take his part of that Fruit. and he did eat t By her perswasion and instigation See 1 Tim. 2. 14. 7. And the Eyes of them both u Of their Minds and Consciences which hitherto had been closed and blinded by the arts of the Devil were opened x As the Devil had promised them though in a far differing and sadder sense and they knew ‖ They knew it before when it was their glory but now they knew it with grief and shame from a sense both of their guilt for the sin newly past and of that sinful Concupiscence which they now â—…ound working in them that they were naked and they fewed y Or Tyed Twisted or Fastned Fig-leaves z The lesser branches or twigs upon which were also the leaves of a Fig-tree which peradventure was then near them and which because of its broad leaves was most fit for that use together and made themselves ‖ Or things to gird about Aprons a To cover their nakedness 8. And they heard the voice b Mentioned ver 9. or rather the sound as the word voice is often taken in Scripture as Psal. 93. 3. Rev. 10. 3. and 19. 6. of the LORD God c Either God the Father or rather God the Son appearing in the shape of a man as afterwards he frequently did to give a forecast of his incarnation walking in the Garden in the †Heb. wind cool of the day d About Evening the time when men use to walk abroad to recreate themselves when there was a cool and refreshing Wind whereby also the voice of the Lord was more speedily and effectually conveyed to Adam and his Wife and Adam and his Wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God e Being sensible of God's approach and filled with shame and Conscience of their own guilt and dread of judgement instead of flying to God for Mercy they foolishly attempted to run away from him whom it was impossible to avoid amongst the Trees of the Garden 9. And the LORD God called f With a loud voice unto Adam and said unto him where art thou g Thou whom I have so highly obliged whither and wherefore doest thou run away from me thy friend and Father whose presence was lately so sweet and acceptable to thee In what place or rather in what condition art thou What is the cause of this sudden and wonderful change This he asks not that he was ignorant of it but to make way for the following sentence and to set a pattern for all Judges that they should examine the offender and enquire into the offence before they proceed to punishment 10. And he said I heard thy voice in the Garden And I was afraid because I was naked h He confesseth his nakedness which was evident but saith nothing of his sin which if possible he would have hid See Iob 31. 33. And is grieved for the shameful effects of his sin but not yet sincerely penitent for his sin and I hid my self i Out of reverence to thy glorious Majesty 11. And he said who told thee that thou wast naked * Or that thy nakedness which lately was thy glory was now become matter of shame hast thou eaten of the Tree whereof I commanded thee k 〈◊〉 which I gave thee so severe a charge upon pain of 〈◊〉 that thou shouldst not eat 12. And the man said the Woman l I have eaten not by my own choice and inclination but by the perswasion of this Woman whom thou gavest to be with me m As a meet help a faithful friend and constant companion supposing that it was not good for me to â—…e alone which the event shews would have been much better for me Thus Adam excuseth himself and chargeth God foolishly with his sin she gave me of the Tree and I did eat n Out of complacency to her not from any evil design against thee 13. And the LORD God said unto the Woman what is this that thou hast done o How hainous a crime hast thou commâ—…ted What a World of mischief hast thou by this one 〈◊〉 brought upon themself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thy posterity Or why hast thou done this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 motives couldst thou have â—…or so wicked 〈◊〉 What 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou of meddling with this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it when I had gâ—…en thee so large and liberal an allowance And the Woman said the Serpent p A Creature which thou hast made and that assisted by an higher power by an evil Angel for such I now perceive by sad experience there â—…e beguiled me q A 〈◊〉 and foolish Woman whose seduction cast for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Anger and I did eat r Being surprized and overperswaded against my own Judgment and Resolution 14. And the LORD God said unto the Serpent s Or rather this or that Serpent which as was said before on ver 1. was no ordinary Serpent but a Serpent acted and assisted by the Devil and therefore this sentence or curse is pronounced against both of them 1. Against the Serpent it self which though an unreasonable Creature and therefore not subject to a Law and consequently not capable of guilt or sin Rom. 4. 15. Yet being the instrument of the Devils malice is rightly punished as other Beasts being abused by mans sin did suffer together â—…th him Exod. 32. 20. Levit. 20. 15 16. not for their crime but partly for the punishment and partly for the benefit of Man who is their Lord and Owner Psal. 8. 6. for whose sake seeing they were made it is not strange if they be punished for his use that in their punishment man might have a demonstration of Gods anger against sin and a motive to Repentance 2. Against the Devil who is here principally intended though as he lay hid in the body of the Serpent which he possessed and used so his curse is here mentioned under the cover of the Serpents curse and under the disguise of such terms as properly and literally agree to the Serpent but are also mystically to be understood concerning the Devil With whom the Lord entertaineth no conference as he did with Adam and Eve whose sin was less than his and whom God meanâ—… to bring to Repentance but immediately denounceth the curse against him as one that sinned against much greater Knowledge and from far worse Principles not from mistake or mis-information but from choice and Rebellion from hatred of God and from meer envy and implacable malice against men because thou hast done this t Deceived the Woman and tempted her to this sin thou 〈◊〉 u Or shalt be from henceforth both really and in the opinion of all mankind Or Be thou cursed above all Cattle and above every Beast of thâ—… Field x As in other respects so particularly in that which here follows upon thy belly shalt thou go ‖ If the Serpent
Serpent could speak and what the Woman conceived of his speech and why she was not affrighted but continued the discourse with it There be two satisfactory answers may be given to these questions 1. The Woman knew that there were spirits and did freely and frequently converse with Spirits or Angels who also did appear in some visible shape to her which seems very credible because in the following Ages not onely the Angels but even the blessed God himself did in that manner converse with men And as they afterwards used to appear in the shape of men why might not one of them now appear to her and converse with her in the shape of a beautiful Serpent And why might she not freely and securely discourse with this which she thought to be one of those good Angels to whose care and tuition both she and her Husband were committed For I suppose the fall of the Angels was yet unknown to her and she thought this to be a good Spirit otherwise she would have declined all conversation with an Apostate Spirit 2. A late ingenious and learned Writer represents the matter thus in which there is nothing absurd or incredible The Serpent makes his address to the Woman with a short speech and salutes her as the Empress of the World c. She is not affrighted because there was as yet no cause of fear no sin and therefore no danger but wonders and enquires what this meant and whether he was not a brute Creature and how he came to have speech and understanding The Serpent replies that he was no better than a brute and did indeed want both these gifts but by eating of a certain fruit in this Garden he got both She asked what Fruit and Tree that was Which when he shewed her she replied this no doubt is an excellent fruit and likely to make the eater of it wise but God hath forbidden us this Fruit To which the Serpent replies as it here follows in the Text. It is true 〈◊〉 discourse is not in the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…ewish and other Expositors that these words Yea hath God said c. Are a short and abrupt sentence and that they were but the close of a foregoing discourse which might well enough be either this now mentioned or some other of a like nature And that expression which follows verse 6. When the Woman saw i. e. understood that it was a Tree to be desired to make one wise may seem to imply both that the Serpent told her and that she believed that the speech and understanding of the Serpent was the effect of the eating of that Fruit and therefore that if it raised him from a brute-Beast to the degree of a reasonable Creature it would elevate her from the humane to a kind of divine nature or condition unto the Woman d Who had upon some occasion retired from her Husband for a season an advantage which the crafty Serpent quickly espieth and greedily embraceth and assaulteth her when she wanteth the help of her Husband †Heb. Yea because c. yea e Or Why or Is it so or indeed or of a truth hath God said f It is scarce credible that God who is so bountiful and the soveraign good and so abhorring from all parsimony and envy should forbid you the enjoyment of any part of those provisions which he hath made for your use and comfort ye shall not eat of every g Or of any for the word is ambiguouâ—… which therefore the cunning adversary useth to hide the snare which he was laying for her Tree of the Garden 2. And the Woman said unto the Serpent we may eat of the Fruit of the Trees of the Garden 3. But of the Fruit of the Tree which is in the midst of the Garden God hath said ye shall not eat of it neither shall ye touch it h To wit in order to the eating of it Or the touch might be simply forbidden or she might reasonably understand it to be forbidden in and by the prohibition of eating because it was an occasion of sin and therefore to be avoided For it is not probable that the Woman being not yet corrupted should knowingly add to God's Word or malitiously insinuate the harshness of the precept lest ye dye i Others lest peradventure ye dye as if she doubted of the truth of the threatning Which seems not probable the Woman yet continuing in the state of 〈◊〉 and such doubting being evidently sinful and the Hebrew particle Pen doth not always imply a doubt as appeares from Psal â—… 12. Isa. 27. 