both to their duty and to the examples of their Predecessors which he describes in the next words 8 But ye are departed out of the way ye have caused many to stumble at the Law ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi saith the Lord of hosts But ye are departed out of the way c. But ye contrary both to your duty and to the examples of your pious Ancestors are departed out of the way which the Law prescribed for you as well as it did for them to walk in and they did diligently keep to and observe They by their instructions directed and by their good examples led men in the right way of Gods Commandments and turned them from iniquity but ye have caused many to stumble at the Law or as in the margin to fall in the Law Ye have been occasion of ruine to them in things concerning the Law either by teaching them what is not agreeable to the Law or not teaching them the right meaning of it or by your example contrary to it ye have caused them who thought they might safely be guided by your instructions and do as they saw you do to transgress the Law and run on in false and evil waies to their destruction or which will be agreeable to the words in the Text of our Translation which others also give give occasion to them by your wickedness to disdain Gods service agreeable to that expression Rom. II. 24 The Name of God is blasphemed through you and I Sam. II. 17 That through the sin of Eli's Sons men abhorred the Sacrifice of the Lord. The words spoken indefinitly give to under-several or many things they went aside from stand that in or contrary to the Law of God and were a cause of scandal or offence to the People But if we enquire after particulars the foregoing Chapter shews that they did so in what concerned Gods Offerings and Sacrifices and the verses following in this Chapter viz. 11 c. that they did so also in matters concerning Marriage And some therefore for explication of this place refer to Nehemiah 13. from the 4 th verse forward where are several offences against the Law taxed which seem by the fault of the Priests to have been occasioned as the introducing Strangers into the places belonging to the Temple and the profanation of the Sabbath and marrying strange Wives Ye have corrupted the Covenant of Levi c. Agreeable to this expression is said Neh. XIII 29 They have defiled the Priesthood and the Covenant of the Priesthood and of Levi. In vers 4 5. God mentioneth his Covenant with Levi. This Covenant required that they should sanctify and honor God by a due observance of his Ordinances and teaching and causing others to observe them By violating the conditions on their parts they have corrupted and made void that Covenant and must not therefore expect from him that life and peace v. 5. and all those benefits which he had on his part promised on keeping Covenant They belong not to such Covenant-breakers and thence are those evils which have befallen and shall befall them contrary to what they vainly without redressing their errors and breach of Covenant did expect So he had before threatned them vers 2 and 3. and in the next verse farther declares 9 Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the people according as ye have not kept my waies but have been partial in the Law Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the People c. Therefore because they have thus corrupted the Covenant of Levi c. and by their ill administration of their office had shewed contempt of God and despised his Name ch I. 6 therefore saith he have I also made you contemptible or as some render will I make you contemptible c. It will be to the same pass in such speeches to speak in the same Language of what is past and of what is to come that which hath not been yet done being as certain when God hath said it as if it were already past According as ye have not kept my waies So rendring to them according to their own dealings and measure for measure It is that which God of old had declared as the rule by which he would go in judging and dealing with those who ought to take care of honouring him in looking to the due observance of his Commandments I Sam. II. 30 Them that honor me will I honor and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed The Priests by virtue of Gods Covenant with them were to be highly honoured and respected by the People and how zealously be would vindicate their honour appears in that Story of Corah Dathan and Abiram But upon breach of Covenant with him if they find on the contrary disrespect and contempt it is by his just judgment and by his just judgment they shall so find therefore have I also made or will I make you contemptible c. according as ye have not kept my waies but have been partial in the Law That contempt which they cast on him and on his Law by wresting it out of respect to persons that so they might gain favour and respect from them so honouring them more then him and seeking to please them more then him hath he or will he cast back on them by making them contemptible even in the eies of them from whom they thought to find by that means respect yea made or will make them base before all the People To this purpose a learned Jew expounds the words and others agree with him that by being partial in the Law is for mens sakes to approve of that which the Law approved not of and not to reprove men when they did contrary to it as in particular in that out of respect to those great men that brought them they did accept of and offer illegal Sacrifices as in the former Chapter is shewed and not reject and reprove them for bringing such things contrary to the Law whereas perhaps as some add from a poor man they would not have accepted them But the words seem more general and to comprehend any wresting of the law either out of favor to themselves or others when in declaring the meaning thereof or determining any thing according to it they did not deliver the truth but respect the persons in whose case they were to deliver their judgment and so accordingly interpreted it in favor or hatred unto them and as some think more particularly in case of extortion and usury they favoring the oppressors and this in any kind was contrary to what the Law commands Lev. XIX 15 Thou shalt not respect the person of the poor nor honor the person of the mighty but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour And Deut. I. 17 Ye shall not respect persons And Deut. XVI 19 Thou shalt not
the words simply run in the original and most of what is said and perhaps of what may well be said for exposition of them the Reader may judge what he thinks will best make for the meaning of them he will find that which our Translators give backed with the autority and consent of men of good judgement and learning and to give a plain and perspicuous meaning And was afraid before my Name The same with the former and he feared me doubled or repeated He was broken or contrite i. e. humbly and with fear or reverence behaved himself before me and my Name with great awe and reverence approached to the performance of my worship and holy duties not as ye who despise my Name c. I. 6 Others interpret it he was broken or grieved when he saw my Name profaned as in the matter of the golden Calf Exod. XXXII and the Midianitish woman Num. XXV Others he was bruised for my Names sake i. e. hath undergone and suffered all kinds of troubles and hardship for my Name 's sake There are some of eminent note who expound these last words as if they were contrary to the former of Levi's being broken brought down deprived of the promised life and peace because they did not sanctify the name of God according to the Covenant but this is disapproved by others because he here speaks in commendation of the former good Priests and doth not speak this of the impiety of the present wicked Priests nor concerning what had befallen or should befall them 6 The Law of truth was in his mouth and iniquity was not found in his lips he walked with me in peace and equity and did turn many away from iniquity The Law of truth was in his mouth In his mouth i. e. the mouth of Aaron or Eleazar or Phineas or any or all of those ancient holy Priests successively the genuine Levi was the Law of truth Gods Law is the truth Psal. CX X. 142 the true doctrine of this Law did he teach the People and instruct them in the true meaning and intent thereof that according to that right rule they might frame all their actions nothing of it did he conceal from them nor teach them any thing contrary to it or false this was in his mouth nothing contrary to it found in his lips A learned Jew thus expounds it He gave answer or pronounced sentence according to the truth in it self and did not respect the person of any in it nor alter or pervert it for any wordly respect That is it which he saith and iniquity was not found in his lips he did not mean one thing in his heart and say another with his mouth say others of them He did not take bribe saith another nor respect persons Some of their ancienter Rabbins more particularly instance the Law of truth was in his mouth i. e. he did not pronounce that unclean which was clean nor that clean which was unclean and iniquity was not found in his lips he did not pronounce unlawfull that which was lawfull nor pronounce that lawfull which was unlawfull He walked with me That we may know what is meant by walking with God may be compared with this place Genes V. 22 24. where it is said Enoch walked with God and the VI. 9 where it is said Noah was a perfect man and walked with God and Genes XVII 1 where God saith to Abraham Walk before me and be thou perfect and Hebr. XI 5 where it is said that Enoch had this testimony that he pleased God By which we may understand that to walk with God is so to walk as in all things to endeavor to please him in a due observance