of the Remains of the Army in them for * Gen. 35. 5. Chap. 17. 10. the fear of the LORD came upon them and they spoiled all the cities for there was exceeding much spoil in them 15 They smote also the tents of cattel m i. e. The dwellers in Tents which were either a Part of Zerahs Company or joyned with them or had come along with them to furnish that Great Host with necessary Provisions which their Custom of dwelling in Tents made them more capable of doing and carried away sheep and camels in abundance and returned to Jerusalem CHAP. XV. 1 ANd the spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded 2 And he went out †Heb. before Asa. to meet Asa and said unto him Hear ye me Asa and all Judah and Benjamin * Jam. 4. 8. The LORD is with you a To defend you against all your Enemies as now you have seen and you may hereafter expect if you persist in that good Course into which you are entred while ye be with him and if ye seek him he will be found of you but if ye forsake him he will forsake you b But let not this Victory make you presumptuous or self-confident for you are upon your good Behaviour and if you leave God he will leave and destroy you after he hath done you Good 3 Now for a long season * Ch. 12. 1. Israel hath been without the true God and without a teaching priest and without law c Heb. For many days have been to Israel without the true God c. i. e. They have long lived without the sound Knowledge and Worship of the True God The Prophet confirms his foregoing Exhortation and the Threatning annexed to it that if they forsook God he would forsake him from the usual manner of Gods dealing with Israel formerly and therefore in the same case they may expect the same usage Israel here mentioned and â—…ed as an Example is here understood either 1. Specially of the Ten Tribes distinguished by that name from the Kingdom of Judah whose Condition had been since Jeroboams Revolt and now wâ—…s such in some measure as is here described they having been 〈◊〉 still being without God and his True Worship and 〈◊〉 exposed to many Vexations and Wars and Miseries But theâ—…e hâ—…d not as yet turned unto God or sought him nor was God yet found of them as is said of this Israel v. 4. Nor had they as yet been exercised with those grievous and continual Vexations and Wars and mutual Destructions of which he here speaks v. 5 6. and which in succeeding times they felt For except that one Blow which they had from Aâ—…ijah ch 13. we read of none other great Miseries which befel them Or rather 2. Generally of the whole 〈◊〉 of Israel in former times and especially in the times of the Judges to which all that follows suits very well For then many times they were though not wholly and universally yet in a very great measure and for the generality of them without God and his Law and Teaching Priests as plainly 〈◊〉 from diveâ—…s Passages in the Book of the Judges and then indeed they were brought to all the Exigeâ—…cies and Calamities 〈◊〉 following then they had grievous Wars both Foreign and 〈◊〉 and then they did sometimes turn to the Lord aâ—…d 〈◊〉 him and he was found of them and did raise up Judges and Saviours to them of which see Iudg. 2. at large Iudg. 3. 9 15. 10. 10 c. 4 But when they d i. e. Israel mentioned v. 3. in their trouâ—…le did turn unto the LORD God of Israel and sought him he was found of them 5 And in those times e When Israel lived in the gross Neglect and Contempt of God and his Law and Worship there was no peace to him that went out nor to him that came in f Men could not go abroad about their private Occasions without great Danger as it was in the days of Shamgar Iudg. 5. 6. which is a good Comment upon this Text. but great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of the countries g Heb. of these Countries i. e. The divers Parts of the Land of Israel both within and without Jordan 6 And nation was †Heb. in 〈◊〉 destroyed of nation h i. e. One part of the People of Israel destroyed the other by Civil Wars of which see Instances Iudg. 9. 23 c. and 12. 1 c. As all the people of Israel are called a Nation so the several Tribes and Families of them are sometimes called Nations as Gen. 17. 4. Ezâ—…k 2. 3. Act. 4. 27. compared with Psal. 2. 1. and city of city for God did vex them with all adversity 7 Be ye strong therefore i Go on therefore Couragiously and Resolutely to maintain Gods Worship and to root out Idolatry as you have begun to do for this is the onely right Method of preserving your selves from such Calamities as your Predecessors have felt and let not your hands be weak k â—…e not discouraged with the Opposition which you may possibly meet with for your work shall be rewarded l What you do for God and for his Honour and Service shall not go unrequited 8 And when Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Oded the prophet m To wit
as need required besides those whom the king put in the fenced cities throughout all Judah CHAP. XVIII 1 NOw Jehoshaphat had riches and honour in abundance and joyned affinity with Ahab a For Joram his eldest Son married Athaliah Ahabs Daughter ch 21. 6. 2 King 8. 18. This Chapter is for substance the same with 1 King 22. where it is explained 2 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And †after certain years he went down to Ahab to Samaria and Ahab killed sheep and oxen for him in abundance and for the people that he had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with him and perswaded †him to go up with him to Ramoth-gilead 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3 And Ahab king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat king of Judah Wilt thou go with me to Ramoth-Gilead And he answered him I am as thou 〈◊〉 and my people as thy people and we will be with thee in the war 4 And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel Inquire I pray thee at the word of the LORD to day 5 Therefore the king of Israel gathered together of prophets four hundred men and said unto them Shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battel or shall I forbear And they said Go up for God will deliver it into the kings hand 6 But Jehoshaphat said Is there not here a prophet of the LORD †〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 besides b that we might inquiâ—…e of him 7 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat There is yet one man by whom we may enquire of the LORD but I hate him for he never prophesieth good unto me but always evil the same is Micajah the son of Jimla and Jehoshaphat said Let not the king say so 8 And the king of Israel called for one of his ‖ 〈◊〉 oâ—…ficers and said †〈◊〉 Fetch quickly Micajah the son of 〈◊〉 9 And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah sat either of them on his throne clothed in their robes and they sat in a ‖ 〈◊〉 void place at the entring in of the gate of Samaria and all the prophets prophesied before them 10 And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah had made him horns of iron and said Thus â—…aith the LORD With these thou shalt push Syria until 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they be consumed 11 And all the prophets prophesied so saying Go up to Ramoth gilead and prosper for the LORD shall deliver it into the hand of the king 12 And the messenger that went to call Miâ—…ajah spake to him saying Behold the words of the prophets declare good to the king ‖ with one assent let †Heb. with one 〈◊〉 thy word therefore I pray thee be like one of theirs and speak thou good 13 And Micajah said As the LORD liveth even what my God saith that will I speak 14 And when he was come to the king the king said unto him Micajah shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to â—…attel or shall I â—…orbear And he said Go ye up and prosper and they shall be delivered into your hand 15 And the king said to him How many times shall I adjure thee that thou say nothing but the truth to me in the Name of the LORD 16 Then he said I did see all Israel scattered upon the mountains as sheep that have no shepherd and the LORD said These have no master let them return therefore every man to his house in peace 17 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat Did I not tell thee that he would not prophecy good unto me ‖ Or but for evil but evil 18 Again he said Therefore hear the word of the LORD I saw the LORD sitting upon his throne and all the host of heaven standing on his right hand and on his left 19 And the LORD said Who shall entice Ahab king of Israel that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead and one spake saying after this manner and another saying after that manner 20 Then there came out a * Job 1. 6. spirit and stood before the LORD and said I will entice him And the LORD said unto him Wherewith 21 And he said I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets And the LORD said thou shalt entice him and thou shalt also prevail go out and do even so 22 Now therefore behold the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of these thy prophets and the LORD hath spoken evil against thee 23 Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near and smote Micajah upon the cheek and said which way went the spirit of the LORD from me to speak unto thee 24 And Micajah said Behold thou shalt see on that day when thou shalt go ‖ Or from chamber to chamber into †Heb. a chamber in a chamber an inner chamber to hide thy self 25 Then the king of Israel said Take ye Micajah and carry him back to Amon the governour of the city and to Joash the kings son 26 And say Thus saith the king Put this fellow in the prison and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction until I return in peace 27 And Micajah said If thou certainly return in peace then hath not the LORD spoken by me And he said Hearken all ye people 28 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead 20 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat I will disguise my self and will go to the battel but put thou on thy robes So the king of Israel disguised himself and they went to the battel 30 Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of the chariots that were with him saying Fight ye not with small or great save onely with the king of Israel 31 And it came to pass when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat that they said It is the king of Israel therefore they compassed about him to fight but Jehoshaphat cried out and the LORD helped him and God †Heb. incited ver 2. moved them to depart from him 32 For it came to pass that when the captains of the chariots perceived that it was not the king of Israel they turned back again †Heb. from after him from pursuing him 33 And a certain man drew a how †Heb. in his simplicitâ—… at a venture and smote the king of Israel †Heb. between the joynts and between the breast-plate between the joynts of the harness therefore he said to his chariot-man Turn thine hand that thou mayest carry me out of the host for I am †Heb. made sick wounded 34 And the battel increased that day howbeit the king of Israel staid himself up in his chariot against the Syrians until the even And about the time of the sun going down he died CHAP. XIX 1 ANd Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned to his house in peace a Safe being miraculously delivered from eminent danger as was related ch 18. 31