3. and 3â—… 18. compared with 2 King 18. 3. 4. * 2 Cor. 11. 3 1 Tim. 2. 14. And the Serpent said unto the Woman ye shall not surely die k It is not so certain as you imagine that you shall die God did say so indeed for your terrour and to keep you in awe or he had some mystical meaning in those words but do not entertain such hard and unworthy thoughts of that God who is infinitely kind and gracious that he will for such a triâ—…le as the eating of a little Fruit undo you and all your Posterity and so suddenly destroy the most excellent work of his own hands 5. For God doth know l If you would have the whole truth of the matter and God's design in that Prohibition it is only this that in the day ye â—…at thereof then your eyes shall be opened m He knoweth that you shall be so far from dying that ye shall certainly be entred into a new and more noble kind of Life and the eyes of your minds which are now shut as to the knowledge of a World of things shall then be opened and see things more fully and distinctly and ye shall be as Gods n Or as God like unto God himself in the largeness of your knowledge knowing Good and Evil o As the very name that God hath put upon the Tree may teach you But this is a priviledge of which for divers causes best known to himself some of which your own reason will easily guess at he would not have you partake of 6. And when the Woman saw p By curious and accurate observation and gazing upon it or perceiving it by the Serpents discourse as was observed on ver 3. that the Tree was good for Food and that it was †Heb. a desire pleasant to the Eyes * To wit in an eminent degree for otherwise so were all the rest and a Tree to be desired to make one Wise q Which she might know by the Serpents information See the Notes on ver 1. she took of the Fruit thereof * 1 Tim. 2. 14. and did eat and gave also unto her Husband r Who by this time was returned to her with her s i. e. Who now was with her or that he might eaâ—… with her and
his slave to be abused despised or trampled under his feet but to be kindly treated and used like a companion with moderation respect and affection Qu. How could a Rib be taken from Adam but it must be either superfluous in Adam while it was in him or defective afterwards both which reflect upon the Creator Answ. 1. It was no superfluity but a conveniency if Adam had at first one Rib extraordinary put into him for this purpose 2. If Adam lost a Rib upon so glorious an occasion it was but a scar or badge of honour and no disparagement either to him or to his Creator 3. Either God created him a new Rib or hardned the Flesh to the Nature and use of a Rib and so there was no defect in him and closed up the Flesh i Together with another Bone or Rib. in stead thereof k i. e. Of that Rib and Flesh which he took away from him which was easie for God to do 22. And the Rib which the LORD God had taken from Man †Heb builded made he a Woman and brought her l From some place at a little distance whether he first carryed her that for the decency of the action he might bring her thence unto the Man m A Bride to a Bridegroom to be married to him the great God being pleased to act the part of a Father to give his Daughter and workmanship to him thereby both teaching Parents their duty of providing Marriages for their Children and Children their duty of expecting their Parents consent in Marriage 23. And Adam said n Qu. How knew he this Answ. Either 1. By his own observation For though it be said that he was asleep till the Rib was taken out and restored yet he might awake as soon as ever that was done the reason of his sleep ceasing and so might see the making of the Woman Or. 2. By the Revelation of God who put these words into Adams mouth to whom therefore these words of Adam are ascribed Matth. 19. 5. this is now o Or For this time the Woman is made of my Bones c. but for the time to come the Woman as well as the man shall be produced another way to wit by Generation Bone of my Bones and Flesh of my Flesh p Made of my Rib and Flesh i. e. God hath provided me a meet help and Wife not out of the brute Creatures but nearer hand a part of my own Body and of the same nature with my self She shall be called Woman because she was * 2 Cor. 11. 8. taken out of man 24. * Matth. 19. 5. Mar. 10. 7. 1 Cor. 6. 16. Eph. 5. 31. Therefore q These are the words of Moses by divine instinct or his inference from Adam's words shall a man leave his Father and his Mother r In regard of Habitation and society but not as to natural duty and affection and shall cleave unto his Wife s In Coniâ—…gal relation and highest affection even above what they owe to their Parents And they t Or they two as it is in the Samaritan Syriack and Arabick translations and Matthew 19. 5. shall u i. e. Shall be esteemed by themselves and others to be as intirely and inseparably united and shall have as intimate and universal communion as if they were be one Flesh x i. e. One Person one Soul one Body And this first institution shews the sinfulness of Divorces and Polygamy however God might upon a particular reason for a time dispence with his own institution or to remit the punishment due to the violaters of it 25. And they were both naked the Man and his Wife and were not ashamed y To wit of their nakedness as having no guilt nor cause of shame no filthy or evil inclinations in their Bodies no sinful Concupiscence or impure motions in their Souls but spotless innocency and perfection which must needs exclude shame CHAP. III. 1. NOw the Serpent a Or Rather this or that Serpent For here is an emphatical article of which more by and by was more subtile than any Beast of the Field b The Serpents eminent subtilty is noted both in sacred Scripture Gen. 49. 17. Psal. 58. 5. Mark 10. 16. 2 Cor. 11. 3. and by Heathen Authors whereof these instances are given that when it is assaulted it secures its head that it stops its ear at the charmers voice and the like If it be yet said that some beasts are more subtle and therefore this is not true it may be replied 1. It is no wonder if the Serpent for its instrumentality in mans sin hath lost the greatest part of its original subtlety even as mans sin was punished with a great decay both of the natural endowments of his Mind Wisdom and Knowledge and of the beauty and glory of his Body the instrument of his sin But this Text may and seems to be understood not of the whole kind of Serpents but of this individual or particular Serpent for it is in the Hebrew Haunachaâ—…h that Serpent or this Serpent to signifie that this was not only an ordinary Serpent but was acted and assisted by the Devil who is therefore called that old Serpent Rev. 12. 9. And this seems most probable partly from the following discourse which is added as a proof of that which is here said concerning the Serpents subtlety and that sâ—…rely was not the discourse of a Beast but of a Devil and partly from 2 Cor. 11. 3. which hath a manifest reference to this place where the Apostle affirmeth that the Serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety not surely through that subtlety which is common to all Serpents but through that subtilty which was peculiar to this as it was possessed and acted by the Devil There seems indeed to be an all â—…sion here to the natural subtilty of all Serpents and the sense of the sacred Penman may seem to be this as if he said the Serpent indeed in it self is a subtil Creature and thought to be more subtil than any Beast of the Field but howsoever this be in other Serpents â—…t is certain that this Serpent was more subtil than any Beast of the Field as will appear by the following words If it be said the particle this or that is relative to something going before whereas there is not a word about it in the foregoing words it may be replyed that relative particles are often put without any antecedents and the antecedents are left to be gathered not onely out of the foregoing but sometimes also out of the following passages as is apparent from Exod. 14. 29. Numb 7. 89. and 24. 17. Psal. 87. 1. and 105. 19. and 114. 2. Prov. 7. 8. and 14. 26. So here that Serpent that of which I am now to speak whose discourse with the Woman here followeth which the LORD God had made and he said c Quest. How the
did so before the fall what then was natural is now become painful and shameful to it as nakedness and some other things were to man But it seems more probable that this Serpent before the fall either had feet or rather did go with its breast erect as the Basilisk at this day doth God peradventure so ordering it as a Testimony that some other Serpents did once go so And so the sense of the curse being applied to this particular Serpent and to its kind may be this whereas thou hadst a priviledge above other kinds of Serpents whereby thou didst go with erected breast and didst feed upon the Fruits of Trees and other Plants now thou shalt be brought down to the same mean and vile estate with them upon thy belly or rather breast as the word also signifies shalt thou go c. as they do and * Isa. 65. 25. dust shalt thou eat y Dust is the food as of Earthworms Scorpions and some other Creatures so also of some Serpents as appears both from Isai. 65. last Mic. 7. 17. and from the Testimony of Nicander Thâ—…riac vers 372. and Philo an Arabick Writer Or the dust is the Serpents sawce rather then his meat whilst creeping and groveling upon the Earth and taking his foâ—… from thence he must necessarily take in dust and filth together with it These two clauses being applyed to the Devil signifie his fall from his noble state and place to Earth and Hell the baseneâ—…s of his nature and of his food his delight being in the vilest of mâ—…n and things it being now his meâ—…t and drink to dishonour God and destroy mankind and promote the esteem and love of earthly things all the days of thy Life 15. And I will put enmity z Though now you be sworn Friends leagued together against me between thee and the Woman a And the Man too but the Woman alone is mentioned for the Devils greater confusion 1. The Woman whom as the weaker Vessel thou didst seduce shall be the great occasion of thy overthrow 2. Because the Son of God who conquered this great Dragon and old Serpent Rev. 12. 