of all his will and according to the rule of his Commandments as alwaies in his presence and therefore fearing to offend him in any thing or to depart from or transgress his righteous Laws with respect in all things to him and his glory How Levi so walked is expressed in the following words in peace and equity In peace Some understand this of peace with God as that by so walking and doing what was right he kept in peace and friendship with God and did not provoke him by disobedience so that whereas Gods Covenant was with him of peace ver 5. he did observe it on his part that so God might on his Others of peace with men others with both and no doubt both must go together and he that will have peace with God must as far as in him lies live peaceably with all men Rom. XII 18 And a ready way to have peace with God is to keep peace with and among men Live in peace and the God of love and peace shall be with you II Cor. XIII 11 so blessed are the peace-makers for they shall be called the Children of God Mat. V. 9 but keeping peace with God is necessarily included in the forementioned walking with God and these words describing the manner of that his walking and having reference to what follows likewise in description of him that he by such means turned many away from iniquity seems to respect not only his conversation with God but before and towards men whom he was to bring likewise with with himself near to God To this purpose that Jewish Doctor R. Tanchum saith that here by peace are meant his moral vertues and the right ordering his conversation among men with gentleness because by that means will be occasioned peace among all Then by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mishor rectitude is meant the rectitude of works pertaining to Religion and equity So before him Aben Ezra another of them in peace saith he that is with Israel and in rectitude or equity i. e. by doing my Commandments And that thus by peace those more ancient did understand may appear by that saying in that authentic book wherein the sayings of their Fathers or ancient Sages are recorded where is set down as a saying of Hillel an ancient Doctor who is thought to have lived something before Christs Incarnation Be of the Disciples of Aaron who loved peace and followed peace and who loved men and brought them near to the Law In which saying he manifestly seems to have had respect to this Text of Scripture and is by Abarbinel cited in his explication of it who then for explaining what is said and in rectitude adds he rectified or directed them in their waies which seems to agree with the Greek Version which hath in peace directing he walked with me In explaining this word R. D. Kimchi a little differs from the other forementioned Jews as he likewise doth in his exposition of the former word as we before intimated The whole of his exposition of both is this In peace Because he did cleave to me to do my will according to what is said he shall make peace with me Isa. XXVII
in the same sense of to give others some he shall turn the hearts of the fathers to the children c. i. e. of the Jews to the Gentiles and of the Gentiles to the Jews which though it may be true and that John did so and it was as well an effect of his preaching and baptizing as of the Gospell yet I suppose is not the literall meaning of these words which were spoken to the Jews and more particularly concern them between themselves Others he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children c. i. e. of God to Israel and Israel to God who is called their father and calleth them sons That this is comprehended within the latitude of these words we doubt not inasmuch as we hear the Angel where he refers to these words putting as part of Johns office many of the children of Israel shall be turn to the Lord their God and indeed for that end was he to turn their hearts one to another that they might all with joynt hearts or one heart turn to the Lord. Yet can we not think that to be the literal meaning of the present words God is called their Father elsewhere but I suppose fathers here put in the plural number cannot be properly used of him Another Exposition of Camerarius who makes the meaning to be that he should reduce the hearts of the fathers to the children and of the children to the fathers i. e. Should turn or bring back the hearts of the fathers so as that they should take care of the pious education of their children whereas they had been negligent in the right instructing and disciplining of them and the hearts of the children who had been disobedient to their fathers so as to yeild due reverence and obedience to them may be well reduced to the first But as to that which others give viz. that by the fathers should be meant the old Patriarks Abraham Isaac and Jacob c. and by the children those of that generation when this Elias should come I do not understand how it can be made good To say that the hearts of the children should be turned by their conversion to the same faith that was in those ancient holy men is intelligible but how the hearts of those so long since dead should be said to be turned to those of that generation is not so easily conceived these hitherto mentioned all take 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Al here in the signification of to There are of the Jews who would have it here to signify by or by the hand or means of So R Salomon out of an ancienter Doctor shall turn the hearts of the fathers by the hand of the children i. e. Shall speak to the children to perswade their fathers to embrace the way of the Lord and on the other hand to the fathers to perswade their children The same signification of it takes Abarbinel also and gives this strange interpretation making the time spoken of to be according to his fancy after the Resurrection which he will have to be before the end of the World If any be then at that time living who hath children dead he shall by them being raised from the dead at the coming of Eliah be converted to the truth and on the contrary such children as are living by their fathers being raised that so before the end of the World all may be turned to the truth that all be not destroyed But this is so uncouth an Exposition and so little agreeing to the words as that it will be much from the purpose to speak more of it nor doth that by R Salomo mentioned agree with them there being shewed in them what God would do by the hands of his Elias not what Elias should do by the hands of others But there is yet another acception of the word which is by others both Jews and Christians preferred as giving the plainest meaning and that is by taking it here to signify not to but with as manifestly in several other places it doth As for example 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Al merorim with bitter herbs Exod. XII 8 and vers 9. his head 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with his legs and Chap. XXXV 22 and they came 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Al nasim with women i. e. as ours translate it both men and women with several like instances Thus R. D. Kimchi here will have it taken giving thus his Exposition He shall warn or call on both fathers and children together with all their heart to turn unto God and they that turn shall be delivered from the day of Judgement so that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to be looked on as signifying the same that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 im with fathers with the children and of children with their fathers all of them together So likewise R. Tanchum the meaning saith he is That he shall seek to rectify or reduce into order the Sect or People that they may be all of them of one heart in the obedience or worship of God and the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is in the signification of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with i. e. saith he he shall seek to rectify the hearts of the fathers among them with the hearts of the children and the repeating or doubling of the words viz. and the heart of the children with their fathers is for greater confirmation sake Thus say those Jews with whom do concurre as we said divers Christians also and are urgent for it so as that the words may denote that he should convert or call to repentance all of them together both old and young young and old that so they might all be a People prepared for the Lord as Luke I. 17 he speaks and readily receive him and with joynt hearts obey him This Exposition gives a clear and plain meaning and is easily reconcileable with the first mentioned both even necessarily go together viz. the converting all together one with another and one to another in obedience to God and love one to another and therefore we may well look on the words as comprehending both and that for giving a full meaning of them both ought joyntly to be taken in and so are they taken in likewise in that one word in which our Saviour elsewhere summs up that office of this Eliah here in more expressed viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall restore all things reduce all things to right order which could not otherwise be done then by turning them all one to another and one with another to the faith of Christ. In much like manner to that of our Saviours do some of the Jews likewise summe up the import of these words concerning his office whoever it be that is meant saying that he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Leyasher Israel velehacin libbam to rectify Israel and to prepare or put in good order their hearts In the forecited place Luke I. 17 where these