silver and they offered burnt-offerings in the house of the LORD continually all the days of Jehojada 15 But Jehojada waxed old and was full of days when he died an hundred and thirty years old was he when he died 16 And they buried him in the city of David among the kings because he had done good in Israel m i. e. In Judah which was an eminent part of Israel and the onely part of it which owned God or was owned by God as his Israel to whom therefore he oft appropriates this name thereby signifying that the other Tribes were unworthy of that honourable title and had forfeited all their right in it to Judah 〈◊〉 on ch 21. 2. both towards God and towards his house 17 Now after the death of Jehojada came the princes of Judah and made obeisance to the King n In that posture presenting their requests to him that they might not be confined to unnecessary and troublesom journeys in coming to Jerusalem to worship but might have the liberty which their Fore-fathers enjoyed of worshipping God in the High-places Which liberty when once they had obtained they knew they could then worship Idols without observation or disturbance which was the thing at which they aimed And for the prevention of such abuses God obliged all to worship him in one place then the King hearkned unto them 18 And they left the house of the LORD God of their fathers and served groves and idols and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their trespass o By Hazael King of Syria of which see 2 Kings 12. 17 18. 19 Yet he sent prophets to them to bring them again unto the LORD and they testified against them but they would not give ear 20 And the spirit of God †Heb. clothed 〈◊〉 Judg. 6. 34. came upon Zechariah the son of Jehojada the priest which stood above the people p In an higher place that his voice and message might be the better heard and said unto them Thus saith God Why transgress ye the commandments of the LORD that cannot prosper because ye have forsaken the LORD he hath also forsaken you 21 And they q i. e. The people to whom he preached who were easily corrupted by the examples of their Apostate King and Princes conspired against him and stoned him with stones at the commandment of the king in the court of the house of the LORD 22 Thus Joash the king remembred not the kindness which Jehojada his father had done to him but slew his son And when he died he said The LORD look upon it and require it r i. e. Make inquisition for my innocent blood Which he did not wish from any desire of private revenge with which so wise and good a man would never be willing to die but partly from a zeal to publick Justice and the punishment of such gross wickedness and partly to deter them if possible from compleating their murderous intentions But these words may as well be rendred indicatively as optatively The Lord will look upon it and require it i. e. He will examine this action and require satisfaction from you for it 23 And it came to pass †〈◊〉 in the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at the end of the year s So soon did God hear the cry of this holy Prophets blood and revenge it that the host of Syria came up against him and they came to Judah and Jerusalem and destroyed all the princes of the people from among the people t That it might appear they were sent and directed by God to single out to destruction the first beginners and chief promoters of this general Apostacy and sent all the spoil of them unto the king of †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 iâ—… Damascus u To Hazael the king of that part of Syria called Syria Damascena from its capital City Damascus 24 For the army of the Syrians * 〈…〉 came with a small company of men and the LORD delivered a very great host into their hand because they had forsaken the LORD God of their fathers So they executed Judgment against Joash 25 And when they were departed from him for they lest him in great diseases his own servants conspired against him for the blood of the sons x i. e. Of Zachariah his son the plural number Sons put for the singular Son as it is frequently both in Scripture as Gen. 46. 7. 〈◊〉 26. 42. and in Cicero and other profane Authors Or he might kill other sons of Jehojadah with him either because they owned him in what he had said or lest they should revenge his death of Jehojada the priest and slew him on his bed and he died and they buried him in the city of David but they buried him not in the sepulchres of the kings 26 And these are they that conspired against him ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 12. 21. Zabad the son of Shimeath an Ammonitess and Jehozabad the son of ‖ 〈…〉 Shimrith a Moabitess 27 Now concerning his sons and the greatness of the * burdens laid upon him y Either the severe prophecies against him which are oft called Burdens of which one instance is recorded and there might be others that are not recorded or the great Judgments of God upon him both by the Syrians v. 23 24. and by great disâ—…ses v. 25. and the †repairing 〈◊〉 12. 18. 〈◊〉 1â—… of the house of God behold they are 〈…〉 written in the ‖ story of the book of the kings And Amaziah his son reigned in his stead CHAP. XXV AMaziah * 〈…〉 was twenty and five years old a Of this Verse and v. 2 3 4. see the Notes on 2 King 14. â—… c. when he began to reign and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem and his mothers name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem 2 And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD but not with a perfect heart 3 Now it came to pass when the kingdom was †Heb. confirmed upon him established to him that he slew his servants that had killed the king his father 4 But he slew not their children but did as it is written in the law in the book of Moses where the LORD commanded saying * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…6 2 Kin. 14. â—… Jer. 31. â—…0 Ezek. 18. 20 The fathers shall not die for the children neither shall the children die for the fathers but every man shall die for his own sin 5 Moreover Amaziah gathered Judah together and made them captains over thousands and captains over hundreds according to the houses of their fathers throughout all Judah and Benjamin and he numbred them * Numb 1. 3 from twenty years old and above and found them three hundred thousand choice men able to go sorth to war that could handle spear and shield 6 He hired also an hundred thousand mighty men of valour out of Israel b Out of the
â—… c. was twelve years old when he began to reign a This and the following Verses to v. 11. are taken out of 2 King 21. 1 c. and he reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem 2 But did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD like unto the * 〈◊〉 1â—… â—… abominations of the heathen whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel 3 For †Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he built again the high places which Hezekiah his father had * 2 Kin. 〈◊〉 Ch. 30. 14 31. 1. broken down and he reared up altars for Baalim and * Deut. 16. 21. made groves and worshipped * Deut. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all the host of heaven and served them 4 Also he built altars in the house of the LORD whereof the LORD had said * Deut. 12. 〈◊〉 1 Kin. 8. 29. 9. 3. Ch. 6. 6. 7. 16. In Jerusalem shall my name be for ever 5 And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD 6 And he * Lev. 18. 21. Deut. 18. 12. 2 Kin. 21. 1â—… caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom also he observed times and used inchantments and used witchcraft and * 2 Kin. 〈◊〉 â—… dealt with a familiar spirit and with wizzards he wrought much evil in the sight of the LORD to provoke him to anger 7 And he set a carved image the idol which he had made in the house of God of which God had said to David and to Solomon his son In * Psal. 13â—… 14. this house and in Jerusalem which I have chosen before all the tribes of Israel will I put my Name for ever 8 * 2 Sam. 〈◊〉 Neither will I any more remove the foot of Israel from out of the land which I have appointed for your fathers so that they will take heed to do all that I have commanded them according to the whole law and the statutes and the ordinances by the hand of Moses 9 So Manasseh made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to erre and to do worse than the heathen whom the LORD had destroyed before the children of Israel 10 And the LORD spake to Manasseh and to his people but they would not hearken 11 Wherefore the LORD brought upon them the captains of the host †Heb. which were 〈◊〉 of the king of Assyria which took Manasseh among the thorns b In some Thicket where he thought to hide himself from the Assyrians till he could make an escape as the Israelites formerly used to do 1 Sam. 13. 6. Or with hooks a Metaphorical Expression Or in his Forts i. e. in one of them and bound him with ‖ Or 〈◊〉 setters and carried him to Babylon c Either therefore Esarhaddon Sennacheribs Successor had recovered Babylon from Merodach-Baladan Or rather the King of Babylon is here called the King of Assyria because by this time he had added Assyria to his Empire who having been informed by his Ambassadours of the great Riches which were in Hezekiahs Treasures at Jerusalem which he was desirous to enjoy and withall being assured of Manasseh his degeneracy from the Piety and Vertue of his Father and from that God whose Power alone made Hezekiah formidable he thought this a Fit Season to invade Manasseh's Kingdom which he did with Success 12 And when he was in affliction he besought the LORD his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers 13 And prayed unto him and he was intreated of him and heard his supplication and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom Then Manasseh knew that the LORD he was God c i. e. He was convinced by his own Experience of Gods Power Justice and Goodness that Jehovah alone was the True God and not those Idols which he had worshipped by which he had received great Hart and no Good 14 Now after this he built a wall d He repaired and strengthened that Wall which Hezekiah had built ch 32. 5. and which possibly the King of Assyria when he last took Jerusalem had caused to be thrown down either wholly or in part without the city of David on the west-side of Gihon e On the West-side of the City of David to which Hezekiah had brought this Water-course down chap. 32. 