9. Who came to destroy the works of the Devil 1 Iohn 3. 8. was made of a Woman Gal. 4. 4. without the help of man Esa. 7. 14. Luk. â—… 34 35. and between thy * Matt. 3. 7. and 13. 38 and 23. 3â—… John 8. 44. Acts 13. 10. â—… John 3. 8. Seed b Literally this Serpent and for his sake the whole seed or race of Serpents which of all Creatures are most loathsome and terrible to mankind and especially to Women Mystically that evil Spirit which seduced her and with him the whole society of Devils who are generally hated and dreaded by all men even by those that serve and obey them but much more by good men and all wicked men who with regard to this text are called Devils and the Children or seed of the Devil Iohn 6. 70. and 8. 44. Acts 13. 10. 1 Iohn 3. 8. and her †Psal. 132. 11. Isi. 7. 14. Mic. 5. 3. Seed c Her off-spring first and principally the Lord Christ who with respect to this text and promise is called by way of eminency the Seed Gal. 3. 16 19. whose alone work it is to break the Serpents head i. â—… to destroy the Devil Heb. 2. 14. Compare Iohn 12. 31. Rom. 16. 20. Secondly and by way of participation all the members of Christ all believers and holy men who are called the Children of Christ Heb. 2. 13. and of the Heavenly Ierusalem Gal. 4. 26. All the members whereof are the Seed of this Woman And all these are the implacable enemies of the Devil whom also by Christs merit and strength they do overcome It shall ‖ Som. 16. 20. Heb. 2. 14. 1 John 5. 5. Rev. 12. 7 17. bruise thy head e The principal instrument both of the Serpents fury and mischief and of his defence and the principal seat of the Serpents life which therefore men chiefly strike at and which being upon the ground a man may conveniently tread upon and crush it to pieces In the Devil this notes his Power and Authority over men the strength whereof consists in Death which Christ the blessed seed of the Woman overthroweth by taking away the sting of death which is Sin 1 Cor. 15. 55 56. and destroying him that had the power of death that is the Devil Heb. 2. 14. and thou shalt bruise his heel f The part which is most within the Serpents reach and wherewith it was bruised and thereby provoked to fix his venemous Teeth there But a part remote from the Head and Heart and therefore its wounds though painful are not deadly nor dangerous if they be observed in time If it be applyed to the seed of the Woman Christ his heel may note either his humanity whereby he trod upon the Earth which indeed the Devil by Gods permission and the hands of wicked men did bruise and kill or his Saints and Members upon the Earth whom the Devil doth in diverse manners bruise and vex and afflict while he cannot reach their head Christ in Heaven nor those of his members who are or shall be advanced thither 16. Unto the Woman he said I will greatly g Or certainly as the repetition of the same word implyes multiply thy sorrow h In diverse pains and infirmities peculiar to thy Sex i. e. Thou shalt have many and those oft-times false and fruitless Conceptions and Abortive Births and whereas thou mightest commonly have had many Children at one Conception as some few Women yet have now thou shalt ordinarily undergo all the troubles and pains of Conception Breeding and Birth for every Child which thou hast Or Thy sorrows and thy Conception by a figure called Hendiaduo are put for thy sorrows in Conception or rather in Child-bearing which the Hebrew word here used signifies Gen. 16. 4. Iud. 13. 3. and thy conception In sorrow i Aristotle in his Histor. Animal 7. 9. observes that Women bring forth young with more pain than any other Creatures thou shalt bring forth k Or bear for the word notes all the pains and troubles which Women have both in the time of Child-bearing and in the act of bringing forth Children l Heb. Sons and Daughters too both being comprehended in that word as Exod 22. 24. Psal. 128. 6. And thy desire m Thy desires shall be referred or submitted to thy husbands will and pleasure to grant or deny them as he sees fit Which sense is confirmed from Gen. 4. 7. where the same phrase is used in the same sense And this punishment was both very proper for her that committed so great an errour as the eating of the forbidden Fruit was in compliance with her own desire without asking her Husbands advise or consent as in all reason she should have done in so weighty and doubtful
ye shall break it 34 Of all meat which may be eaten that on which such water cometh e The meaning is that flesh or herbs or other food which is dressed in water to wit in a vessel so polluted shall be unclean not so if it be food which is eaten dry as bread fruits c. the reason of which difference seems to be this that the water did sooner receive the pollution in it self and convey it to the food so dressed shall be unclean And all drink that may be drunk in every such vessel shall be unclean 35 And every thing whereupon any part of their carcass falleth shall be unclean whether it be oven or ranges for pots they shall be broken down for they are unclean and shall be unclean unto you 36 Nevertheless a fountain or pit †Heb. a gathering together of 〈◊〉 wherein there is plenty of water f Of which no solid reason can be given whilest such unclean things remained in them but onely the will of the lawgiver and his merciful condescension to mens necessities water being scarce in those countries and for the same reason God would have the ceremonial law of sacrifices to be offered to God give place to the moral law of mercy towards men shall be clean but ‖ Or â—…e that 〈◊〉 that which toucheth their carcass shall be unclean 37 And if any part of their carcass fall upon any sowing seed which is to be sown g Partly because this was necessary provision for man and partly because such seed would not be used for mans food till it had received many alterations in the earth whereby such pollution was taken away See Ioh. 12. 24. 1 Cor. 15. 36. it shall be clean 38 But if any water be put upon the seed h The reason of the difference is partly because wet seed doth sooner receive and longer retain any pollution and partly because such seed was not fit to be sown presently and therefore that necessity which justified the use of the dry seed which was speedily to be sown could not be pretended in this case and any part of their carcass fall thereof it shall be unclean unto you 39 And if any beast of which ye may eat die i Either of it self or being killed by some wild beast in which cases the blood was not poured forth as it was when they were killed by men either for food or sacrifice he that toucheth the carcass thereof shall be unclean until the even 40 And * chap. 1â—… 1â—… 22. 8. Ezek. 4. 14. 44. 31. he that eateth of the carcass of it k To wit unwittingly for if he did it knowingly it was a presumptuous sin against an express law Deut. 14. 21. and therefore punished with cutting off Numb 15. 30. shall wash his clothes and be unclean untill the even he also that beareth the carcass of it shall wash his clothes and be unclean untill the even 41 And every creeping thing l Except those before expresly excepted above ver 29 30. that creepeth upon the earth shall be an abomination it shall not be eaten 42 Whatsoever goeth upon the belly m As worms and snakes and whatsoever goeth upon all four n As â—…oads and divers serpents or whatsoever †Heb. doth â—…tiply feet hath more feet o To wit more than four as caterpillars c. among all creeping things that creep upon the earth them ye shall not eat for they are an abomination 43 * chap. 20. 〈◊〉 Ye shall not make your †Heb. souiâ—… selves abominable with any creeping thing that creepeth neither shall ye make your selves unclean with them that ye should be defiled thereby 44 For I am the LORD your God ye shall therefore sanctifie your selves and * chap. 19. 2. and 20. 7. 〈◊〉 1. 15 16. ye shall be holy p By which he gives them to understand that all these cautions and prohibitions about the eating or touching of these creatures was not for any real uncleanness in them all being Gods good creatures but onely that by the diligent observation of these rules they might learn with greater care to avoid all moral pollutions and to keep themselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit and particularly from all familiar and intimate converse with notorious sinners for I am holy neither shall ye defile your selves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth 45 For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt to be your God ye shall therefore be holy for I am holy 46 This is the law of the beasts and of the fowl and of every living creature that †Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 moveth in the waters and of every creature that creepeth upon the earth 47 To make a difference between the unclean and the clean and between the beast that may be eaten and the beast that may not be eaten CHAP. XII 1 AND the LORD spake unto Moses saying 2 Speak unto the children of Israel saying If a * chap. 15. 〈◊〉 woman have †Heb. 〈◊〉 conceived seed and born a man-child then * Luk. 2. 〈◊〉 she shall be unclean a Not for any filthiness which was either in the conception or in bringing forth but to signifie the universal and deep pollution of mans nature even from the birth and from the conception seven dayes b For so long or thereabouts nature is employed in the purgation of most women according to the dayes of the separation for her infirmity c i. e. For her monethly infirmity And it may note an agreement therewith not onely in the time Levit. 15. 19. but in the degree of uncleanness which was such that she defiled every thing she touched c. shall she be unclean From uncleanness contracted by the touching or eating of external things he now comes to that uncleanness which ariseth from our selves 3 And in the * Gen. 17. 12. Luk. 1. 59. and 2. 21. Joh. 7. 22. eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised d Which law is here repeated because the womans uncleanness lasting for 7 days was one though not the onely reason why the childs circumcision was put off till the eighth day 4 And she shall then continue e Heb. sit i. e. abide as that word is oft used as Gen. 22. 5. and 34. 10. or tarry at home not go into the Sanctuary in the blood of her purifying f In her polluted and separated estate for the word blood or bloods signifies both guilt as Gen. 4. 10. and uncleanness as here and elsewhere See Ezek. 16. 6. And it is called the blood of her purifying because by the expulsion or purgation of that blood which is done by degrees she is purified three and thirty dayes she shall touch no hallowed thing g She shall not eat any part of the