other or would choose any other place for his worship then Jerusalem he will certainly effect and therefore for the better assurance thereof repeats it for my Name shall be great that which by you a handfull of men is now despised shall be great among the Heathen by all acknowledged as such These words were when spoken spoken of what should after be but by Christs coming into the World were made good so appears it by what he saith in his discourse with the Samaritan Woman who thought of no other pâ—aâ—e where men ought â—o worship God but either the Mountain of the Samaritans mount Garizim or Jerusalem Joh. IV. 21 c. Woman beleive me the hour cometh when ye shall neither in this Mountain nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father And the hour cometh and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth for the Father seeketh such to worship him God is a spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth The consideration of which words will give us the true import of these and compared together they illustrate one the other for his saying that God did no longer confine his worship i. e. the outward performance thereof by such rites and ceremonies as were ordained to Jerusalem or any other single place what is that but the verifying of what is here said that his Name should be great among the Nations from the rising of the Sun even to the going down of the same and what he â—aâ—th that the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth not only there but every where sheweth that as his Name should be great and magnified among them by their acknowledging him as Father so what is to be meant by that incense and pure offering which they should offer unto his Name viz. not such as are literally signified by those words and were then to be ordered according to the prescription of the Law but such worship as though expressed by the names of those carnal things under the Law then in continual use and known to all yet is indeed spiritual joining the Soul with the external performances agreeable to the nature of God who is a spirit of which those ordinances of worship under the Law were types and shadows And indeed the change of the place necessarily imports a change of the worship or things offered for expression of it for the incense and other offerings by the Law prescribed were not to be offered any where else but in the Temple at Jerusalem after that was there settled for the place of his worship Deut. XII 13 14 26. Those therefore that he will have in every place to be offered to him are manifestly of another nature though called by those names which then included generally all the external worship of God under the Old Testament while the Jews were Gods peculiar People they now figuratively understood denote the whole spiritual worship of God under the New Testament since the calling of the Gentiles and People of all Nations unto Gods Church the Kingdom of Christ. The incense therefore of the Gentiles converted to Christ and by the Gospell instructed in the true knowledge of God and taught to celebrate his great name and their pure offering are devout prayers Rev. V. 8 holy praises thanksgivings and alms-deeds and works of charity Heb. XIII 15 16. their whole selves Rom. XII 1 Divers of the ancient Christian Fathers look on the words as an express and undoubted Prophecy of the Christians solemn worship of God in the Eucharist or Sacrament of the Lords Supper called the Christian Sacrifice to which how they are appliable is shewed at large by the learned M r Mede in his discourse on these words where he gives to note that under the name of the Christian Sacrifice by the ancient Church was understood not the mere Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ but the whole sacred action or solemn Service of the Church assembled whereof this sacred mystery was a prime and principal part and therefore defines it to be An oblation of thanksgiving and praier to God the Father through Jesus Christ and his Sacrifice commemorated in the creatures of bread and wine wherewith God had been first agnized viz. by them sanctified by being offered and set before him as a present to acknowledge him the Lord and giver of all This whole Service duly performed is as at large he there shews deservedly stiled incense and a pure offering both in respect that it is purely or spiritually offered and in respect of the purity of the conscience and affection of the offerers throughly perswaded of the greatness of God and in respect of Christ whom it signifies and represents who is a Sacrifice without all spot and blemish and by this being offered to his Name in every place he saith the time should come when it should be great magnified and acknowledged as great among and by all Nations though the Jews did now profane it as he makes the connexion by rendring that though which our Translation renders but. But the sense will be much alike in reading but viz. to this purpose the time shall come when from the rising of the Sun c. my Name shall be great among the Gentiles who yet have not true knowledge of me but will when I shall see due time to reveal it to them readily embrace it Mean while it ought to have been so among you and duly magnified by you to whom I have from of old revealed it and given you ordinances and waies of worship by observing of which you should have magnified it but you on the contrary have by despising those ordinances and perverting those waies of worship profaned it When these words were spoken and thence forward as all along before since the giving of the Law till the time of this diffusing the knowledge of God and his Name and this alteration and reformation of his worship here spoken of the Jews had for their direction the Law of Moses and ought duly to have attended to it as they are warned Chap. IV. 4 but they did in all things go so contrary to it as that neither they nor any service they did were acceptable to God So notoriously so obstinately peccant were they both Priest and People that he sees it not sufficient to have once reproved them by reckoning up to them their faults but again repeats them that so they may be sensible how greatly they have offended him how displeasing it is to him that they should continue to do such things having been warned of them and that it is worse then what the Gentiles when he shall call them will do 12 ¶ But ye have profaned it in that ye say The table of the Lord is polluted and the fruit thereof even his meat is contemptible But ye have profaned it viz. my Name so verse 6. they are said to despise
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vehippachtâ—m oto and ye have grieved him which ours render and ye have snuffed at it And he notes that this word is one of the eighteen that are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tikkun Sopherim the correction of the Scribes and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oto him is put instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oti me and that for reverence to God because he or his name should not be joined in the first person with a Verb of so ill signification the person in the Pronoun was chang'd and instead of grieved me put grieved him but this is a groundless thing and so to some of the more learned Jews themselves seems And here again R. Tanchum notes that they are far from the truth who refer the Pronoun it or him in this place to God as if it were spoken of him that they did afflict or grieve him yet Diodati seems to like it Aben Ezra expounding the word as before what a toyl or wearisomness is it gives another reason of their saying so viz. as if they said it by reason of the curse and famine that was in the Land so that there was not bread or food to put on the Table or Altar as for the following words he doth not sufficiently explain his meaning saying only that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hippachtem is from the signification of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Piach Ashes Exod. IX 8 10. viz. that which is as ashes and there is not what is sufficient on it perhaps he means Ye put on the Altar what is no better then ashes to be blown away or and ye look on it or make it as ashes nothing worth This is all that is in the printed Copy of him that we have but Abarbinel seems to have had a Copy that had more in it whence he gathers that he understood this word in the signification of grieving But besides that composition of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mattelaah according to which it is rendred what a weariness or labor there is yet another given by others according to which it signifies as much as Mittelaah from labour which Kimchi shews to be justifiable by other examples without thinking that those that give this signification read the word with another vowel then it is ordinarily read viz. Mittelaah with i instead of Mattelaah with a as some think they did And this exposition follow many ancient Interpreters as the Chalde what we bring is of our labour and much alike the Greek the Syriack printed Arabick and vulgar Latin which hath Lo l of labor which perhaps might be so understood as to sound much one with what a labour or how great labour is here but is usually expounded Lo what we bring is of labour or affliction viz. the best that is left us by reason of our late affliction in our captivity which hath impoverished us and the wearisomness we and our Cattel endured in our tedious way home And so saying puff at it or make it fit for nothing but to be puffed at by me and so the Greek changeth it into the first person and I have puffed at these things or as by others Lo what we bring is gotten by our labour not given to us by the People 't is out of those tenths which should belong to us and so the price of our toil and labor Thus by reason of the different reading given in the Margin of our Bibles have we looked perhaps more then enough into the most