30. into the great Pool which he had made to receive it and possibly this Wall was built to secure the Free Use of it to the Citizens when they should be distressed or besieged by an Enemy in the valley even to the entring in at the fish-gate and compassed about ‖ 〈…〉 Ophel f With a Wall Of Ophel see before ch 27. 3. and raised it up a very great height and put captains of war in all the fenced cities of Judah 15 And he took away the strange gods and the idol out of the house of the LORD and all the altars that he had built in the mount of the house of the LORD and in Jerusalem and cast them out of the city 16 And he repaired the altar of the LORD and sacrificed thereon peace offerings and * 〈…〉 thank-offerings and commanded Judah to serve the LORD God of Israel g That thereby he might as far as he could repair the Injuries which he had done to God by his Impious Commands v. 9. 17 Nevertheless the people did sacrifice still in the high places yet unto the LORD their God onely 18 Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh and his prayer unto his God and the words of the * 〈◊〉 5. 9. seers that spake to him in the Name of the LORD God of Israel behold they are written in the books of the kings of Israel h i. e. Of Judah oft called Israel as hath been noted before He speaks not of that part of the Canon called the Book of Kings for these things are not mentioned there but of their Publick Records where all things were particularly mentioned and whence the most important things were taken by the Prophets and put into those Canonical Books 19 His prayer also and how God was intreated of him and all his sin and his trespass and the places wherein he built high places and set up groves and graven images before he was humbled behold they are written among the sayings of ‖ 〈…〉 the seers i Or rather of Hosai a Writer so called For when the Sacred Pen-men make a Reference they constantly refer us to some particular Book or certain Author as to the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel or Iudah to the Prophecy of Ahijah or Oded c. 20 So Manasseh slept with his fathers and they buried him in his own house k i. e. In his Garden of which see on 2 King 21. 18. and Amon his son reigned in his stead 21 * 〈◊〉 21. 19. Amon was
Sea for Tarshish though Properly the Name of a Maritine place in Ciâ—…icia Ezek. 27. 25. 〈◊〉 1. 3. is usually put for the Sea as 1 Kings 10. 22. 2 Chron. 9. 21. Psal. 72. 10. Isa. 2. 16. Ier. 10. 9. are broken with an East-wind Albeit the Enemies of Ierusalem which are Compared to the raging Waters of the Sea in Psal. 46 2 3. may as fitly be Compared to Ships upon the Sea 8. As we have heard so have we seen q The predictions of the Prophets Either 2 Chron. 20. 14. or 2 Kings 19. 20. c. have been verified by the Events Or We have had late and fresh Experiences of such wonderful works of God as before we onely heard of by the Report of our Fathers in the city of the LORD of hosts in the city of our God God will establish it for ever r From this miraculous Deliverance we plainly see that God hath a singular Love to it and Care of it and therefore will defend her in all succeeding Ages against all her Enemies And so God would have done if Ierusalem had not forsaken God and forfeited his Favour and Protection Selah 9. We have thought of s It hath been the matter of our Serious and deep Meditation when we have been Worshipping there in thy Temple For when the Priests were offering Incense or Sacrifice the Religious People exercised themselves in holy Meditation or secret Prayer to God as may be gathered from Luk. 1. 10. and many other places of Scripture and from the Nature of the thing Or We have silently or Patiently waited for as some Anâ—…ient and other Interpreters â—…ender it thy loving kindness O God in the midst of thy temple 10. According to thy name O God so is thy praise t For this and such like glorious Actions thou art praised and acknowledged and Evidently proved to be such an one as thou hast affirmed thy self to be in thy Word God Almighty or Al-sufficient the Lord of Hâ—…sts the King of thy Church 〈◊〉 People and a strong Tower to all that trust in thee and all other things which thou art called in Scripture Thy Name is not an empty Title but is filled up with honourable and Praise-worthy Works answerable to it unto the ends of the earth thy right hand is full of righteousness u i. â—… Of righteous Actions by which thou discoverest thy Justice and Holiness in destroying the Wicked and incorrigible Enemies of thy People and in fulfilling thy Promises made to thy Church 11. Let mount x Synecdochically put for Ierusalem Zion rejoyce let the daughters of Judah y i. e. The other and lesser Cities and Towns or Villages i. e. all the People of Iudaâ—… for such are commonly called Daughters in Respect of the Mother City to which they are Subjects See Ios. 15. 45 and 17. 16. Psal. 45. 12. and 137 8. He mentions Iudah onely and not all Israel Partly because they were more immediately and Eminently concerned in Ierusalems Deliverance and principally because ten of the Tribes of Israel were now cut off from Ierusalem and from the Kingdom of David's House and possibly carried away Captive 2 Kings 18. 9 10. 11. be glad because of thy judgments z Upon thine and their Enemies At which they were glad not simply but because it was highly Conducible to God's Honour and to the Preservation and Enlargement of Gods Church in the World 12. Walk about Zion and go round about her a He speaketh Either 1. To the Enemies as Triumphing over them Or rather 2. To the People of that City and Kingdom who had been Eye Witnesses of this glorious work of God as appears from the following Verses tell the towers thereof b He bids them â—…ark well her â—…owers Bâ—…warks and Palaces here and v. 13. not with vain Ostentation or Carnal Confidence for he had said that God onely was their Refuge v. 3. but with thankfulness to God when they should find upon Enquiry that not one of them was demolished or â—…ny way defaced by so potent an Enemy 13. * 〈◊〉 sâ—…t your 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mark ye well her bulwarks ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 consider c Or Exalt or Admire her palaces that ye may tell it to the generation following d That they may be excited to continue their Praises to God for this Mercy by which they hold and enjoy all their Blessings and to trust in God in the like Difficulties for the Future 14. For this God e is our God for ever and ever he will be our guide even unto death f Who hath done this great Work i. e. Whilest we have a being Birth and Life â—…nd the several Ages of Life and Death are oft ascribed to Churches and Commonwealths both in Scripture and in other Authors This Promise was made to the Old and earthly Ierusalem upon Condition of their Obedience wherein they failing so grossly lost the benefit of it but it is absolutely made good to the New and Heavenly Ierusalem the Church of Christ. PSAL. XLIX The ARGUMENT This Psalm is Penned upon the same Occasion with Psal. 39. and 73. to wit upon the Contemplation of the afflictions of Gods People and of the Prosperity and Glory of ungodly Men. The design is to justifie Gods Providence in this dark Dispensation and to shew that all things being Considered good Men have no cause for immoderate Dejection of Spirit nor wicked Men for glorying in their present Felicities To the chief musician a Psalm ‖ Or of for the sons of Korah 1. HEar this all ye people a Heb. All People Iews or Gentiles For all are concerued in this Matter as being apt to stumble and murmur at it give â—…ar all ye inhabitants of the World 2. Both * Psal. 6â—… 9. low and high rich and poor tother 3. My mouth shall speak of wisdom and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding b It concerns you diligently to attend to me for I am about to speak not of Vulgar and Trivial tâ—…ngs or 〈◊〉 as come suddenly into my Mind and rush as 〈◊〉 out of my Mouth but of such things as are the râ—…sult oâ—… my most 〈◊〉 and considerate thoughts and such aâ—… iâ—… 〈◊〉 obâ—…rve them and lâ—…y them to Heart will make you truly 〈◊〉 and keep you from those Errors and Follies and 〈◊〉 which the generality of Mankind for want of a right understâ—…g do run into 4. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 13. 3â—… I will incline mine ear c This is another Argâ—…ment to perswade them to hâ—…rken to him I will hearken what God by his Spirit speaks to me and that and nothing else will I now speak to you and therefore it is well worth your hearing I also shall joyn with you in attending to it that whilst I â—…each you I my self may learn the same Lesson For as Ministers now teach themselves whilst they teach
who are onely the receivers of them and partly because this is more agreeable to the Phrase and Usage of Scripture which every where abscribes and appropriates them to God PSAL. LXXXVIII THE ARGUMENT This Psalm was composed upon a particular Occasion to wit Heman's deep distress and dejection of mind almost to despair But though this was the occaon of it it is of more general use for the instruction and consolation of all good men when they come into such Despondencies and therefore was by the direction of God's Spirit made publick and committed to the Sons of Korah A Song or Psalm ‖ Or â—…f for the sons of Korah to the chief musician upon Mahulach a Which seems to be the name of the tune or instrument as Psal. 53. Leannoth b This may be either the latter part of the proper name of the tune or instrument or an appellative name and so divers take it and render it to sing or to be sung to wit alternately or by turns ‖ Or a Psalâ—… of Heman the Ezrahite giving instruction Maschil of * 1 Chron. â—… 6. Heman c Probably the same person who was famous in David's time both for his skill in Musick and for general wisdom of whom see 1 Kings 4. 31. 1 Chron. 6. 33. the Ezrahite d As Ethan also is called 1 Kings 4. 31. 1 O LORD God of my salvation e Who hast so often saved me from former distresses and I hope wilst do so at this time I have cried day and night before thee 2 Let my prayer come before thee incline thine ear unto my cry 3 For my soul f Properly so called for that he was under great troubles of mind from a sence of God's wrath and departure from him is evident from Verse 14. 13 16. is †Heb. 〈◊〉 with full of troubles and my life draweth nigh unto the grave 4 I am counted with them that go down into the pit g I am given up by my Friends and Acquaintance for a lost man I am as a man that hath no strength 5 Free among the dead h Well-nigh discharged from the warfare of the present life and entred as a member into the society of the dead as Israelitish servants when they were made free were thereby made Denisons of the Commonwealth of Israel I expect no other freedom from my miseries but that which death gives as Iob observes Iob 3. 