wife of his bosom and toward the remnant of his children which he shall leave 55 So that he will not give to any of them of the flesh of his children whom he shall eat because he hath nothing left him in the siege and in the straitness wherewith thine enemies shall distress thee in all thy gates 56 The tender and delicate woman among you which would not adventure to set the sole of her foot upon the ground for delicateness and tenderness her eye shall be evill r i. e. Unmerciful she will desire or design their destruction for her food towards the husband of her bosom and towards her son and towards her daughter 57 And towards her †Heb. after-birth young one s Heb. after-birth that which was loathsome to behold will now be pleasant to eat and together with it she shall eat the child which was wrapt up in it and may be included in this expression that commeth out from between her feet and towards her children which she shall bear t Or which she shall have born i. e. her more grown children for she shall eat them for want of all things secretly in the siege and straitness wherewith thine enemy shall distress thee in thy gates 58 If thou wilt not observe to do all the words of this law that are written in this book that thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful Name u i. e. Thing or Person to wit this glorious God Names are oft put for things as 1 King 5. 3. Psal. 20. 1. and 115. 1. Act. 4. 12. Eph. 1. 21. and for persons as Act 1. 15. Revel 3. 4. THE LORD THY GOD 59 Then the LORD will make thy plagues wonderful and the plagues of thy seed even great plagues and of long continuance and sore sicknesses and of long continuance 60 Moreover he will bring upon thee all the * Chap. 7. 1â—… diseases of Egypt which thou wast afraid of and they shall cleave unto thee 61 Also every sickness and every plague which is not written in the book of this law them will the LORD †bring upon thee until thou Heb. cause to ascend be destroyed 62 And ye * Chap. 4. 27. shall be left few in number whereas ye were * Chap. 10. 22. as the stars of heaven for multitude because thou wouldest not obey the voice of the LORD thy God 63 And it shall come to pass that as the LORD rejoyced over you to do you good and to multiply you so the LORD * Pro. 1. 26. Isa. 1. 24. will rejoyce over you to destroy you x His just indignation against you will be so great that it will be a pleasure to him to take vengeance on you For though he doth not delight in the death of a sinner in it self yet he doth doubtless delight in the glorifying of his justice upon incorrigible sinners seeing the exercise of all his attributes must needs please him else he were not perfectly happy and to bring you to nought and ye shall be plucked from off the land whither thou goest to possess it y Which was no ordinary land but a most pleasant land a land of promise a token of Gods favour and a pledge of their eternal inheritance which was a great aggravation of their loss of it 64 And the LORD * Lev. 26. 33. Neh. 1. 8. Jer. 16. 13. shall scatter thee among all people from the one end of the earth even to the other end of the earth and there thou shalt serve other gods which neither thou nor thy fathers have known even wood and stone 65 And * Amos 9. 4. among these nations shalt thou find no ease neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest z Ye shall have no settlement in the land whither you are banished but there you shall be tossed about from place to place and sold from person to person or Cain-like wander about like a Vagabond but the LORD shall give thee there a trembling heart and failing of eyes and sorrow of mind 66 And thy life shall hang in doubt before thee a Either because thou art in the hands of thy enemies that have power and want not will to destroy thee or because of the terrors of thy own mind and the guilt of thy conscience making thee to fear even where no great cause to fear is and thou shalt fear day and night and shalt have none assurance of thy life 67 * Job 7. 4. In the morning thou shalt say Would God it were even and at even thou shalt say Would God it were morning for the fear of thine heart wherewith thou shalt fear and for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see 68 And the LORD * Jer. 44. â—… Hos. 8. 13. and c. 3â—… shall bring thee into Egypt again b Whence he hath now so gloriously delivered thee as repenting of all his kindness to thee and resolved to undo what he hath done for thee And the remembrance of what they endured in Egypt could not but make the thoughts of returning thither again very terrible to them with ships c Which was literally fulfilled under Titus when multitudes of them were carryed thither in Ships and sold there for Slaves as Iosephus relates And this expression seems to mind them of that time when they went over the Sea without ships God miraculously drying up the Sea before them c. which now they would have occasion sadly to remember by the way d Or to the way the Hebrew Bâ—…th here signifying to as it doth Gen. 11. 4. Levit. 16. 22. Psal. 19. 5. and 91. 12. Isa. 9. 8. And the way seems hot to be meant here of the usual road-way from Canaan to Egypt which was wholly by land but to be put for the end of the way or journey even the land of Egypt for to this and not to the road-way between Canaan and Egypt agree the words here following whereof I spake unto thee thou shalt see it i. e. Egypt no more again And so that way is put for to that land in a place parallel to this where the very same words are used Deut. 17. 16. to which this place palpably alludes whereof I spake unto thee * Chap. 1â—… 16. Thou shalt see it no more again and there ye shall be sold unto your enemies for bond-men and bond-women and no man shall buy you e Either because the number of you captives shall be so great that the market shall be glutted with you or because you shall be so loathsome and contemptible that men shall not be willing to have you for slaves And this was the condition of the Iews after the destruction of Ierusalem as Iosephus the Iew hath left upon record CHAP. XXIX 1 THese are the words of the covenant a These are the terms or conditions upon which God hath made i. e. renewed Covenant with you
they were grown would ye stay for them from having husbands o It is unreasonable for me to expect it or for you to perform it nay my daughters for ‡ Heb. I have 〈◊〉 bitterâ—… it grieveth me much for your sakes p That you are left without the comfort of Husbands or Children that I must part with such dear and affectionate Daughters and that my circumstances are such that I cannot invite nor incourage you to go along with me For her condition was so mean at this time that Ruth when she came to her Mothers City was forced to Glean for a living Chap. 2. 2. that * Job 19. 21. the hand of the LORD is gone out against me 14 And they lift up their voice and wept again and Orpah kissed her mother in law q i. e. Departed from her with a kiss as the manner was Gen. 31. 28. 1 King 19. 20. but Ruth clave unto her 15 And she said Behold thy sister in law is gone back unto her people and unto her gods r Which she saith partly to try Ruths sincerity and constancy partly that by upbraiding Orpah with her Idolatry she might consequently turn her from it and partly that she might intimate to her that if she went with her she must embrace the True God and Religion * See Jos. 24. 15. 2 King 2. 2. Lâ—… 24. 28. return thou after thy sister in law 16 And Ruth said ‖ Or be not against me Intreat me not to leave thee or to return from following after thee for whither thou goest I will go and where thou lodgest I will lodge thy people shall be my people and thy God my God s I renounce those Idols which my Sister hath returned to and I will Worship no other God but thine who is indeed the onely True God 17 Where thou diest will I die and there will I be buried the LORD do so to me and more also if ought but death part thee and me 18 When she saw that she ‡ Heb. strength â—…ed her self was stedfastly minded to go with her then she left speaking unto her 19 ¶ So they two went until they came to Bethlehem and it came to pass when they were come to Bethlehem that all the city was moved about them and ‖ That is the women they said Is this Naomi t Is this she that formerly lived in so much Plenty and Honour Oh how marvellously is her condition changed that she is returned in this forlorn and desolate condition 20 And she said unto them Call me not ‖ That is pleasant Naomi u Which signifies pleasant or chearful or amiable call me ‖ That is bitter Mara x Which signifies bitter or sorrowful for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me 21 I went out full y With my Husband and Sons and a plentiful Estate for our support and the LORD hath brought me home again empty why then call ye me Naomi seeing the Lord hath testified against me z i. e. Hath born witness as it were in Judgment and given Sentence against me and declared my Sin by my Punishment and the Almighty hath afflicted me 22 So Naomi returned and Ruth the Moabitess her daughter in law with her which returned out of the countrey of Moab and they came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest CHAP. II. AND Naomi had a kinsman of her husbands a mighty man of wealth of the family of Elimelech and his name was Boaz. 2 And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi Let me now go to the field and glean a Which was permitted to the Poor and the Stranger Deut. 24. 19. both which she was nor was she ashamed to confess her Poverty nor would she eat the bread of idleness whereby she sheweth her self to be a prudent and diligent and vertuous woman as she is called Ruth 3. 11. ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall find grace b For though it was their duty to permit this Levit. 19. 9. and 23. 22. yet either she was ignorant thereof or thought that being a Stranger it might be grudged or denied to her or at least that it became her modestly and humbly to acknowledge their kindness herein And she said unto her Go my daughter 3 And she went and came and gleaned in the field after the reapers and her ‡ Heb. hap haâ—…pened hap was c For it was indeed a chance in reference to Second Causes but ordered and designed by Gods Providence to light on a part of the field belonging unto ‖ Called Mat. 1. 