of other rendrings which we have met with out of any of which or perhaps altogether will not be made up any meaning so facile and agreeable to the words without any force or straining as that in the first place set down Their saying what a weariness is it seems contrary to what God saith Micah VI. 3 wherein have I wearied thee And ye have brought that which was torn c. By what hath been said appears the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by some to be rendred stollen by others torn viz. by wild Beasts or the like the later of which divers prefer and some except against the former as improper for the place yet I doubt whether the word will elsewhere be found in the signification of torn however either of these would make the thing unfit for an offering to the Lord as likewise those defects or blemishes after named as appears out of Levit. XXII see ver 20 22 24. Thus ye brought an offering c. viz. these illegal things for an offering or according to others as we have seen together with these your Mincha or meat offering as if all were done according to the Law but it is contrary to it and therefore shall not be accepted at your hands The Lord hath said it 14 But cursed be the deceiver which hath in his flock a male and voweth and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing for I am a great King saith the Lord of hosts and my Name is dreadful among the heathen But or and cursed be the deceiver c. Having reprehended them for their misbehavior in other daily Sacrifices he farther proceeds to reprove them for their misbehavior in matter of vows or such offerings as being not otherwise liable to they did by vow oblige themselves to Concerning such we have what the Law requires set down Levit. XXII 18 c. the oblation for a vow was to be a male without blemish ver 19. perfect ver 21. whatsoever was otherwise should not be accepted ver 20 21 23. But to that pass it seems were these People now come that there were of them such who deceitfully dealt with God rather indeed with their own souls in this kind Out of pretence of Piety and greater devotion they would by vow bind themselves to offer an oblation to God but when they came to perform their vows would deal deceitfully and instead of a male a perfect Beast bring a corrupt thing an imperfect one with such blemishes as made it illegal and that which aggravated their offence when they had in their hand such as the Law required and might duly have made and performed their vow which had they not had their pretence for bringing such as they brought though not fully such as the Law required yet the best they had might have been more plausible and been at least a seeming excuse and lessened their fault although it had been more agreeable to the Law if they had not had what had been fit for a vow not to have vowed at all Deut. XXIII 21 but now having vowed and having wherewith to perform that vow according to the Law and yet dealing deceitfully with the Lord by offering in place of what they had vowed and what they had in their power to pay a blemished illegal thing as if he could by such false dealing be deceived must needs shew great contempt of him who is a great
Interpretation is not novel and withal that perhaps there is no reason why 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not good should be changed into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as a late learned man would have it that so he might have occasion of finding fault with the ordinary reading in the Hebrew This Exposition R. Tanchum having cited rejects for this reason because that fault was not so general as that all may be said to be guilty of it but only some particular persons who are reckoned up in Esdras ch X. 18 c. and Nehem. XIII 28 except they may therefore be all accounted guilty because they did not disapprove it Another Exposition therefore he gives of his own viz. And there is not one who hath done this and hath his spirit remaining to him i. e. but shall certainly perish in his sin Then he asks as by way of derision and what is the end or purpose of any one in doing this doth he thereby seek a holy Seed that shall set it self to obey God therefore it behoveth you to look to your selves as you would save your spirits that you abstain or to keep your souls by abstinence from so doing and that he deal not treacherously the third person being put for the second as in many places it is done i. e. and do not thou or you deal treacherously with the wife of thy or your youth he speaking to them in the second person There being this variety of Expositions irreconcilable between themselves I knew not how better to make way for the Reader to examine them and judge of them and so to enquire after the truth then by thus giving him the chief of them at large and for more facilitating yet the matter it may not be amiss to give the bare signification of the words which are so diversly expounded as they stand in the original Text which are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Velo Echad and not one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Asah hath done or made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vsear ruah lo and the remainder or as some will excellency of spirit to him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vmah Haechad and why or what one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mebak-kesh seeking or seeketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Zera Elohim a Seed of God From the different putting together and construction of these words and distinguishing them and reading them either with or without an interrogation arise these so different senses which when the Reader shall have well considered he shall perhaps find the first which is according to our English Translation in the Text or the last of the Jewish which is R. Tanchum's most easily appliable to the words and according to either of them and indeed of all they will be a forcible argument against either their putting away their legal Israelitish wives or taking with them other strange wives yea more generally against either divorce or Polygamy all treacherous or unfaithfull dealing against the covenant of the Marriage bed which is also farther expressed in the following verse 16 For the Lord the God of Israel saith that he hateth putting away for one covereth violence with his garment saith the Lord of hosts therefore take heed to your spirit that ye deal not treacherously For the Lord God of Israel saith that he hateth putting away or as in the Margin to put away c. In this verse also are several Interpretations and it hath its difficulties of which our Translators give notice by their putting in the Margin as a different rendring of which the first words are capable If he hate her put her away And this marginal reading is agreeable to what most ancient Interpreters to omit modern have it so the Greek and ancient Latin and Arabick If thou hate her put her away and so the ancientest among the Jews the Chalde Paraphrast Yet neither is the other which ours follow in the Text novel they are both mentioned in the Talmud and since that by such Expositors as have followed so as you may perceive they doubted which to prefer though some inclining more to the one others to the other Kimchi following that which the Chalde hath makes no mention of the other Aben Ezra following the other as the truer in his opinion mentions not that R. Salomo only tells us of both without preferring either and so doth Abarbinel and R. Tanchum So that it will be necessary to take some notice of both that so the Reader may at last use his own judgment which he will follow which will be the better done when he shall have likewise considered the following words which are in our Translation rendered for one covereth violence with his garment Concerning the Exposition of which words there is likewise no little difference betwixt Interpreters both concerning the construction of them viz. who or what one it is that is said to cover and what to be covered or which with which is covered the violence with the garment or the garment with violence and concerning the meaning of this expression 1. As to the Construction that which our Translators follow in the Text makes the person spoken of viz. he that doth that wrong to his wife whom he putteth away to be him that covers and violence to be that which he covers and his garment to be that with which he covers it For one say they covereth i. e. He whosoever he be that doth this as Bishop Hall well paraphraseth it covereth violence with his garment so taking the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Al which otherwise signifieth upon or above here to signify the same that usually the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be doth in construction of Verbs i. e. with So do besides some other modern Interpreters some ancient Jews also take it to do as the Chalde Paraphrast and R. Tanchum although the first of these doth not render the former words as ours do but If thou hate her put her away yet in these he so takes the particle as we said to signify with rendring and cover not sin with thy garment That he changeth the person from he to thou his to thy is by the liberty of a Paraphrast that gives the meaning according as he takes the intent to be not of a litteral Interpreter But whereas he puts in not which is not in the Text this Grotius solves by saying that he read it interrogatively And shall or may any so doing cover his iniquity with his garment which may likewise be applied to what R. Tanchum saith who saies that the first words being interpreted when a man hateth his wife let him put her away i. e. it is permitted to him to put her away viz. by a legal Bill of divorce that so another Israelite may marry her in a legal way and he do not deceive her by taking another strange wife unto him the construction of these must be and let him not cover violence with his garment and so a Latin