17 18. like the slain that lie in the grave whom thou remembrest no more i Whom thou seemest wholly to neglect and to bury in oblivion for he speaks of these matters not as they are in truth for he knew very well that forgetfulness was not incident to God and that God did remember all the dead and would call them to an account but only as to sence and appearance and the opinion of the World and the state and things of this life and they are cut off ‖ 〈◊〉 â—…y thy 〈◊〉 from thy hand k From the care and conduct of thy providence Which is to be understood as the former clause Or by thy hand But our translation seems better to agree both with the foregoing branch which it explains and improves and with the order of the words for it seems improper after he had represented the persons as dead and in their graves to add that they are cut off to wit by death 6 Thou hast laid me in †the lowest pit * in 〈◊〉 the pit 〈◊〉 places beâ—… â—…2 143. 3. darkness in the deeps l Either first in the grave the same thing being expressed in divers words or secondly in hopeless and remediless calamities 7 Thy wrath m Either first the sence of thy wrath or rather secondly the effects of it as the next clause explains this lieth hard upon me and * 〈◊〉 â—…2 7. thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves n With thy judgments breaking in furiously upon me like the waves of the Sea Selah 8 * 〈◊〉 â—…9 13. 〈◊〉 1â—…2 4. Thou hast put away mine acquaintance far from me thou hast made me an abomination unto them o I am so sad a spectacle of thy vengeance that my friends avoid and detest me lest by conversing with me they should either be filled with terrors which men naturally abhor or be made partakers of my guilt or plagues I am shut up p Either in the pit or deep mentioned v. 6. or in my own House or Chamber being afraid or ashamed to go abroad and I cannot come forth 9 Mine eye mourneth by reason of affliction LORD I have called daily upon thee I have stretched out my hands unto thee q Understand without effect for thou dost not hear nor answer me 10 * 〈◊〉 6. 5. Wilt thou shew wonders to the dead r To wit in raising them to live again in this World as it is in the next clause I know that thou wilt not And therefore now hear and help me or it will be too late shall the dead arise and praise thee s To wit amongst mortal men in this World Selah 11 Shall thy loving kindness be declared in the grave or thy faithfulness in destruction t I am not without hopes that thou hast a true kindness for me and wilt faithfully perform thy gracious promises made to me and to all that love thee and call upon thee in truth But then this must be done speedily or I shall be utterly uncapable of such a mercy 12 Shall thy wonders be known in the dark u In the grave which is called the land of darkness Job 10. 21 22. and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness x In the grave so called either first actively because there men forget and neglect all the concerns of this life being indeed but dead carkasses without any sence or remembrance Or rather secondly passively because there men are forgotten not only by men as is noted Iob 24. 20. Psal. 31. 12. but by God himself as he complained v. 5. 13. But unto thee have I cryed O LORD and in the morning shall my prayer * 〈◊〉 89. 14. 〈◊〉 and Psal. 〈◊〉 2. prevent thee y i. e. Early come to thee before the ordinary time of Morning Prayer or before the dawning of the Day or the rising of the Sun The sence is Though I have hitherto got no answer to my Prayers yet I will not give over praying nor hoping for an answer 14 LORD why castest thou off my Soul why hidest thou thy face from me z This proceeding seems not to agree with the benignity of thy nature nor with the manner of thy dealing with thy people 15 I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up a My whole life hath been filled with a succession of deadly calamities O Lord take some pity upon me and let me have a little breathing space before I
proper name of the place where that happened and which also was called Massah as is evident from Exod. 17. 7. and Deut. 33. 8. and as in the day of temptation p In the day in which you tempted me Or as in the day of Massah i. e. when you were at Massah in the wilderness 9 When q Or In which place Which may belong either to Meribah and Massah or to the Wilderness last mentioned Or Surely as this word is oft used in Scripture as hath been observed once and again your fathers tempted me proved me and saw r Or Although or After that they saw or had seen Which is added as a just and great aggravation of their unbelief after such a sensible and evident experience of Gods power and goodness to them my works s Both my works of mercy which gave them abundant cause to trust me and my works of justice for which they had reason to fear and please me Heb. my work to wit that great and stupendous work of bringing my people out of Egypt with a strong hand and of conducting them safely through the Red Sea into the Wilderness and of destroying the Egyptians For not many more of Gods great works were done before they came to Meribah 10 Forty years long was I grieved with this generation s Or rather with that generation which then lived who were your Ancestors and said It is a people that do err in their hearts t They do not onely sin through infirmity and the violence and surprizal of temptations but their hearts are unsincere and inconstant and given to backsliding and therefore there is no hopes of their amendment Compare Psal. 78. 8. and they have not known u Or they do not know to wit with a practical and useful knowledge as that word commonly notes in Scripture They did not rightly understand nor duly consider nor seriously lay to heart They remain ignorant after all my teachings and discoveries of my self to them my ways x Either 1. my laws or statutes which are frequently called Gods ways Or rather 2. my works as it is expressed v. 9. which also are commonly so called They did not know nor consider and remember those great things which I had wrought for them and among them 11 Unto whom I sware in my wrath y Being full of just wrath against them I passed an irreversible sentence and confirmed it by an Oath of which we read Numb 14. †〈◊〉 if they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my 〈◊〉 that they should not enter into my rest z Into the promised land which is called the rest Deut. 12. 9. See also 1 Chron. 23 25. Psal. 132. 14. And this History the Psalmist propounds to the men of his Age not as a matter of meer speculation but as an instruction for all after Ages and particularly for those Israelites who should live in the times of the Messias that they should take heed of falling after the same example of unbelief as the Apostle insers from this place Heb. 4. 11. PSAL. XCVI This Psalm was composed by David upon occasion or at the time of the bringing of the Ark of God into the Tabernacle which David had prepared for it in Zion as may be gathered by comparing it with 1 Chron. 16. 7. 23 24 c. where almost the whole Psalm is to be found But as the Ark was an evident type of the Messiah which David very well knew as hath been oft noted before so Davids thoughts or at least the design of Gods spirit which indited this Psalm was extended beyond and above it even to the times of the Messiah and to his glorious and universal Kingdom in which not the Jews onely but the Heathen Nations also should worship the true God and kiss his Son the Messiah 1 O * â—… Chron. 16. â—… 〈◊〉 33. 3. Sing unto the LORD a new Song a Upon this new and great occasion not the removal of the Ark wherein there was nothing new but an inconsiderable circumstance of place and that not yet fixed but the coming of the Messiah and the confirming of the New Covenant by his blood and the calling of the Gentiles sing unto the LORD all the earth b All the Nations of the Earth who shall then partake of those great blessings and priviledges which are now peculiar to Israel 2 Sing unto the LORD bless his name shew forth his salvation c That great work of the redemption and salvation of the World by the Messias from day to day 3 Declare his glory among the heathen his wonders among all people d You who shall be called out of all the Heathen Nations to the knowledge of God and Christ publish this glorious and wonderful work amongst all the Heathen Nations to whom you belong or may come 4 For the LORD is great and greatly to be praised * Psal 95 3. he is to be feared above all gods e The gods of the nations as the next Verse expounds it 5 For all the gods of the nations are idols f Or nothings as they are called 1 Cor. 8. 4. and 10. 19. or vain things as the word signifies and is translated by others The sence is Though they have usurped the name and place of the Divine Majesty yet they have nothing of his nature or power in them but the LORD made the heavens 6 Honour and majesty are before him g i. e. In his presence like beams shot out from his face who is the Sun of righteousness There is an unconceivable glory and majesty in his countenance and in the place of his presence strength and beauty are in his sanctuary h Or in his holy place where he records his name and affords his presence There are the manifestations of Gods power and grace or goodness and all his perfections 7 Give unto the LORD O ye kindreds of the people i Or O ye families of the people of the World And the word families may be understood either 1. strictly and properly and so it may be intimated that this great blessing of salvation by Christ should not be imparted to whole Nations but onely to some persons taken out of every people and nation as it is expressed Revel 5. 9. or 2. more largely for nations as it is taken Gen. 12. 3. Ier. 25. 9. Zech. 14. 18. and so it may be implied that not onely some few of the Heathen people should be brought to the acknowledgment and worship of the true God as was usual in the times of the Old Testament but that whole Nations should come in to the Church of God together give unto the LORD k Ascribe to him or acknowledge to be in him glory and strength 8 * Psal. 29. â—… 2. Give unto the LORD the glory †Heb. of his name due unto his name bring an offering and come into his courts l Into