5. Booz Boaz who was of the kindred of Elimelech 4 ¶ And behold Boaz came from Bethlehem and said unto the reapers The LORD be with you and they answered him The LORD bless thee d They expressed and professed their Piety even in their civil Conversation and worldly Transactions which now so many are ashamed of and call it Hypocrisie or vain Ostentation thus to do 5 Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers Whose damsel is this 6 And the servant that was set over the reapers answered and said It is the Moabitish damsel that came back with Naomi e i. e. That came with Naomi when she came back for otherwise as Ruth did not go from thence so she could not properly be said to come back out of the countrey of Moab 7 And she said I pray you let me glean f She did not boldly intrude her self but modestly ask leave of us and gather after the reapers amongst the ‖ Or handfuls sheaves so she came and hâ—…h continued even from the morning until now g She is not retired through idleness for she hath been diligent and constant in her labours that she tarried a little in the house h Not in Naomi's house as many understand it as may be gathered from v. 18 19. but in the little House or Tent which was set up in the Fields at these times and was necessary in those hot Countries where the Labourers or others might retire for a little repose or repast at fit times Being weary with her continued labours she comes hither to take a little rest 8 Then said Boaz unto Ruth Hearest thou not my daughter Go not to glean in another field neither go from hence but abide here fast by my maidens i Not by the young Men to avoid both occasion of sin and matter of scandal Herein he shews his Piety and Prudence 9 Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap and go thou after them have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee k So as to offer any incivility or injury to thee Touching is oft taken for hurting Gen. 26. 11. Psal. 105. 15. and when thou art athirst go unto the vessels and drink of that which the young men have
l He mentions this as an eminent instance of his disobedience therefore hath the LORD done this thing unto thee this day 19 Moreover the LORD will also deliver * Chap. 〈◊〉 Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines and to morrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me m i. e. In the state of the dead and so it was true both of Saul and Ionathan Or in the state of rest for though thou shalt suffer here for thy sin yet after death thou shalt be happy as dying in the Lords quarrel So the Devils design might be to flatter Saul into an opinion of his own future happiness and to take him off from all serious thoughts and cares about it And it is here observable That as it was the manner of the Heathen Oracles to answer ambiguously the better to save his credit in case of mistake the Devil himself not being certain of future events but onely conjecturing at what was most likely so doth this counterfeit Samuel here For as concerning the time he says to morrow which he understood indifferently for the very next day or for some short time after And as concerning the condition thou shalt be with me which may be understood either of a good condition if understood as spoken in the Person of Samuel or of a bad condition if understood as spoken by an evil Spirit or at least indefinitely of a dead condition be it good or evil which last he foresaw by circumstances to be very likely the LORD also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines 20 Then Saul ‡ Heb. 〈◊〉 haste and iâ—… with the 〈◊〉 ness of his staâ—…ure fell straightway all along on the earth n Being quite dis-spirited with these sad and surprizing tidings and so unable to stand and was sore afraid because of the words of Samuel and there was no strength in him for he had eaten no bread all the day nor all the night 21 ¶ And the woman came unto Saul o From whom she departed when she had brought him and Samuel together that they might more freely converse together as being alone and saw that he was sore troubled and said unto him Behold thine handmaid hath obeyed thy voice and I have put my life in my hand and have hearkened unto thy words which thou spakest unto me 22 Now therefore I pray thee hearken thou also unto the voice of thine hand-maid p This earnestness did not come mecrly from her humanity and respect to Saul but from a prudent and necessary care of her self because if Saul had died in her House his Blood would have been charged upon her and let me set a morsel of bread before thee and eat that thou mayest have strength when thou goest on thy way 23 But he refused and said I will not eat But his servants together with the woman compelled him q i. e. Did over-persuade him by importunate intâ—… 〈◊〉 as the next words shew and he hearkened unto their voice so â—…e arose from the earth and sate upon the bed 24 And the woman had a fat calf in the house and she hasâ—…ed and killed it and took flour and kneaded â—… and did bake unleavened bread r Not having time to Leaven it thereof 25 And she brought it before Saul and before his servants and they did eat then they rose up and went away that night s i. e. Before Morning For he came by Night v. 8. and went away before Day not willing to have it discovered that he had consulted with a Witch CHAP. XXIX NOW the Philistines gathered together all their armies to Aphek a Either that in the Tribe of Asher Ios. 19. 24. or rather another Town of that Name in Issachar though not mentioned elsewhere in Scripture this being the case of many places to be but once Named and the Israelites pitched by a fountain which is in Jezreel 2 And the lords of the Philistines passed on by hundreds and by thousands but David and his men passed on the rereward with Achish b i. e. As the Life-guard of Achish as he had promised chap. 28. 2. Achish being as it seems thâ—… General of the Army 3 Then said the princes of the Philistines c The Lords of the other eminent Cities and Territories who were confederate with him in this expedition What do these Hebrews here And Achish said unto the princes of the Philistines Is not this David the servant of Saul the king of Israel which hath been with me these days or these years d Q. d. did I say Days I might have said Years either because he hath now been with me a full Year and four Months chap. 27. 7. or because he was with me some Years ago 1 Sam. 21. 10. and since that time hath been known to me And it is not improbable but David after his escape from thence might hold some correspondency with Achish as finding him to be a Man of more generous temper than the rest of the Philistines and supposing that he might have need of him for a Refuge in case Saul continued to seek his life and I have ‡ Heb. nothing in him Iohn 14. 30. found no fault in him since he fell unto me i. e. Since he revolted or left his own King to turn to me For that sense Achish put upon this escape of David as it is called chap. 27. 1. and so is the Phrase of falling to a party elsewhere used Ier. 37. 13 14. unto this day 4 And the princes of the Philistines were wroth with him e Were unsatisfied and offended with Achish for this intention and declaration and the princes of the Philistines said unto him * 1 Chr. 12. 19. Make this fellow return that he may go again to his place which thou hast appointed him f Herein the Wiâ—…e and Gracious Providence of God appeared both in helping him out of those snares and difficulties out of which no human wit could have extricated him but he must either have been or have been thought to be a Traitor and an ungrateful unworthy person either to the one or to the other side and moreover in giving him the happy opportunity of recovering his own and his All from the Amalekites which had been irrecoverably lost if he had gone into this Battel And the kindness of God to David was the greater because it had been 〈◊〉 â—…ust for God to have left David in all those Distresses into which his own sinful counsel and course had brought him and let him not go down with us to battel lest in the battel he be an adversary to us for wherewith should he reconcile himself unto his master should it not be with the heads of these men g i. e. Of these our Soldiers They speak according to the rules of Reason and true Policy for by this very course great Enemies have sometimes
life How long have I to live that I should go up with the king unto Jerusalem p Seeing my time of continuance in this World is but short it is not advisable to change my Habitation or to give thee or my self any further trouble 35 I am this day fourscore years old and can I discern between good and evil can thy servant tast what I eat or what I drink can I hear any more the voice of singing-men and singing women q My Sences are grown dull and uncapable of relishing the Delights of the Court I am past taking Pleasure in delicious Tasts or sweet Musick and other such Delights of the Court. wherefore then should thy servant be yet a burden unto my lord the king r I am through Age both 〈◊〉 and â—…urdensome to others and therefore most improper 〈◊〉 Court-life 36 Thy servant will go a little way over Jordan s A little onward in thy way to Ierusalem and then return with the king and why should the king recompense it me t Or recompence me to wit for my small kindness to thee at Mahanaim which was but a part of my duty to thee with such a reward 37 Let thy servant I pray thee turn back again that I may die in mine own city and be buried by the grave of my father and of my mother but behold thy servant Chimham u Barzillai's son 1 King 2. 7. let him go over with my lord the king and do to him what shall seem good unto thee 38 And the king answered Chimham shall go over with me and I will do to him that which shall seem good unto thee and whatsoever thou shalt ‡ Heb. châ—…se require of me that will I do for thee 39 And all the people went over Jordan and when the king was come over the king kissed Barzillai and blessed him and he returned unto his own place 40 Then the king went on to Gilgal and Chimham went on with him and all the people of Judah conducted the king x Attended upon him on his Journey towards Ierusalem and also half the people of Israel y Whereas the Men of Iudah came intirely and unanimously to the king as is noted here and above ver 14. the Israelites of the other Tribes came in but slowly and by halves as being no less guilty of the Rebellion than the Tribe of Iudah but not encouraged and invited to come in by such a particular and gracious Message as they were And this is here mentioned as the occasion both of the Contention here following and of the Sedition Chap. 20. 