for a particle of exclamation O and so that and the following words to be the words of the Prophet admiring the patience of God who so patiently bears with so great impiety and doth not punish this their blasphemy But though in his Notes on Isa. XXVII 4 he make it probable that this particle may sometimes so signify yet whether it ought here so to be used especially making as he doth the following words where is the God of Judgement to be the Prophets words may seem questionable inasmuch as then the Prophet would seem guilty in the same kind that those whom he reproves were viz. in questioning Gods justice as shewing favor to wicked men they did it because God seemed in their eies to favor others more wicked than themselves more than he did them he should do but much the same because God so much favored or bare with them But if any will have it so rendred I should rather think the following words should still be the words of those wicked men as others take them to be and then the sense will be but the same as if it were rendred or or and only with a little more vehemency and either a denying or complaining of the slowness of Gods Justice They thus probably as we said in defence of their own obstinacy in persevering in those evil waies for which the Prophets reproved them arguing What need we fear though we go on in such courses as you reprove us for do we not see those that do that which you call evil prosper so that we may well conclude either that their doings are well liked of by God or else if it be not so where is the God of Judgment sure either there is no such as Abarbinel notes this way of speaking to denote the not-being of a thing or else he is very negligent and slow in his executing judgement else why doth he suffer so long such things and not punish them so those scoffers II Pet. III. 4 where is the Promise of his coming so intimating that from the ill ordering of things in distributing of justice they thought either that God saw the evil things that were done and was not displeased with them or else did not see them nor regarded them and so was not a God of judgement Such impious sayings of theirs he shews that God was highly offended at for their undertaking to be judges of the Seasons and circumstances which he hath reserved the judgement of to his own knowledge and power and to subject the depths of his judgments to their own shallow reason and with this reproof of them is this Chapter concluded But out of his great condescension in the next Chapter he returns such an answer to these their causeless objections as may teach them to discern between the righteous and the wicked between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not as he speaks is the 18 th verse of that Chapter Grotius interprets what is rendred ye have wearied c. by ye will weary c. and when ye say by in that ye will say c. viz. so as to be a foretelling of their behavior in that interval that they should now be without Prophets and Miracles for many years between the time that this was spoken and the coming of that Messenger and Lord in the next Chap. vers 1. spoken of And it is but reason and agreeable to the words that we should take in together with what the Jews had done since their return into their Country and with what at present they did all that they should do in that time God foresaw what they would say or do as already said or done But to pass by all that was in that time done and to look on the words as reporting by way of Prophecy what is now by them done in their present dispersion after the real completion of these Prophecies as some Jews do according to what R. Tanchum thinks convenient both here and Chap. III. 14 is wholly to elude this Prophecy as then spoken and to make void all that we beleive and all that the history of the times testifies of the completion of it by the coming of Christ and the destruction of the Jews in the following words threatned and to perswade us to look after that which they vainly do as if Christ were not yet come but we were to look for another to shut our eies against what hath been and to look for what shall never be to take off the Prophets words from the times that they concerned and apply them to such as began not till all that he spake was manifestly fulfilled so making by a perverse method the end to be the beginning Though they be now guilty of the same sin that the men of that generation then were yet are not they the men then particularly spoken of and designed CHAP. III. VERS 1. Behold I will send my messenger and he shall prepare the way before me and the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his temple even the messenger of the covenant whom ye delight in behold he shall come saith the Lord of hosts BEHOLD I will send my Messenger and he shall prepare the way before me c. How these words depend on those foregoing with which the former Chapter is concluded hath been already intimated viz. that here is an answer given to that blasphemous question of those perverse ones of that time who from what they saw of the prosperity and florishing condition of such whom they looked on as deserving other usage took thence occasion of questioning Gods Justice God assuring that there should come a time wherein they should perceive that he was no favorer of wicked men or their practises a time wherein he would by his executing his just judgement on them shew that he took due notice all along of what was done by them though he might seem for a while to connive at it and that time should be at the coming of a righteous King whom he should raise up to set things in order viz. the King Messiah as I choose to utter in the words of a Jewish Expositor that so it may appear even by confession of his Enemies That the words are a most illustrious Prophecy of Christ by which this last of Prophets before Christs coming assured them of and warned them to expect his coming for which to prepare them they should have no more Prophets sent them till a Messenger which should immediatly before his coming appear to prepare his way before him How this Prophecy was in its due time fulfilled the History of the Gospel clearly and fully shews so that there is nothing in the cavils of the Jews or any other that acknowledge not the truth thereof that can raise to us any doubt as to the scope and true meaning of the whole though in the explaining of the particular words may be some difference which as far as may
his Temple there shall his glory and majestatick presence dwell even that Lord which they now sought in their murmurings And for a proof of this and that this promise should certainly be performed he instanceth in what they had already seen in what concerned the King of Persia who was the Lords Angell or Messenger and Messiah or Anointed for destroying of Babylon and bringing back the dispersed of the Jews to Jerusalem according to what Esay prophecied of him and made with them a Covenant of peace of whom therefore he saith And the Messenger of the Covenant whom ye delight in i. e. to honor and love him do you not see that he came according as was promised to you so shall the Lord whom ye seek come suddenly and unawares in the time of redemtion and gathering of the captivity c. This is his meaning as far as I can make it out in his Commentary on this place and I suppose I have faithfully given it and the giving of it is a sufficient confutation of it so doth he distract the construction of the words so blend and intermingle them with strange notions that as he rejects the opinions of others of his own profession so I suppose none of them will embrace this of his All that we can gather from this or any yet named is that they not willing to see or acknowledg the truth which the Christians instructed by the Gospell embrace do strive to go as far from it as they can mean while taking such different waies and disagreeing among themselves as that it is manifest they had no one probable thing to insist on There is yet another opinion among them which Abarbinel glanceth on for a reserve as a possible one if the other of his own be not thought sufficient although he doth not so apply it as others do and that perhaps much ancienter then any of these we have yet seen and such as by a right interpretation of the words though not according to their meaning might be reconciled to the truth And that is That by this Messenger is meant he who Chap. IV. 5 is called Eliah whom some of them would have to be Eliah the Tishbite in person others not necessarily so but some great Prophet like him in degree and therefore called by his name So the often cited R. Tanchum reports their opinion on that place Chap. IV. where will be occasion to speak again of it That this opinion among them was ancient we learn not only out of their own records but out of the Gospell also Mat. XVII 10 where we hear the Disciples asking Christ Why then say the Scribes that Eliah must first come their opinion then was that before Christ Elias ought to come as a Messenger and Forerunner and Christ doth not say they were out in expecting such a one as was to be looked on as Elias but in this that they did not acknowledge him that was under that name expected to be already come saying Elias was truly first to come but that indeed he was already come and they knew him not c. By which answer his Disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist of whom also he had before told them and the whole People that he was he of whom it is written Behold I send my Messenger before thy face c. Mat. II. 10 and the Elias which was for to come To those Jews therefore who are of the last opinion mentioned