an occasion of despair or idleness or dissoluteness as some abuse this Doctrine but that by the consideration of his Soveraign and irresistible power in the disposal of all Persons and things as pleaseth him men should learn to trust in him to submit to him to fear to offend or rebel against him and more carefully and industriously to study to please him 15 That which hath been is now and that which is to be hath already been l Things past present and to come are all of the same nature and all ordered in the same manner by one constant counsel and settled course in all Parts and Ages of the World There is a continual return of the same mâ—…tions and influences oâ—… the Heavenly Bodies of the same seasons of the Year and a constant succession of â—…ew Generations of Men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all of the same quality The same thing in substance was said before Ch. 1. 9. and God requireth m i. e. Reneweth as this word is used Iob 3. 4. †Heb. that which is drivers away that which is past n Thâ—…t time and those things which are irrecoverably gone in themselves but are as it were recalled because others of the same kind arise and come in their stead Heb. that which is driven away with a mighty force as time present is violently thrust away by that which comes after it 16 And moreover o This is mentioned either 1. as another vanity to wit the vanity of Honour and Power which is so ofâ—… an instrument of injustice and oppression Or rather 2. as another argument of the vanity of worldly things or an hindrance of that comfort which men expect in this life because they are oppressed by their Rulers I saw p I perceive it by information from others and by my own observation under the sun the place of judgment q In the Thrones of Princes and Tribunals of Magistrates where Judgment should be duely executed that wickedness was there r Judgment was perverted the guilty acquitted and the innocent condemned and the place of righteousness s In which Righteousness should be found and should dwell if it were banished from all other places that iniquity was there 17 I said in mine heart t Mine Heart was sorely grieved at this disorder but I quieted it with this consideration God shall judg the righteous and the wicked u Absolving and saving the just and condemning the wicked for there is * Ver. 1. a time x Fixed by God's unalterable Decree He implies that as this life is the Sinners time in which he doth whatsoever seemeth good in his own Eyes so God will have his time to reckon with them and rectifie all these disorders there y In the presence or at the Judgment Seat of God which is easily understood out of the foregoing words the relative being put for the antecedent as it is Numb 7. 89. Esth. 9. 25. Iob 1. 21. Psal. 14. 5. 114. 2. Or it may be rendred then as this Particle is used Psal. 14. 5. Hos. 2. 15. and as it is usual in other Authors for Adverbs of place to be put for Adverbs of time for every purpose and for every work z For the examining and judging not onely all mens practices or open actions but also all their secret Thoughts and Purposes all the evil which they either did or designed or desired or endeavoured to do The design of this Verse is partly to strike a terrour into oppressing Potentates and partly to satisfy the doubts and support the Spirits of good men who are oppressed in this life 18 I said in my heart a And further I considered with my self concerning the estate of the sons of men b Concerning their condition and deportment in this present World ‖ Or that 〈◊〉 might 〈◊〉 God and see c. that God might manifest them c God suffers these horrible disorders among men expressed v. 16. that he might discover men to themselves and by permitting these actions shew what strange Creatures they are and what vile Hearts they have which men would not otherwise understand or believe See 2. Kings 8. 13 14. and that they might see that they themselves are beasts d Heb. that they are Beasts to themselves either 1. one to another devouring and destroying one another Or 2. in their own judgment or themselves being Judges that although God made them Men or reasonable Creatures yet they have made themselves Beasts by their brutish practices and that men considered onely with respect unto the present life which is the onely thing valued and regarded by most men and the vanity whereof is the Principal subject of this Book are as vain and miserable Creatures as the Beasts themselves the great differences between Men and Beasts being such as respect the other life For men seem here to be called Beasts in both these respects and the latter he prosecutes more largely in the following Verses 19 * Ps. 49. 12. 20. Ch. 2. 16. For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts e They are subject to the same Diseases pains and casualties even one thing befalleth them as the one dieth so dieth the other f As certainly and no less painfully yea they have all one †Heb. Spirit breath g One breath of life which is in their Nostrils one and the same living Soul by which the Beasts perform the same vital and animal Operations For he speaks not here of Man's rational and immortal Spirit nor of the future Life so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast h In respect of the present life and sensible things Nay the Beasts have quicker senses than men and therefore enjoy more pleasure in those things and that with less dangers and mischief than men do for all is vanity 20 All go unto one place i To the Earth as it is expressed v. 21. out of which they were both taken * Gen. 3. 19. all are of the dust and all turn to dust again k Which is meant onely of their Bodies as it is explained Eccles. 12. 7. 21 Who knoweth l It might be objected that the condition of men and beasts are vastly differing because Man's Spirit goeth upward to God Ch. 12. 7. but the spirit of a beast goeth downward together with its Body and perisheth with it To this he answers Who knoweth this Which is not to be understood as if no Man did know it or as if the thing were utterly uncertain and unknown for he knew it and positively affirms it Ch. 12. 7. but that few know it as the same manner of expression is understood Prov. 31. 10. Who can find Isa. 53. 1. Who hath believed c Which note the scarcity or difficulty but not the nullity or impossibility of the thing Besides he seems here to speak not so much of
as is manifest from the following Verses will drive thee from thy station and from thy state shall he p The Lord such sudden changes of Persons being very usual in these Writings pull thee down 20 And it shall come to pass in that day that I will call q By my Spirit fitting him and by my powerful Providence moving Hezekiah's Heart to call him my servant * 2 Kings 18. 18. Eliakim the son of Hilkiah 21 And I will cloath him with thy robe and strengthen him with thy girdle r There was a peculiar sort of Robe and Girdle which was the Badge of his Office which should be taken from him and given to Eliakim and I will commit thy government into his hand and he shall be a father s He shall not onely have the Authority of a Father which thou now hast in which respect all Rulers are called fathers as Exod 2â—… 12. Numb 36. 1. but shall also govern them with Fatherly Care and Affection and not with Rigour and Cruelty as thou dost to the Inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah 22 And the key t The Government the Power of opening and shutting of letting men into it or putting them out of it whereof a key is a fit Emblem whence the delivering of the Keys of an House or City into the Hands of another is a Sign to signifie and confirm the giving him the Power and Possession of it of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder u He mentions the shoulder rather than the Hand in which Keys are commonly carried either from some Ceremony then in use of carrying a Key upon the Shoulder either of the Officer of State himself or of another in his name and stead or to signifie that this was a Key of greater weight than ordinary and that Government which is designed by this Key is an heavy Burden and therefore in Scripture-phrase said to be upon the shoulder as Isa. 9. 6. so he shall * Job 12. 14. Rev. 3. 7. open and none shall shut x Against his Will or without his Commission or Consent and he shall shut and none shall open 23 And I will fasten him y I will establish the Power in his Hands as * Ezra 9. 8. a nail in a sure place z In the strong Walls or solid Timber in the House Which is opposed to Shebna instability signified by a Ball v. 18. and he shall be for a glorious throne to his fathers house a By his prudent and righteous Government he shall procure great Glory not onely to himself but to all that have any relation to him This also is opposed to what is said of Shebna in the end of v. 18. 24 And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his fathers house b Of his own Kindred and Family who shall all depend upon him and receive Glory from him of the House of David which is called his fathers house either because Kings are called the fathers of all their Subjects both in Scripture as 1 Sam. 24. 12. 2 Kings 5. 13. 16. 7. and in other Authors or as Calvin ingeniously conjectures because he was of the Blood Royal. Otherwise this had been no great Commendation to him that he studied so much the Advancement of his own private Family And this seems more probable because this Character is opposed to that of Shebna who was the shame of his lords to wit the King's house or Family v. 18. the off-spring and the issue c Great and small the Children and Grandchildren of his Fathers House all vessels of small quantity d The meanest of them shall receive a Lustre and Advantage from their Relation to him from the vessels of cups even to all the ‖ Or instruments of vials vessels of flagons e All sorts of Vessels great or small mean or precious may be hanged upon him without any fear of falling whereas ordinary Nails or Pins if they be oppressed with too great weight are easily broken down and the Vessels fall with them 25 In that day saith the LORD of hosts shall the nail that is fastned in the sure place f Shebna who seemed to be so both in his own Eyes and in the Eyes of others be removed and be cut down and fall and the burden that was upon it g All those wicked Officers that were advanced and supported by his Power shall be cut off for the LORD hath spoken it CHAP. XXIII * Jer. 2â—… 22. 47. 4. Ezek. 26. 27. 28. Amos 1. 9. Zech. 9. 2 4. THe burden of Tyre a The Prophecy of the heavy Calamity and Destruction of Tyre which now stood in its Strength and Glory being seated in an Island upon a Rock abounding in Riches mighty in Naval Power having lately conquered that Navy which the Assyrians brought against them Yet this City was according to this Prophecy destroyed and that twice first by Nebucâ—…adnezzar and long afterward by Alexander the Great And although this Prophecy seem directly and properly to respect the former Destruction yet it seems to have some reference to the latter also onely it is intimated That after seventy years Tyrus should recover her former Power and Glory before her second and final Destruction Howl ye ships b Either 1 properly to which Howling and Lamenting is ascribed by a known Figure called Prosopopaeia or 2. Metanymically the Merchants and Owners of Ships who had much Commerce with this illustrious Mart. of Tarshish c Either 1. of Tarsaâ—… a great Port of Cilicia which anciently had the Dominion of that part of the Sea or 2. of the Ocean which is so called 1 Kings 10. 22. Psal. 48. 8. Isa. 2. 16. for it is laid waste d It shall shortly be laid waste Which was fulfilled not by Shalmanezer as some would have it for though he straitned it for some time yet he never took it but by Nebuchadnezzar so that there is no house no entring in e So effectually wasted that there is not an House left in it nor any Merchants or others that go into it either to Trade in it or to repair it from the land of Chittim it is revealed to them f The sence of the Words thus rendred may be this 〈◊〉 i. e. this Burden or Destruction of Tyre is i. e. shall be revealed declared or made known 〈◊〉 theâ—… either 1. to the Tyreans to whom this Notice should be sent concerning the Preparations of their Enemies against them or 2. to the Ships by which he means their Owners or Merchants from the land of Chittim which may be here mentioned either because they first had and gave them notice of it as was now said or because their last and â—…orest Destruction was brought upon them by Alexander who was of the land of Chittim as is affirmed by that very ancient and