41 ¶ And behold all the men of Israel z To wit such as were present came to the king and said unto the king Why have our brethren the men of Judah stolen thee away a i. e. Conveyed thee over Iordan hastily and privily not expecting nor desiring our Consent and Concurrence in the Business which we were no less ready to afford than they It is also a secret Reflection upon the King for permitting this Precipitation and have brought the king and his houshold and all Davids men b i. e. All thy men such changes of Persons being most frequent in the Hebrew Language thine Officers and Guards and Soldiers This is mentioned as an aggravation of their fault That they did not onely carry the King over Iordan but all his Men too without asking their Advice with him over Jordan 42 And all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel Because the king is near of kin to us c Of the same Tribe with us and therefore both oweth the more respect to us and might expect and challenge more respect from us wherefore then be ye angry for this matter have we eaten at all of the kings cost or hath he given us any gifts d We have neither sought nor gained any advantage to our selves hereby but onely discharged our duty to the King and used all Expedition in bringing him back which you also should have done and not have come in by halves and so coldly as you have done See ver 40. 43 And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah and said We have ten parts e They say but ten though strictly there were Eleven either because they accounted Ioseph which comprehends both Ephraim and Manasseh under it for one Tribe as it is sometimes reckon'd or because Simeon whose Lot lay within the Tribe of Iudah were joyned with them in this Action in the king f i. e. In the Kingdom and the management of the Affairs of it the Word King being put for Kingdom as it is 2 Chron. 23. 20. and Isa. 23. 15. Dan. 7. 17. Hos. 10. 15. Or in the King's person and the disposal thereof and we have also more right in David than ye g As in the general we have more right in the King and Kingdom so particularly we have more right in David than you because you were the first beginners and the most zealous promoters of this Rebellion and as David is nearest of kin to you so he hath been most injured by you howsoever as he is King we justly Claim a greater Interest in him than you inasmuch as we are the far greatest part of his Subjects Why then did ye ‡ Heb. set us a light despise us that our advice should not be first had in bringing back our king h That we being the far greater Number should not have the first and chiefest Vote in this Action But the Words are by some and may well be rendred interrogatively And was not my word first about bringing the King back Did not we make the first mention of it before you could be drawn to it For so indeed they did ver 11. And therefore the neglect of their Advice herein might seem more inexcusable And the words of the men of Judah were fiercer i Instead of mollifying them with gentle words they answered them with greater fierceness and insolency so that David durst not interpose himself in the matter than the words of the men of Israel CHAP. XX. AND there happend a His presence was casual in it self though certain and ordered by God's Providence to be there a man of Belial b A Lawless person one that attempted to shake off the Yoke of Civil Authority See Deut. 13. 13. whose name was Sheba the son of Bichri a Benjamite c Agrieved at the Translation of the Kingdom from Saul and that Tribe to David and he blew a trumpet and said * 1 Kin. 12. 16. We have no part in David d The Tribe of Iudah have Monopolized the King to themselves and will not allow us any share in him let them therefore enjoy him alone and let us seek out a new King neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse d The Tribe of Iudah have Monopolized the King to
most probable and they went to their master So the bands of Syria came no more f Either 1. In such a manner to wit in small Bands or Companies which might be Entrapped as these had been but their next Attempt was by an open and solemn War and a Conjunction of all their Forces which they still ridiculously conceited would be too hard for the King and Prophet and God of Israel notwithstanding their multiplied Experiences to the contrary Or 2. For some considerable time until the Terror of these Examples was got out of their minds into the land of Israel 24 ¶ And it came to pass after this that Benhadad king of Syria g He whom Ahab wickedly and foolishly spared 1 King 20. 42. who now comes to requite Ahab's kindness and to fulfil that Divine Prediction Benhadad was a name very frequent among the Kings of Syria 1 King 15. 18 c. and Chap. 13. 24. 2 King 13. 3 24. If not common to them all See Ier. 49. 27. Amos 1. 4. gathered all his host and went up and besieged Samaria 25 And there was a great famine in Samaria and behold they besieged it until an asses head was sold for fourscore pieces h Supposed to be Shekels and the common Shekel being valued at fifteen pence of English Money this amounts to five pounds A vast price especially for that which had on it so little Meat and that unwholsome and unclean by Law Levit. 11. 13. though necessity might seem to excuse their violation of that Law of silver and the fourth part of a kab i A measure containing 24 Eggs. of doves dung k Which they used not for Fire for he is speaking here onely of the scarcity of Food but for Food Which if it seem incredible it must be considered First That Famine hath constrained People to eat things as improper and unfit for nourishment as this as dry Leather and Mans Dung as is implied Isa. 36. 12. and affirmed by grave Historians Secondly That some Creatures do usually eat the Dung of others 3dly That Doves Dung though it be hotter than ordinary might in other respects be fitter for nourishment than other as being made of the best and purest Grains and having some moisture in it c. Fourthly That this Hebrew word being of an obscure and doubtful signification and no where else used may be and is by Learned Men otherwise rendred and understood either first of the Corn which is found in the Crops of Doves or secondly of the Guts and other inwards of Doves or rather thirdly of a sort of cicer or pease which in the Arabick Language which is near a kin to the Hebrew and from which many words are explained is called Doves Dung for this was a Food much in use amongst the poorer Israelites and was by all esteemed a very course Food and therefore fit to be joyned with an Asses head and a kab was the usual Measure of all sorts of Grains and Fruits of that sort for five pieces of silver 26 And as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall l To give necessary order for the Defence of the City against Assaults and to see if the several Guards were watchful and diligent and if his directions were executed and to observe the motions of the Enemy there cried a woman unto him saying Help my lord O king 27 And he said ‖ Or Let 〈◊〉 the Lord save thee If the LORD do not help thee m Or let not God help thee as some both ancient and late Interpreters render the words So they are words of Impatience and Rage and a formal Curse wishing that God would not help her as he could not as Iosephus amongst others understand it which agrees too well with the Character of the Man an Infidel and Idolater and a wicked Man and at this time in a great Rage as appears from ver 31. Or they may be rendred thus No as this Hebrew Particle is sometimes used as Iob 20. 17. Psal. 34. 5. and 41. 2. and 50. 3. Prov. 3. 3 25. and 31. 4. let the Lord help thee So it may be taken Either First As a direction No do not cry to me but to God for help God help thee for I cannot Or rather Secondly As a prophane scoff No come not to me but go to him to whom Elisha directs you Pray to the Lord you see how ready he is to help you by his suffering you to come to this extremity wait upon God for relief as Elisha adviseth me but I will wait no longer for him ver 33. and I will take a course with Elisha for thus abusing both me and my people with vain hopes Or thus the Lord on whom forsooth thou and I are commanded to wait for help will not help thee as he could easily do and would do if he were so good as Elisha pretends whence then shall I help thee whence shall I help thee out of the barn-floor or out of the wine-press n Dost thou ask of me Corn or Wine which I want for my self 28 And the king said unto her What aileth thee And she answered This woman said unto me Give thy son that we may eat him to day and we will eat my son to morrow 29 So * Deut. 28. 53 57. we boiled my son and did eat him o A dreadful Judgment threatned to them in case of their Apostacy Deut. 28. 56 57. in which they were now deeply plunged Compare Ezek. 5. 10. and I said unto her on the ‡ Heb. 〈◊〉 next day Give thy son that we may eat him and she hath hid her son p Either that she might eat him alone or rather that she might save him from Death her Bowels yearning towards him and her hunger being in great measure satisfied 30 ¶ And it came to pass when the king heard the words of the woman that he rent his clothes q Partly in Grief for such an horrid Fact and partly through Indignation at the Prophet ver 31. and he passed by upon the wall and the people r Who were in great numbers upon the Wall either to defend the City or rather to seek for relief from the Soldiers for whose Provisions the King doubtless took special care as it was necessary for the preservation of the place looked and behold he had sackcloth within upon his flesh s Under his inner Garments in token of his sorrow and with a pretence of humiliation which he would shew by outward signs as his Father Ahab had done not without some advantage to himself 1 King 21. 27 28 29. 31 Then he said * Ruth 1. 17. God do so and more also to me if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stand on him this day t If I do not this day take his head and life This wretched and partial Prince overlooks his own great and various sins and