we have from those words of our Saviour a ready answer and to any objection that they shall raise from it against their believing this Prophecy to be fulfilled and the Messiah to be come Whereas some of them making it an argument in that kind say that this Prophecy is not fulfilled because Elias is not in person come and therefore neither the Messias we refer them for answer to those of their own Sect who confess that neither these nor those other words of Malachi nor any other Prophecy require that Elias should come in person but only some great Prophet or prophetical man in degree like to Elias And then to these if they say that not any such hath yet appeared we say Yes there hath and that John the Baptist was he for he came before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elias to make ready a People prepared for the Lord Luc. I. 17 He was by all that then lived and beheld his works counted and holden for a Prophet Mat. XIV 5 and XXI 26 yea he was more then a Prophet then whom there was not a greater risen among them that were born of women Mat. XI 9 11. so great that they doubted whether he were not the Messiah himself What was required from this Messenger and from him that was promised under the name of Elias viz. that he should prepare the way for the Lord he did fully make good by preaching repentance Mat. III. 2 by baptizing unto repentance vers 11. by bearing witness to Christ and pointing him out to the People that they might beleive on him Joh. I. 29 c. if there be any thing in that ancient Tradition of theirs that Eliah was to prepare the Messiah to his office that may be said to have been fulfilled by John's baptizing Christ before he began to preach at which baptizing the Holy Ghost descended on him visibly from Heaven But this is besides the expression of the Scripture and so not to the present words John then being such as to his person and so having performed that office for which it is said here that he should be sent what can it be but mere obstinacy to deny him to be the Lords Messenger here prophesied of and what can they expect in any which was not in him found From the time of this Prophecy till the time of its completion by the Lords sending him was their opinion true that such a one who for his excellency and the spirit with which he was to be endowed might be called Eliah was to come as a Messenger and a forerunner of the Messiah to prepare his way before him but since these things have been all fulfilled still by virtue of the same Prophecy to expect another denying him is great perversness According to their own rule that Prophecies and promises of God are at their manifestation to be discerned and acknowledged as fulfilled they ought so to discern and acknowledge this and could not but so do did they not willingly shut their eies because they will not accept of Christ. God be thanked who hath opened our eies by the Gospell so as to acknowledge this Messenger who by what is therein declared is evidently approved to be John Baptist. He it is without doubt of whom he here saith my Messenger So our Translation renders it others rendring my Angell The word is indeed that which is used to signify an Angell but as well likewise any other Messenger or Ambassador from a
been dedicated to the only true God Here therefore it being called Christs Temple it shews that he is true God one with the Father This argument though pious and conclusive to Christians yet a learned man would not have to be much insisted on as to the signification of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heicul inasmuch as it doth not only signify a Temple or House of worship but also a Palace and so he thinks the Jews may put it off by saying it signifies only the Messiah shall come to his Palace But I suppose they would not fly to that I do not find any of them that do The ordinary Expositors that we have of them as R. Salomo Jarchi Aben Ezra David Kimchi as likewise R. Tanchum do not at all meddle with interpreting this word only Abarbinel who as we said interprets the Lord not of the Messiah but of the Shecinah or glorious Presence of God or God himself explains it to his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heical which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bebeith mikdasho in his Sanctuary by which he will have to be meant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Habbeith haatid that house or Temple which is to come or shall hereafter be built or as in his Commentary on Haggai he calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beith shelishi the third house By it then here I doubt not but they all understand it a Temple properly so called But however they may otherwise seek to evade the force of this argument and this I mean of them who confess by the Lord here to be meant the Messias whether by saying it may be called his because by him built according to Maimonides or because he should frequent it or otherwise certainly the other argument for proof of his being come because the Temple to which he was to come is so long since destroyed is unanswerable and their talking of a third Temple without any ground in Scripture so long and still in vain expected by them under which this Prophecy is to be made good as if it were not long since fulfilled while that second Temple was standing as we are assured that it was is a mere dream of men choosing to themselves strong delusions Which lest any of theirs by enquiring into it should discover they weary it appears or ashamed of the length of the time of their vain expectation or not knowing how they should satisfy such as should enquire into it have long since by a severe way interdicted all such enquiries by saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tippach rucham or Atsman shel Mechashebe hakketsim Let them burst or breathe out their souls that enquire after the ends or periods and terms of time viz. concerning the coming of the Messiah And that perhaps may be the cause why their Expositors in this place say so little of it viz. how or when the Lord should come to his Temple Certainly without acknowledging Christ the true Messiah and him to be come in the flesh and both God and man there cannot any thing be said that can give the true meaning or shew what was requisit for the fulfilling of this Prophecy here and that cited out of Haggai of such affinity with it And no wonder to see them who willingly and obstinately decline the one only way of manifest truth to run on in such different tracts of error It follows in the Text Even the Messenger of the Covenant whom ye delight in Where our Translators rendring the copulative 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which ordinarily signifies and by even give us to look on these words as a farther description of the same person who was called the Lord and that is as hath been said Christ Jesus who though he be one with his Father God eternal yet humbled himself for mens sakes to be as a Messenger from his Father to them to declare unto them his will and to be unto him obedient in all things that he gave him to do This proves not that he is not one God with the Father though as a Son he yielded obedience to him and performed his work Here is nothing in this that takes away either unity of essence or equality of power So that we need not to depart from this notion of Messenger or Angel to render it Prince as a learned man by the use of the word in another language thinks it may be proved in the Hebrew and here also to signify It will come but to one pass he is Prince of the Covenant for the same reason that he is called Messenger or Angell of it which is because in him God founded the new Covenant of Grace and by him as Mediator of it administred it he not only declaring it but ratifying it with his own Blood and receiving into it as many as lay hold on him even that new Covenant of which he is Mediator Heb. XII 24 better then the old and established on better promises Heb. VIII 6 8 c. spoken of Jer. XXXI 31 no more comprehending Jews alone but Gentiles also In which regard God saith of him I will give thee for a Covenant of the People for a light of the Gentiles c. Isa. XLII 6 in whom he was reconciling the World unto himself 2 Cor. V. 19 In this that we say that it is bâ—t the same person who is called both Lord and Messenger we have most of the Jewish Expositors consenting So R. Salomo and Aben Ezra and Kimchi and R. Tanchum and Abarbinel in a secondary Exposition but yet in this divided among themselves that some of them say by both is meant God himself i. e. God the Father by others the Messiah Against the former is hence an evident proof that of God the Father it cannot be meant because a Messenger is necessarily a distinct person from him that sends him The Lord therefore and Messenger here spoken of must as we affirm of Christ needs be so As for those who interpret both as we do of the Messiah though much differing from us as concerning the nature of his person yet there is no occasion to dispute with them concerning that here in that they agree that the person by both titles described is the Messiah As for others who take by the Lord to be meant one by the Messenger of the Covenant another so vain and absurd are their fancies that to name them will be sufficient confutation of them as not only that uncouth as well as novel opinion of Abarbinel making it to be the King of Persia who had sent them home from their Babylonish Captivity but also that of some more ancient who would have to be meant Eliah whom they would have to be called by that title because he alwaies presides at the Rite of Circumcision the sign of Gods Covenant with them which they thus make out God seeing his zeal for Circumcision when those of the ten Tribes were negligent of it gave him this priviledge as