signifies the duties which one man oweth to another but here it seems to signifie the Duties which men owe to God as it is explained in the following verses for my salvation c That eminent Salvation by the Messiah so largely promised and insisted upon in the foregoing Chapters for which it behoves you to prepare your selves and in which without this condition you shall have no share nor benefit is near to come d So the Scripture useth to speak of things which are at a great distance as if they were present or at hand See Habak 2. 3. Iam. 5. 8 9. Rev. 22. 20. and my righteousness e The same thing which he now called Salvation and here calleth his Righteousness because it is an evident demonstration of Gods Righteousness as in the fulfilling of his promises so in the punishment of sin and in the salvation of sinners upon just and honourable terms to be revealed 2 Blessed is the man f Every man not only Jews but Gentiles or Strangers as it is explained in the following Verses that doth this g Judgment and Justice mentioned v. 1. and the son of man that layeth hold on it that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it i That guardeth the Sabbath from profanation that doth not defile it either by forbidden practices or by the neglect of commanded duties And though Sabbath seems to be put here as Sacrifice is elsewhere Synecdochically for the whole Worship of God whereof this is an eminent part and the bond of all the rest and keepeth his hand k Which being the great instrument of Action is put for all the kinds and means of Action from doing any evil l To wit to ones Neighbour as it is more fully expressed Psal. 15. 3. h Or that holdeth it fast that is resolute and constant in so doing that not only begins well but perseveres in it 3 Neither let the son of a stranger m The stranger as the son of man is the same with the man v. 2. the Gentile who by Birth is a stranger to God and to the Common-Wealth of Israel that hath joined himself to the LORD n That hath turned from dumb Idols to the living God and to the true Religion for such shall be as acceptable to me as the Israelites themselves and the partition-wall between Jews and Gentiles shall be taken down and Repentance and Remission of sins shall be preached and offered to men of all Nations speak saying The LORD hath utterly separated me from his people neither let the eunuch o Who is here joined with the stranger because he was forbidden to enter into the Congregation of the Lord Deut. 23. 1. as the stranger was and by his barrenness might seem no less than the stranger to be cast out of Gods Covenant and cut off from his People to whom the blessing of a numerous Posterity was promised And under these two Instances he understands all those persons who either by Birth or by any Ceremonial Pollution were excluded from the participation of Church priviledges and so he throws open the door to all true Believers without any restriction whatsoever say Behold I am a dry tree p A sapless and fruitless Tree accursed by God with the curse of barrenness which being oft threatned as a Curse and being a matter of Reproach among the Jews might easily occasion such discouraging thoughts as are here expressed 4 For thus saith the LORD unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths and choose the things that please me q That observe my commands not by custom or force or fear but by free choice and full consent with love to them and delight in them and take hold of my covenant r That resolvedly and steadfastly keep the conditions of my Covenant 5 Even unto them will I give in mine house s In my Temple to serve me there as Priests which Eunuchs were not allowed to do Lev. 21. 17 c. Deut. 23. 1. and within my walls t In the Courts of my Temple which were encompassed with Walls This seems to be added with respect to the People who were admitted into the Court but not into the House it self a place and a name better than of sons and daughters u A far greater Blessing and Honour than that of having posterity which was but a temporal Mercy and that common to the worst of men even my Favour and my Spirit and eternal Felicity I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off 6 Also the sons of the stranger that join themselves to the LORD x That with purpose of heart cleave unto him as is said Act. 11. 23. to serve him and to love the name of the LORD y To serve him out of love to him and to his Worship to be his servants every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it and taketh hold of my covenant 7 Even them will I * Ch. 2. 2. bring to my holy mountain z To my house as it is explained in the following clause which stood upon Mount Sion largely so called including Mount Moriah Formerly the Gentiles neither had any desire to come thither nor were admitted there but now I will incline their hearts to come and I will give them admission and free liberty to come into my Church and make them joyful a By accepting their services and comforting their hearts with the sense of my Love and pouring down all sorts of blessings upon them in my house of prayer b In my Temple in and towards which Prayers are daily made and directed unto me 1 King 8. 19 28. their burnt-offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar c They shall have as free access to mine House and Altar as the Jews themselves and their services shall be as acceptable to me as theirs Evangelical Worship is here described under such Expressions as agreed to the Worship of God which then was in use as it is Mal. 1. 11. and elsewhere See also Rom. 12. 1. Heb. 13. 15. for * Mat. 21. 13. Mar. 11. 17. Luk. 19. 46. mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people d Jews and Gentiles shall have equal freedom of access to my House and shall there call upon my Name Possibly he may call it an House of Prayer either to imply that Prayer to God whereof Thanksgiving is a part is a more considerable part of Gods Worship than Sacrifice which being considered in itself is little valued by him as he frequently declareth or to signifie that in the New Testament when the Gentiles should be called all other Sacrifices should cease except that of Prayer and such like Spiritual Services Which also is confirmed from the nature of the thing For seeing Sacrifices were confined to the Temple at Ierusalem and it was impossible that all Nations should resort thither
thy glory c Always ministring matter of thy glorying in him or thy interest in this God shall be great honour â—…o thee or else it is the same thing with the sentence immediately before in oâ—…her words that will make thee glorious a Metonymy of the Efficlâ—…t thus he is said to give glory Psa. 84. 11. 20 Thy sun shall no more go down neither shall thy moon withdraw itself for the LORD shall be thine everlasting light and the days of thy mourning shall be ended d Literally he means the Jews mourning in Babylon but especially the uninterrupted happiness of the Church the Hebrew here for ended signifies recompensed their days of rejoicing shall abundantly recompense all their days of mourning 21 Thy people also shall be all e i. e. the greater part the word in this use hath been shewn frequently or altogether righteous compleatly righteous righteous f As this respects the Jews the sense may be they went into Captivity wicked but most of them being dead and many of the Survivours tarrying behind they that returned are said to be righteous Chap. 1. 25 26 27. and 4. 4. but Principally as it respects the Church they shall be all Saints either by profession as Paul calls them frequently Saints by calling or rather by an inherent righteousness or perfectly by the imputed righteousness of Christ see on ch 35. 8. they shall inherit the land for ever g i. e. for a long time as you have many instances and this is spoken lest that poor remnant should be afraid of being driven out again but with reference to the Church that they should for ever be continued as God's peculiar people the * Chap. 4. 2. 61. 3. See Chap. 32. 16. Mat. 15. 13. branch of my planting h put by apposition viz. Thy people being of my planting and so also the next clause the work of my bands and therefore cannot miscarry being what I shall take delight in and thus the Children of God are said to be his workmanship created in Christ Iesus Eph. 2. 10. * Chap. 29. 23. 45. 11. the work of my hands that I may be glorified i Either that I may make them glorious in being thus planted or my self glorious in thus planting them 22 A little one shall become a thousand k Though of very small beginning and contemptible yet shall greatly multiply Though the Church at first will be but a very few yet will it encrease into many thousands this plant or seed will spring up to many some understand it that many shall be converted and brought into the Church by men of very few low and mean parts however these things seem to agree better to some state of the Church here then to the state of the Church Triumphant and a small one a strong nation l If this signify not the same with the other as probably it may the word strong signifying numerous Ioâ—…l 1. 6. then we may understand it that as the former respected their number so this their strength I the LORD will hasten it in his time m viz. In due time the time that I have appointed q. d. Let not this be doubted because I have undertaken it to whom nothing is difficult when the time of the promise comes he will make hast it will be done speedily or as soon as it begins it shall hasten apace as it did in Peters Sermon 3000 in one day Acts 2. and 5000 in another Acts 4. and so soon filled the whole world and one Paul planted whole Churches as the people in Egypt increased from 70 Persons to a vast multitude CHAP. LXI 1 THe * Luke 4. 