Either hoping that by her Majestick dress and carriage she might strike Iehu or his followers with such an awe that they should not offer any injury to her person or rather because perceiving her case to be desperate and that she could not live was resolved to die with honour and gallantry and looked out at a window 31 And as Jehu entred in at the gate z Of the Kings Palace she said Had Zimri peace who slew his master a Remember that thy brother Traitor Zimri had but a very short enjoyment of the benefit of his Treason and was speedily and severely punished for it by my Grand-Father Omri 1 King 16. 9 16. and do thou expect the same from some of my posterity 32 And he lift up his face to the window and said Who is on my side who And there looked out to him two or three ‖ Or châ—… lains eunuchs b For such used to attend upon Queens in their Chambers 33 And he said Throw her down So they threw her down c Being mercenary Creatures they quickly comply with Iehu's command Sacrificing her life to save their own and some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall and on the horses And he trode her under foot 34 And when he was come in he did eat and drink and said Go see now this cursed woman and bury her d This he suddenly commanded either because he had forgot the charge given him above ver 10. or because having done his own business he was careless about Gods Work and the fulfilling of his threatning for she is a kings daughter e See 1 King 16. 31. He doth not say because she was a kings wife left he should seem to shew any respect to that wicked and cursed House of Ahab which God had devoted to ignominy and utter destruction 35 And they went to bury her but they found no more of her than the scull and the feet and the palms of her hands 36 Wherefore they came again and told him and he said This is the word of the LORD f This strange Providence brings that to his mind which he had forgotten or did not regard which he spake ‡ Heb. by the hand of by his servant Elijah the Tishbite saying * 1 Kin. 21. 23. In the portion of Jezreel shall the dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel 37 And the carcase of Jezebel shall be as dung upon the face of the field in the portion of Jezreel so that they shall not say This is Jezebel g These words are not extant in the place where this Prophecy is first mentioned 1 King 21. 23. but are here added either by Iehu by way of explication and amplification or rather because Elijah spoke them though they be not there Recorded as being for the substance of them contained in the former words it being usual to insert some passages in following Writings which had been omitted in the former CHAP. X. AND Ahab had seventy sons a Either First Properly Sons by several Wives Or rather Secondly Grand-Sons are comprehended who are oft called sons and Grand-Fathers fathers in Scripture in Samaria b Either because they were bred up there that being the chief City of the Kingdom or because upon the tidings of Ioram's slaughter they fled thither or were by their Friends conveyed from several parts thither as to the strongest place in which it may seem by Iehu's message they intended to defend themselves and Ahab's Children and to set up one as King in Ioram's stead or rather because they were left there by Ioram when he went to Ramoth-Gilead that if the Syrians had prevailed against him they might have safety in that very strong and great City and he by their means succour from it And Jehu wrote letters and sent to Samaria unto the rulers of Jezreel c Heb. the princes of Iezreel i. e. the great Persons and Officers of the Court which then was and had been for some time at Iezreel who either had fled thither with Ahab's Sons upon the news of Iehu's actions and successes or rather had been sent by Ioram with his Sons to Samaria to take care of them there to the elders d Either by Age or rather by Office the Rulers or Senators of Samaria and to ‡ Heb. nouâ—…hers them that brought up Ahabs children saying e That had a more particular care of the several Children under the inspection of the princes or rulers here mentioned 2 Now assoon as this letter cometh to you seeing your masters sons are with you and there are with you chariots and horses a â—…enced city also and armour 3 Look even out the best and meetest of your masters sons and set him on his fathers throne and â—…ight for your masters house f Thus he speaks either because he had some notice of their intentions thus to do or to make tryal of them whether they would do so or would be true to him and his designs or to signify to them his intentions of fighting against them if they did so that by the terror hereof he might bring them to a compliance with him 4 But they were exceedingly afraid and said Behold two kings stood not before him g All their Power and Interest either in Iezreel or in the Army before or in Ramoth-Gilead could not hinder him from executing his design from killing the two Kings and from invading one of their Kingdoms It is true he surprised the Kings which a little weakens their argument but fear and self-love made them easily yield to it how then should we stand 5 And he that was over the house h The chief Governour of the Kings Palace or Castle there and he that was over the city i The chief Magistrate or Military Governour the elders also and the bringers up of the children sent to Jehu saying We are thy servants and will do all that thou shalt bid us k They make no delays or conditions but submit all to his mercy we will not make any king do thou that which is good in thine eyes 6 Then he wrote a letter l Thus Iezabel is requited for her Letter directed in like manner to the Elders of Naboth's City whereby his life was wickedly taken away 1 Kin. 21. 8. And it is probable that some of these Elders were concerned in that very business which makes the Judgment of God more remarkable the second time to them saying If ye be ‡ Heb. for me mine and if ye will hearken unto my voice take ye the heads of the men m Which word seems to imply that some of them were grown up who doubtless trod in their Parents steps and those that were yunger were justly cut off for their Parents sin of which see on Exod. 20. 5. Deut. 5. 9. your masters sons and come to me to Jezreel by to morrow this time now the kings sons
wit his Consumâ—…tion and utter Destruction which was making haste towards him Or 2 God of whom he hitherto spoke in the second Person and now in the third Person such changes of persons being very frequent in poetical Writings such as this is So he continueth the former Discourse and as before he mentioned Gods severe Enquiry into his ways and Sentence against him so here he describes the Consequence and dreadful Execution of it upon him He i. e. God consumeth for the Verb is Active me as rottenness consumeth that in which it is or as a rotten thing is consumed and as a Moth which eateth a Garment as a rotten thing consumeth as a Garment that is Moth-eaten CHAP. XIV 1. MAn that is born of a Woman a This expression is here used either 1. To intimate the cause of Mans Misery that he was born of Woman a weak Creature 1 Pet. 3. 7. and withal corrupt and sinful and of that Sex by which sin and all calamity was brought into the world See Ch. 15. 14. Gen. 3. 17. 1 Tim. 2. 13 4. Or 2. To note the Universality of the thing Every man every Mothers Son as we use to speak Mens Fathers are oft times unknown and uncertain but their Mothers are always definite and certain One man was then to be born and afterwards was born without an earthly Father to wit our Lord and Saviour Christ but no man was ever born without a Mother is †Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 days of few days b A short liv'd Creature in himself and therefore needs no violent hand to cut him off because he withereth so soon of his own accord and * Eccles. 2. 23. full of trouble c And therefore a fitter Object for divine Compassion than for his â—…ury or severity He chiefly intendeth himself but he expresseth it thus generally partly to relieve himself with the thoughts of the common Calamities of Mankind and partly to move God with the consideration of the frailty and misery of humane Nature and consequently of his condition 2. * Chap. â—… 9. Pâ—… 90. 5 6. 102. 11. 103. 15. 144. 4. Isa. 4â—… 6. Jam. 1. 10 11. 1 Pet. 1. â—…4 He cometh forth d Out of his Mothers Womb Ch. 1. 21. like a Flower e Which quickly groweth up and maketh a fair shew but soon withereth or is cut down and is cut down he fleeth also as a shadow f Which being made by the Sun follows its motions and is in perpetual variation until at last it quite vanish and disappear and continueth not 3. And dost thou open thine Eyes upon such an one g Either 1. To take thought or care about him Or rather 2. To observe all his ways that thou maist find cause of Punishment He is not a fit match for thee It is below thee to contend with him and to use thy infinite Wisdom and Power to crush him This seems best to suit with the scope and context and bringest me into judgment with thee h i. e. Pleadest with me by thy Judgments and thereby in a manner forcest me to plead with thee without granting me those Two necessary and favourable conditions expressed Ch. 13. 20 21. 4. †Heb. 〈◊〉 will give Who * Gen. 5. 3. Psal. 51. 5. Joh. 3. 6. Rom. 5. 12. Ephes. 2. 3. can bring a clean thing out of an unclean i I do not say I am clean as Zophar pretendeth Ch. 11. 4. but confess that I am a very unclean Creature and therefore liable to thy Justice if thou wiltst deal rigorously with me but remember that this is not my peculiar case but the common lot of every Man who coming from sinful Parents and being infected with original Corruption must unavoidably be unclean Why then doest thou inflict such peculiar and extraordinary Judgments upon me for that which is common to all men And although my original Corruption do not excuse my actual Sins yet I hope it may procure some mitigation to my punishments and move thy divine Pitty which oft sheweth itself upon such occasions See Gen. 8. 21. Not one k i. e. No man can cleanse himself or any other from all sin See 1 Kin. 8. 46. Psal. 14. 3. Eccles. 7. 21. This is the Prorogative of thy Grace which therefore I humbly implore of thee 5. Seeing his days l The days or as it follows months of his Life are determined m Are by thy Sentence and Decree limited to a certain period the number of his Months are †Ch. 7. 