a reward of his zeal that that Sacrament should never be administred but that he should oversee it for which cause alwaies at every Circumcision they set a Chair of State for him as being Angel Messenger or President of the Covenant and so here called A pretty story whereby to delude themselves and amuse the people from further enquiry after the truth which if it were found only in trivial fabulous Books might pass as a fancy but that it should be quoted by their serious and grave Authors as a thing pertinent to this place and grounded on it cannot but seem as strange as it is groundless and ridiculous What is added whom ye delight in shews that with great longing they expected of old his coming as a time that should bring much cause of joy and rejoycing to them and what follows as repeated Behold he shall come or cometh saith the Lord of hosts shews the certainty of the thing as sure as if it were already done God engageth both his truth and power in it he saies it and every word of his is truth and he that saies it is the Lord of hosts God of all power and can and will effect whatsoever he saith Behold he cometh not as Abarbinel as we have seen would have it hath or is already come that so he might apply it to the King of Persia who made with them a Covenant of Peace but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yabo shall certainly come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bizmano in his time as Kimchi truly explains it And not only so but if we look on the place before named to which he should come viz. his Temple it will give us necessarily to understand as to the time too that he was to come while that Temple was yet standing as Grotiâ—s well observes And here before we proceed it will be covenient to take notice what the same learned man suggests to us on the next verse viz. That Christs coming when spoken to and of the Jews denotes not only his first manifestation in the flesh or the Temple but all the time from his first preaching to the destruction of the City of Jerusalem and of the Temple Otherwise more distinctly the word is applied to a threefold coming of Christ 1. His coming in the flesh to be born among men 2. His coming in Judgement for vengeance to his enemies and deliverance of his Servants in this World as he did come at the destruction of the Jews 3. At the end of the World at the day of Judgement And so understanding it as particularly respecting the Jews we shall easily perceive here a full and satisfactory answer to those murmurers and scoffers of those times who seeing the prosperity of some wicked men as it is in the last verse of the preceding Chapter said every one that doth evil is good in the sight of the Lord and he delighteth in them or where is the God of Judgement Though such who impiously question Gods Justice deserve no other answer then to feel it yet in much condescension he here vouchsafes them such an answer as to let them know that though he doth not presently proceed as they would have him but seem to neglect or wink at the doings of wicked men yet he is not negligent but in his own appointed time will so order things as shall make it manifest to all that he took notice all the while of what was done This time as to them he here expresses to be that coming of Christ which is in these and the following words described in which time was his just judgement signally executed before the whole World as to what concerned their Nation And so the question why God suffers the wicked oft most to florish as to them of that Nation the People then by the Prophet spoken to and of is fully decided by what was in that space of time by him brought to pass so as to stop the mouth of any other who shall in like blasphemous manner question his Justice by warning them to leave to him his own time to execute his just Judgements and rather to prepare themselves for that time which certainly shall come upon them then in any way to doubt of it The things here spoken do more particularly concern the Jews but are to all and to us for examples and are written for our admonition God having several waies of executing his Judgements but proceeding still according to the same rule of Justice They likewise concern rather more general and national impieties and judgements accordingly executed yet so as every particular man may thence take instruction that none who taketh care of his waies seeing such as are openly wicked to prosper and florish should thence take occasion of murmuring and questioning Gods Justice nor any wicked man that prospers in this World should because God suffers him so to do for that justify himself or think himself good in the sight of the Lord or that God delighted in him but be assured that a time will come when God will execute just Judgement on him however for a time he forbear him and so deal with him in particular as he here threatneth to do with the wicked of those times He hath other waies of coming besides that here spoken of to every man at his death and after judgement which though R. Salomo as we have seen doth ill in making the prime and literal meaning of this place as he doth yet so far he is true that certainly God will by it come to every man in particular and then judge and distinguish them according to the things that they have done not the things that they have enjoied in this World His deferring them till then is not a sign of his liking to them but shall make if they by repentance prevent it not for their greater condemnation and misery and so shall it appear that they are out who for what they see them here to enjoy shall account them happy See Luke XVI 25 This may seem a digression as not pertaining to the literal meaning of the words yet may be not impertinent in regard that both the present words and other passages after in this Chapter cannot but suggest such consideration of Gods just Judgement both for private persons and whole Societies of men to us That some Christians anciently should interpret the word come in the first place of Christs first coming and in this second of his coming to Judgement cannot but seem strange Doubtless here is but one and the same coming spoken of and the repetition of the promise of it doth but confirm the certainty of it and that was the first coming of his then when these words were spoken to be expected by the Jews The words will naturally bear no other sense 2 But who may abide the day of his coming and who shall stand when he appeareth for he is like a refiners fire and like fullers sope But who may
there and others both here and there give it For here he would have the words rendred as continued with the former and part of what those blasphemers before mentioned said viz. that then they that feared the Lord were destroyed from another signification that the same root hath and is used in as in other places according to him and some others So in II Chron. XXII 10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vattedabber and she destroyed all the Seed Royal and from it is the Noun 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deber which signifies the plague or such destructive sickness so that according to him the sense is that when the presumptuous sinners that work wickedness are set up and though they tempt God by exposing themselves to the greatest dangers are yet delivered then at that very time they that fear the Lord perish are cut off and destroyed one together with another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 el to being here the same that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Im with or are by evil accidents intangling them made destructive and causes of perdition one to another as if the hand of God were upon them to confound and destroy them Thus far he would have the words of those that spake against Gods Justice to reach and then the following words the Lord hearkned c. to be an answer from the Prophet to them as if he should say to them Know and consider that to all this that you say God hearkneth and heareth it and that both the righteousness of the righteous and the wickedness of the wicked are as manifest before him as if all were written in a book of remembrance that it might remain many daies till the time of due recompence and reward c. And the same way of Exposition with him doth Arias Montanus follow and gives it as his own conjecture or opinion probably having seen Abarbinel else he would scarce have fallen in so fully with him here as he doth in many other places without mentioning him in Expositions singular to them and this he commends as most agreeable to the words but I see no reason to be of his opinion but choose rather to follow that interpretation which our Translation with the most both of Jews and Christians gives not making these first words a part of those stout words which the wicked spake against God but a declaration of the behaviour of those that feared God and the following of the good consequence thereon So R. D. Kimchi perspicuously expounds them and the following The former words were the saying of those who did not understand the waies of the Lord and his Judgements and when those that feared the Lord heard those words from those men who denyed the Providence of God over these things below they spake one with another and multiplyed or often repeated those words and argued the matter till they found by their understanding that all his waies are judgement that he is a God of truth and without iniquity And the Lord hearkned i. e. God blessed for ever attended to their words and gave them their reward for this And a book of remembrance was written before him a proverbial expression according to the language of men among whom Kings write a book of memorials for there is no forgetfulness with God according to what is said blot me