18. spirit of the LORD is upon me n As it were to accomplish that which is foretold and promised in the foregoing Chapter whereby this appears to be either the holy-Holy-Ghost see on 1 King 18. 12. or the Spirit of Prophecy i. e. the gift of Prophecy so we are often to understand by the Spirit viz. The gifts as the Spirit upon Sampson viz. The gift of valor courage and strength see 1 Cor. 12. 4. c. Though the Prophet may speak this of himself in Person yet that it is principally understood of Christ is evident because he applieth this Text unto himself Luke 4. 18. being the first text he preached upon after his Baptism at which time the Holy Ghost did descend upon him in a visible shape of which that Iohn who Baptized him was an ocular witness Iohn 1. 32 33 and so making good the truth of this Prophecy and it is said to rest upon and dwell in him according as it is prophecied ch 11. 2. 42. 1. because the LORD hath anointed o Set me apart i e. both capacitating him with Gifts and commissionating him with Authority and yet more as it is applied to Christ a Power to make all effectual from whence he hath also the name of Messiah among the Hebrews and of Christ among the Greeks nay Christ alone among the Prophets hath obtained this name Psal. 45. 7. and the Prophet seems here to describe first who Christ is and then what are his Offices this being the usual Ceremony for the designing Persons to the Offices of Prophets Priests and Kings as hath been diverse times shewen in all which respects it doth most eminently belong to Christ so that the Prophet doth hereby intimate both the final cause of his unction viz. that he should execute these Offices to which he was anointed and the effect of it that unction being upon him as the head it would flow from thence to his members and so is an unction more peculiar to them and in a more general way it hath respect unto all the faithful 2 Cor. 1. 21 22. 1 Iohn 2. 20 27. me to preach good tidings p Being meant of Christ this relates to his Prophetical Office Literally this points at the good news that Isaiah brought of Cyrus his being raised up to bring them out of Babylon now they are become meek and humble but if it be thus taken it must be understood of his Prophecies left behind him for he died many years before the Captivity But they chiefly signify the good tidings of the Gospel that discovers Christ come in the flesh to redeem poor sinners from the Captivity of sin and Satan such as are meek and humble or afflicted as the word signifies because ordinarily afflictions make men meek and humble called also the Poor and our Saviour expresseth it by that word Luke 4. 18. To these the Gospel these good tidings are brought Mat. 11. 5. Whether by Poor you understand 1. The Gentile void of all Grace and Salvation or tenders of it till now Or 2. Properly so called indigent and needy Persons of which sort were the greatest number that followed Christ of which the reason might be because Christ preached the contempt of the World and Riches
be now almost void of Inhabitants it shall be impeopled again but thou shalt be called f i. e. Be as you have frequently had such instances ‖ That is my delight is in her Hephzi-bah g My delight is in her a new Name agreeing with her new Condition and thy land ‖ That is married Beulah h Married agreeing to her new Relation she shall be as one well married to the great improvement of her state Ier. 3. 14. Hos. 2. 18 19 20. for the LORD delighteth in thee and thy land shall be married i Thou shalt see the encrease of thy Children again in thy Land as the fruit of thy married condition which by reason of thy being forsaken of thy Husband were in a manner wasted and decayed And this refers to the great enlargement of the Church in the Gospel days Or rather shall be possessed as the word baâ—…l properly signifies and so it answers to desolate thou shalt be no more desolate but possessed and this helps to solve a difficulty in the next verse which otherwise may seem an impropriety That the Sons should marry the Mother 5 For as a young man marrieth a virgin k This is delivered as a demonstration of what was said in the close of the 4th verse and it is said Young and Virgin to note their suitableness not Old and Young but such as may delight each in other signifying that mutual content that would be in all parties thus it was at the first preaching of the Gospel Act. 2. 41 to 47. so shall thy sons l Whereas it is improbable that the Spirit of God should carry on so sacred a Prophecy by a similitude so abhorrent â—…o Nature the Son should marry the Mother the scruple is easily satisfied by taking the word in its right signification to possess as in the foregoing verse reading it thus as a young man marrieth or possesseth a Virgin so shall thy Land be inhabited or possessed by thy Sons they shall dwell with thee as a man dwells with his Wife and thus the LXX And it is said Sons to distinguish them from strangers by whom she should not any longer be inhabited but by her own natives and expressed by marrying to signifie not only their unity of affection in the evenness of their living but of Faith in their common profession called the Common Faith Tit. 1. 4. according to which Paul calls him his Son marry thee and †Heb. with the joy of the bridegroom as the bridegroom rejoiceth m Taketh delight in her so shall thy God viz. Christ God and Man in thee see ver 4. Christ is often called a Bridegroom and his Church a Bride 2 Cor. 11. 2. Rev. 21. 2 9. over the bride so * Ch. 65. 19. shall thy God rejoice over thee 6 * Ezek. 3. 17. 33. 7. I have set watchmen n Understand by these either 1. Angels as they are called Dan. 4. 13 23. Or 2. Magistrates see chap. 56. 10. Or rather 3. Ministers When once the Church shall be restored again God will undertake for its Safety and Protection partly by Magistracy and partly by Ministry whom he here by a Metaphorical Allegory calls Watchmen but the next words seem principally to intimate Spiritual Watchmen thy spiritual safety Heb. 13. 17. and said to be upon the Walls as being thence able to espy dangers at the greater distance Cant. 1. 7. upon thy walls O Jerusalem which shall never hold their peace day nor night o There shall be a most vigilant and industrious Ministry their constancy being intimated by Day and Night either in Praying or Teaching or warning this being their Office ‖ 〈◊〉 that are the Lords remembrancers Ch. 43. 26. ye that make mention p i. e. Are his servants To make mention of one is according to the Hebrew Phrase to be servant to him of whom we make mention ch 26. 13. And here especially are meant his Servants in ordinary his Remembrancers either such as put God in mind of his Promise like such Officers that great Men have about them on purpose to mind them of the publick affairs Or such as make the Lord to be remembred putting his People in mind of him of the LORD keep not silence q This seems to be the charge that he gives to his Watchmen that they never prove remiâ—…s or negligent 7 And give him no †Heb. silencâ—… rest r The same with the foregoing Verse and very acceptable to God Luke 11. 8 9 10. till he establish and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth s By sending the Messiah and those Labourers into his Vineyard whereby the Church may be established and settled on sure foundations and so become matter of Praise to God All the Nations may praise him for her Psal. 67. 3 4. Or that she may be praised and become renowned and famous in the Eyes of the World see ch 60. 9. 61. 9 11. 8 The LORD hath sworn by his right hand t This and the next Verse are much to the same purpose wherein the Prophet to encourage them to their industrious endeavours tells them that the Lord had sworn to see to the prosperity of Jerusalem And he names the Hand to signifie his faithfulness as the giving of our hand notes our Fidelity and Arm to signifie his Power the Arm of his strength i. e. his strong Arm these being eminently to be engaged and put forth for his People he swears by them and by the arm of his strength †Heb. If I give c. surely u Or Iâ—… I give an usual Aposiopesis an abrupt form of swearing implying somthing of an imprecation as great as can be expressed q. d. never account me Faithful or Almighty if I accomplish not this I will no more * Deu. 28. 31. c. Jer. 5. 17. give thy corn tâ—… be meat for thine enemies and the sons x See ch 61. 5. of the stranger shall not drink thy wine for the which thou hast laboured y The meaning is that Meat and Drink and all necessaries that thou hast laboured for the Babylonians took away from thee but now it shall be so no more he will not give thee up to the Will of thine Enemies 9 But they that have gathered it z i. e. The Wine mentioned in the former verse that have brought it from their several Vineyards and laid it up in their Cellars every one shall eat the fruit of his own labours thou shalt not sow and another reap as formerly shall eat it and praise the LORD a They themselves shall praise him viz. for his Bounty and Goodness and others also that shall be partakers with them God will be bountiful and they shall be thankful and they that have brought it together shall drink it * See Deu. 12. 12. 14. 26. 16. 11