out of thy Book Exod. XXXII 32 and every one that shall be found written in the book Dan. XII 2 These words of his we have set down at large because they give exactly that notion concerning the distinction of the words from the former and the signification of the Verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nidbaru which our Translators choose to follow And it is that wherein most both Jewish and Christian Expositors do well agree as likewise in what is meant by what he saith and the Lord hearkned and heard it and a book of remembrance was written viz. that the Lord took due notice of what was said both by bad and good say some which though it be true that he doth so yet here more particularly it seems to be referred to the good and kept it in perpetual remembrance in the register of his memory if we may so speak as certainly as if it were written in a book according to the custome of men who note down in writing or cause to be registred such things as they would not forget but be sure to call to mind and shew that they took due notice of as meet occasion and opportunity should serve to reward those that had done them any service or deserved well or whom they had a mind to do good to Of Gods book and things being written in it there is we know often mention in the Scriptures besides those places which Kimchi recites both in the Old and New Testament and every where is much alike to be understood viz. that the things spoken of are as surely known and had in remembrance with him as if they were written down before him And so where the books are said to be opened it is the making manifest his knowledge of those things by his passing sentence on men accordingly for good or bad see Dan. VII 10 and Revel XX. 12 and Isa. LXV 6 The book of remembrance is here said to be written for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his name viz. to give them assurance that their faithfulness to him however he did not presently reward them openly for it yet was duly taken notice of by him and in due time he would make it known by his distinguishing them from the wicked and his great care of them to preserve them from those heavy judgements and that destruction which should seize on the others as will appear in the following words But before we pass to them we may take notice of what is by some observed concerning the signification or force of that word which is rendred and that thought upon his Name viz. that it imports not a bare thinking of but a due esteem and awful regard of so as with all care to avoid all things that may tend to the dishonor of it constantly to endeavor so to walk as beseems such who profess to know God and to serve him as alwaies in his presence and with respect to him and fear of him Those saith Kimchi are meant who alwaies think of or meditate in the waies of the Lord and the knowledge of his God-head for his Name is himself and he himself is his Name Aben Ezra understands it of the wise in heart who know the secret or the mystery of the glorious awfull Name He seems to allude to what is said Psal. XXV 14 the secret of the Lord is with them that fear him R. Tanchum saith that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Choshebe rendred that thought on imports or includes honoring and magnifying according to the use of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chashub for one in dignity and high
John Baptist his forerunner at that but here his second coming to Judgement and as M r Mede thinks either Eliah in person or some other called by that name who shall come before him at that Whereas others rightly take the Eliah here mentioned to be the same with the Messenger there promised to be sent viz. John Baptist and in both places the same coming of Christ to be meant viz. that usually called his first coming And this we say is manifestly the truth It appears by what is spoken by Christ himself in the Gospel Mat. XVII 9 c. and Marc. IX 11 c. in the story of his Transfiguration where the Disciples Peter and James and John which he took up into the Mountain with him after they had heard what Moses and Elias talked with him probably concerning the fulfilling of the Prophecies in this Chapter of Malachi mentioned concerning the approach of the great and dreadfull day of the Lord wherein he should destroy his wicked obstinate enemies the unbelieving Jews and deliver his faithfull Servants that believed in him out of that destruction before which it is here said that he would send Elias to forewarn them of it and to preach repentance for the averting of it whom they did not discern to be yet come asked him why then say the Scribes that Elias must first come and Jesus answered and said unto them Elias truly shall first come or cometh first and shall restore all things But I say unto you that Elias is come already and they knew him not or acknowledged him not but have done unto him whatsoever they listed c. These words I say make it so plain that the Elias here meant was then already come and that no other for fulfilling this Prophecy on which that saying of the Scribes or Doctors of the Law among the Jews was grounded was to be expected before the coming of the great and dreadfull day of the Lord that there seems to be no place for questioning it Yet do they who would have Elias that ancient Prophet to be here meant take hence their chief argument to prove that he here spoken of is not yet come and therefore that the day here mentioned is likewise to be understood of the day of the last Judgement before which they expect he shall come because say they it is said in the future Elias truly shall first come and restore all things as if it were a thing yet to come but surely the following words But I say unto you that Elias is already come make it evident that that Interpretation cannot be put on the former so as to infer from them that Elias is not yet come but that they must be expounded thus It was truly said Elias shall come c. or It is true that Elias should first come or was first to come and so it appears the Disciples understood it of whom it is said vers 13. Then the Disciples understood that he spake to them of John the Baptist which is a plain proof that they that understand it of any other understand it not aright They though the opinion be ancient and have many both of note and learning which follow it for what end it will not be to our purpose to examine may seem as a great learned man observes to have taken it rather from some Tradition that they had heard from the Jews then to have warrant from the Scripture or any other good ground for it Sure the words of our Savior in the place cited make not for them but evidently against them while he concludes all with affirming that that Elias which they spake of was already come not saying that another was to be expected though one were already come To the same purpose as clearly makes what he elsewhere saith concerning John Baptist Matthew XI 10 this is he of whom it is written behold I send my Messenger before thy face which shall prepare thy way before thee and vers 14. And if ye will receive it if ye will receive and believe the truth this is Elias which was to come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spoken there as of the future as well as in the forementioned words which shall come to shew that he was when the Prophet Malachi spake to come afterward not that when our Saviour spake he was yet to come he plainly sheweth by saying thus that he was already come By all this our Saviour makes it manifest that all that could in Malachi be interpreted of Elias was made good in John Baptist who came in the spirit and power of Elias and was to be understood of him alone as much as if he had in express words said that he only was the Elias that was to come and they were not by vertue of Malachi's Prophecy or any other to look for another And of him because he is here stiled a Prophet doth he say that he was more then a Prophet Matt. XI 9 yea much more Luke VII 26 for saith he vers 28. I say unto you among those that are born of women there is not a greater Prophet then John the Baptist. And in Luke I. 76 Zacharias saith of him that he should be called the Prophet of the Highest and all the People were perswaded that he was so Luke XX. 6 his denying himself to be that Prophet who the People asked him if he were he John I. 21 shews only that they were mistaken in their conceit concerning that Prophet which they asked after as likewise they were in their question concerning Elias which likewise he denyed himself to be viz. Elias in person as they expected but not that he was he that is here called Elijah the Prophet Here the Greek Version instead of Prophet puts the Epithet of Tishbite which was the appellation of the Prophet Elijah of old and by that they who would here have it to be understood of him in person strengthen their opinion but sure that adds no strength to it besides that this is a manifest change of the word in the Originall which ought to be of greatest authority there is no doubt but that by the same reason and figurative way of speaking he may as well be called Elijah the Tishbite as Elijah the Prophet that only shewing the Countrey of that Prophet as the other word his office if he deserved to be called Eliah the Prophet he deserved to be called Eliah the Tishbite For that Eliah the Prophet whose name because he came in his spirit and power he was called by was a Tishbite in this there is nothing of force to prove that here and in the third Chapter vers 1. are meant two different Eliahs We conclude therefore from the express words of our Saviour that he that is meant here by Eliah is John the Baptist and no other and remit the Reader for what is of him affirmed and concerns us to know more of what is said of his person to what