had compassion on them and had respect unto them because of his covenant with Abraham Isaac and Jacob and would not destroy them neither cast he them from his ‡ Heb. 〈◊〉 presence f i. e. From the Land of Canaan to which the presence and publick and solemn Worship of God was confined as yet 24 So Hazael king of Syria died and Ben-hadad his son reigned in his stead 25 And Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz ‡ Heb. 〈◊〉 ed and â—…ook took again out of the hand of Ben-hadad the son of Hazael the cities which he had taken out of the hand of Jehoahaz his father by war three times did Joash beat him g According to the Prediction above v. 19. and recovered the cities of Israel CHAP. XIV IN the second year of Joash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel a i. e. After he began to Reign alone for he Reigned two or three Years with his Farther Oâ—… which see on chap. 13. 10. reigned * 2 Câ—… 〈◊〉 Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah 2 He was twenty and five years old when he began to reign and reigned twenty and nine years b To wit 14 Years with Ioash King of Israel who Reigned onely 16 Years chap. 13. 10. and 15 Years after the death of Ioash or with Ieroboam the Son of Ioash as is affirmed here ver 17. and 2 Chron. 25. 25. in Jerusalem and his mothers name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem 3 And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD c That which was in some sort agreeable to Gods Will. yet not like David his father d Not sincerely 2 Chron. 25. 2. he did according to all things as Joash his father did e i. e. For a time served God aright but afterwards fell to Idolatry 1 Chron. 25. 14. as Ioash had done 2 King 12. 3. 4 Howbeit f Though he did right c. for this Particle is to be joyned with those words the rest being to be closed with a Parenthesis the high places were not taken away as yet the people did sacrifice and burnt incense on the high places 5 ¶ And it came to pass assoon as the kingdom was confirmed in his hand that he slew his servants * Chap. 12 〈◊〉 which had slain the king his father Whereby it is implied that his Fathers Murderers had powerful Friends and Abetrors and that their Fact was in some sort approved by the generality of the People to whom Ioash had made himself hateful by his Apostacy to Idolatry and by his ingratitude to the House of Iehoiada 6 But the children of the murderer he slew not g Wherein he shewed some Faith and Courage that he would obey this Command of God though it was very hazardous to himself such persons being likely to seek revenge for their Fathers death according unto that which is written in the book of the law of Moses wherein the LORD commanded saying * Deut. 24. 〈◊〉 Ezek. 18 〈◊〉 The fathers shall not be put to death for the children nor the children be put to death for the fathers but every man shall be put to death for his own sin 7 He slew of Edom h i. e. Of the Edomites or the children of Seir as they are called 2 Chron. 25. â—… 1. either because they dwelt in Seir See Gen. 36. 8. or because these people were confederates And he invaded these People because they were Subjects to his Kingdom from which they had revolted in Ioram's days 2 King 8. 20. in the valley of salt i Which was the Land of Edom Of which see 2 Sam. 8. 13. Psal. 60. 2. ten thousand and took ‖ Selah k Or the rock the chief City of that part of Arabia called by other Authors Petra which signifies a rock because it was built upon a Rock â—… Chron. 25. 12 by war and called the Or the rock name of it Joktheel l Which signifies the obedience of God i. e. given him by God as a reward of his Obeidence to Gods Message by the Prophet 2 Chron. 25. 8 9. unto this day 8 ¶ Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu king of Israel saying Come let us look one another in the face m Let us fight personally and with our Armies This challenge he sent partly upon the late and great inâ—…uries done by the Israelites to his people 2 Chron. 25. 10 13. and partly from self-confidence and a desire of advancing his Glory and Empire by his Arms. 9 And Jehoash the king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah saying The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon n By the thistle a low and contemptible yet troublesome Shrub he understands Amaziah and by the cedar himself whom he intimates to be far stronger than he and out of his reach saying Give thy daughter to my son to wife o Let us make a match i. e. let us fight Onely he expresseth this Bloody work in a civil manner as Amaziah had done ver 8. and as Abner did 2 Sam. 2. 14. Or let thy Kingdom and mine be United under one King as formerly they were and let us decide it by a pitched Battel whether thou or I shall be that King Or as some expound it by affirming That it was great arrogancy and presumption for him to desire a Friendly League or Affinity with him he leaves him to guess how intolerable it was that he should undertake to wage War against him and there passed by a wild beast that was in Lebanon and trode down the thistle p And with no less ease shall my Soldiers tread down thee and thy Forces 10 Thou hast indeed smitten Edom and thine heart hath lifted thee up glory of this q Content thy self with that Glory and Success and let not thine Ambition betray thee to ruin and tarry ‡ 〈◊〉 at thy 〈◊〉 at home for why shouldest thou meddle to thy hurt that thou shouldest fall even thou and Judah with thee 11 But Amaziah would not hear r Because God blinded and hardned him to his destruction for his abominable and ridiculous Idolatry 2 Chron. 25. 10. therefore Jehoash king of Israel went up s To wit into the Kingdom of Iudah carrying the War into his Enemies Countrey and he and Amaziah king of Judah looked one another in the face at Beth-shemesh which belongeth to Judah t Which is added to distinguish it from that Bethshemesh in Issachar and another in Naphthali Ios. 19. 22 38. 12 And Judah ‡ Heb. was 〈◊〉 was put to the worse before Israel and they fled u Being unsatisfied in the ground and manner of the quarrel and discouraged by their Kings Idolatry and smitten by God with a spirit of fear every man to their tents 13 And Jehoash king of Israel took Amaziah
king of Judah the son of Jehoash the son of Ahaziah at Beth-shemesh and came to Jerusalem x Commanding entrance in Amaziah's name and with his consent which he durst not deny and brake down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim y Which led to Ephraim unto the corner-gate four hundred cubits z Which was done partly in scorn and contempt and partly that he might re-enter and re-take it if they should attempt to renew the War 14 And he took all the gold and silver and all the vessels that were found in the house of the LORD and in the treasures of the kings house and hostages a To assure their peaceable carriage towards him and returned to Samaria b He did not keep Ierusalem nor seek to gain the possession and dominion of that Kingdom partly because he thought he could not keep it considering the difficulty he found in keeping his own from such potent and near Enemies as the Syrians were and the great affection which 〈◊〉 Iudah bare to David's House and partly because God so inclined his heart that he might make good his promue to David and his Family 15 ¶ Now the rest of the acts of Jehoash which he did and his might and how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel 16 And Jehoash slept with his fathers and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel and Jeroboam his son reigned in his stead 17 ¶ And Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah lived after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel fifteen years 18 And the rest of the acts of Amaziah are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah 19 Now * 2 Chr. 25 27. they i. e. The People or the Princes and chief men among them possibly those whose Sons he had delivered up as Hostages to Iehoash with the connivence if not approbation of the People as appears because the desigâ—… was carried on openly and steddily and irresistibly as the following words shew made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem and he fled to Lachish c A strong City in Iudah towards the Philistines Of which see Ios. 10. 31. and 15. 39. 2 King 19. â—… but they sent after him d Either secret Murderers or rather bands of Soldiers for this Rebellion was carried on by strong hand and open force Compare 2 King 12. 20. and 15. 10 15. to Lachish and slew him there 20 And they brought him on horses e Or with horses to wit in a Chariot and he was buried at Jerusalem with his fathers in the city of David 21 ¶ And all the people of Judah took * Chap. 15. 13. 2 Chron. 26. 1. he is called Uzziah Azariah which was sixteen years old and made him king in stead of his father Amaziah f Which they did either in opposition to the conspirators or to shew their affection to the House of David and that their quarrel was onely personal against Amaziah whom they looked upon as the Author of all their late Calamites This Azariah is called Uzziah 2 King 15. 30. 2 Chron. 26. 1. both names signifying the same thing for substance that Gods help and this Gods strength 22 He built Elath g i. e. Repaired and Fortified it for it was built before Deut. 2. 8. and restored it to Judah h From whom it had revolted with the rest of Edom in which Land this place was upon the Red-Sea after that the king i i. e. His Father Amaziah who did not perfect his Conquest of Edom but left some work for his Son slept with his fathers 23 ¶ In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel began to reign in Samaria and reigned forty and one years 24 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD he departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat who made Israel to sin 25 He restored the coast of Israel from the entring of Haâ—…nath k Which was the Northern border of the Kingdom of Israel Numb 13. 21. and 34. 8. unto the sea of the plain l i. e. Unto the dead Sea which once was a goodly plain Gen. 13. 10. which was their Southern border according to the word of the LORD God of Israel which he spake by the hand of his servant * Matth. 22. 39 40. called Jonas Jonah m Or Ionas one of the small Prophets though this Prophecy of his be not Recorded there and thereâ—…re it is remembred here the son of Amittai the prophet which was of Gath-Hepher 26 For the LORD saw the affliction of Israel that it was very bitter n Whereby he was moved to pity and help them though they were an unworthy people for there was not any shut up nor any left o See of this Phrase on Deut. 32. 36. 1 King 14. 10. and 21. 21. nor any helper for Israel 27 And the LORD said not o i. e. Not yet he had not yet declared this as afterwards he did by the succeeding Prophets though not in those words See Hos. 1. 5 6 9. that he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven but he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash 28 ¶ Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam and all that he did and his might how he warred and how he recovered Damascus and Hamath which belonged to Judah ‡ For Israel p These were Cities of Syria but were taken from the Syrians by David and Solomon 2 Sam. 8. 6. 2 Chron. 8. 3. and probably by them incorporated with and added to the possessions of their own Tribe to which from that time they belonged but afterwards they were re-taken by the Syrians and were now recovered by this Ieroboam are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel 29 And Jeroboam slept with his fathers even with the kings of Israel and Zachariah his son reigned in his stead CHAP. XV. IN the twenty and seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel a Quest. How can this be true seeing Amaziah the Father of this Azariah lived onely till the 15th Year of Ieroboam's Reign chap. 14. 2 23 Ans. This might be either First Because Ieroboam was made King by and Reigned with his Father eleven or twelve Years and afterwards Reigned alone and so there is a twofold beginning of his Kingdom by the former this was his 27 Year and by the later his 15th Year Or Secondly Because there was an inter-Reign for eleven or twelve Years in the Kingdom of Iudah either through the prevalency of that Faction which cut off Amaziah the Father and kept the Son out of his Kingdom or because Azariah was