1. with thee n i. e. Exactly known to thee Or in thy power and disposal thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass o Thou hast appointed a certain end of his days beyond which he cannot prolong his Life And therefore let this short Life and unavoidable Death suffice for mans punishment and do not add further and sorer Calamities 6. * Ch. 7. 16 19. Turn from him p Withdraw thine afflicting Hand from him that he may †Heb. 〈◊〉 rest q That he may have some present comfort and ease Or and let it cease to wit the affliction which is sufficiently implied Others and let him cease to wit to live i. e. Take away my life But that seems not to agree with the following clause of this Verse nor with the succeeding Verses till he shall accomplish as * Chap. â—… 1. an hireling his day r Give him some respite till he finish his course and come to the period of his Life which thou hast allotted to him as a man appoints a set time to a mercenary servant 7. For there is hope of a Tree if it be cut down that it will sprout again s But man though a far nobler Creature is in a much worse condition and when once he loseth this present and Worldly Life he never recovers it Therefore shew some pity to him and give him some Comfort whilest he lives and that the tender branch thereof will not cease 8. Though the root thereof wax old t Begin to wither and decay in the Earth and the stock thereof die u To wit in outward appearance in the †〈◊〉 ground 9. Yet through the sent of Water x i. e. By means of Water Sent or Smell is figuratively ascribed to a Tree it will bud and bring forth boughs like a Plant y Like a Tree newly planted 10. But man dieth and †〈…〉 wasteth away z His body by degrees rotting away Or and is cut off as this word is used Exod. 17. 13. Isa. 14. 12. yea man giveth up the Ghost and where is he a i. e. He is no where or he is not to wit in this World as that Phrase is commonly used See Iob 3. 16. 7. 8 21. 11. As the Waters fail from the Sea and the flood decayeth and drieth up b
our first Parents had utterly lost and 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 price of his own blood and hath revenged the Death of Mankind upon the great Contriver of it the Devil by destroying him and his kingdom and hath taken a course to preserve our Name and Honour and Persons to Eternity And if the places where God is called Goel in the Old Testament be examined it will be found that either all or most of them may be and some of them must be understood of God the Son or oâ—… Christ as Gen. 48. 16. Isa. 59. 20. See also Psalm 74. 2. Isa. 41. 14. 44. 6. 49. 7 52. 3. 63. 16. 3. Because Iob was so far from such a firm Confidence as he here professeth that he had not the least degree of hope of any such glorious temporal restauration as his Friends promised to him as we have oft seen and observed in the former Discourses as Chap. 16. 22. 17. 12 13 c. And therefore that hope which every righteous man hath in his death Prov. 14. 32. and which Iob oft professeth that he had must necessarily be fixed upon his happiness in the future life 4. Because some of the following expressions cannot without wresting and violence be applied to a Metaphorical Resurrection as we shall see in the Sequel 5. Because this is a more lofty and spiritual strain than any in Iob's former Discourses and quite contrary to them And as they generally â—…avour of Dejection and Diffidence and do either declare or encrease his Grief so this puts him into another and much better temper And therefore it is well observed that after this time and these expressions we meet not with any such impatient or despairing passages as we had before which shews that they had inspired him with new life and comfort 6. Because this well agrees with other passages in this Book wherein Iob declareth that although he had no hope as to this life and the comforts thereof yet he had an hope beyond death which made him prosess Though 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 me yet will I trust in him Iob 13. â—… 5. Trust in him For what Suâ—… for comfort and happiness Where Not in this life for that he supposeth to be lost therefore it must be in the next life And this was one reason why he so vehemently desired Death because he knew it would bring him unto God and unto true Felicity And this his hope and confidence in God and in his Favour to him Iob. opposeth to those â—…oul and false aspersâ—…ons which his Friâ—… had cast upon him as iâ—… he had forsaken God and cast off all â—…ear of him and hope in him Object 1. If this place had spoken of the Resurrection of the Body some of the Hebrew Writer or Commentators upon this Place who did believe that Doctrine would have understood it so and have urged it against the Sadduces which they did not Answ. 1. All the Jewish Writers which are now extant lived and wrote â—…ce Christ's time when the Doctors of that People were very ignorant of many great Truths and of the plain meaning of many Scriptures and very corrupt in their Principles as well as in their Practises 2. There was a manifest Reason why they could not understand this Text thus because they believed that Iob in his Agonies did deny God's Providence and consequently the Resurrection and the future Judgment which though it was a most uncharitable and false Opinion yet forced them to interpret this Text another way Obj. 2. How is it credible that Iob in those ancient times and in that dark stare of the Church should know these great Mysteries of Christ's Incarnation and of the Resurrection and Life to come Answ. 1. The mystery of Christ's Incarnation was revealed to 〈◊〉 by that first and famous Promise that the seed of the woman should break the Serpent's head Gen. 3. 15. which being the onely Foundation of all his Hopes for the recovery and salvation of himself and of all his Posterity he would doubtless carefully and 〈◊〉 teach and explain it as need required to those that descended from him 2. That the ancient Patriarchs and Prophets were generally acquainted with these Doctrines is undeniably evident from Heb. 11. and 1 Pet. 1. â—… 10. 11 12. 3 Particularly Abraham from whom Iob is supposed to have dâ—…ded had the Promise made to him that Christ should come out of his Loins Gen. 12. â—… and is said to have seen Christs day and 〈◊〉 to see it John 8. 56. and had his hopes and desires fixed upon a divine and heavenly City and Country Heb. â—…1 10 16. And as 〈◊〉 liveth m knâ—…w and believed these things himself so it is manifest that he â—…aught them to his Children and Servants Gen. 18. 1â—… aâ—…d to his Kiâ—…red and others as he had occasâ—…on And therefore it cannot seem strange that Iob professeth his Faith and hope in these things 〈◊〉 I am a dying man and my hopes are dying but he liveth and that for ever and therefore though i die 〈◊〉 both caâ—… and will make me to live again in due time â—…ugh not in this World yet in the other which is much better and though I am now highly censured and condemned by my Friend and others as a great Dissembler and a secret Sinner whom God's haâ—…d hath found out yet there is a day coming wherein 〈◊〉 Caâ—…se shall be pleaded and my Name and Honour vindicated from all these Reproaches and my Integrity brought to light and that he shall stand n I am falling and dying but he shall stand firm and unmoâ—…able and victorious in full power and authority all which this word stand signifies and therefore he is able to make me to stand in Judgment and to maintain my Cause against all Opposers Or 〈◊〉 â—…all arise as this Verb most commonly signifies i. e. Either 1. he shall exist or be born as this word is oft used as Num. 32. 14 Deut 29. 22. Iudg. 2. 10. 1 Kings 3 12. Matth. 11. 11. And it notes Christ's Incarnation that although as he was God he was now and from all Eternity in being yet he should in due time be made man and be born of a woman Or 2. he shall arise out of the dust which had been more probable if it had been in the Text from or out of as now it is upon the earth or dust for Christ's Resurrection from the dead might be fiâ—…ly mentioned here as the Cause of Iob's Resurrection which followeth ‖ Or at last at the latter day o Either 1. in the days of the Messiah or of the Gospel which are oft called the letter or last days or times as Isa. 2. 2 〈◊〉 â—… 5. 〈◊〉 2. 28. Compared with Acts 2. 17. 1 Tim. 4. 1. and 2 〈◊〉 3. 1. 〈◊〉 1. 1. Or rather 2. at the day of the general Resurrection and Judgment which as those holy Patriarchs well knew and firmly believed was to be at
that are my people though you cannot rejoice with that degree of joy that attendeth a present fruition of good yet be glad and rejoice with the rejoycing of hope for the thing is certain what I am already doing nor let your present state or the discouragements you have from seeming improbabilities spoil your joy for it is not a work to be produced in an ordinary course or by an ordinary power but by the power of me who brings something out of nothing or out of what hath no fittedness to such a production and I will create in that which I create for behold I create Hierusalem g Hierusalem a rejoycing and her people a joy by Hierusalem here must be meant the Church as well under the Gospel as under the law because the Gospel Church is grafted into that Olive or else this prophecy mâ—…st be understood as fulfilled in the coming of Christ Luke 2. 10. Or else it referreth to a more full calling of the Jews then we have yet seen or heard of a rejoycing and her people a joy 19 And * Chap. 62. 5. I will rejoice in Hierusalem and joy in my people i The nature of joy lying in the satisfaction and well pleasedness of the Soul in the obtaining of the thing it hath willed agreeth unto God and joy and rejoycing are applied to him ch 62. 5. and in this text so also Ier. 32. 41. Zeph. 3. 17. and the * Chap. 35. 10. Rev. 7. 17. 21. 4. voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her nor the voice of crying k Such kind of promises are to be found ch 35. 10. 51. 11. Ier. 31. 12. Rev. 21. 4. which must be understood either comparatively They shall indure no such misery as formerly or if interpreted to a state in this life as signifying only some long or eminent state of happiness if as to another life they may be taken strictly as signifying perpetuity and persection of joy and happiness 20 There shall be no more thence an infant of days nor an old man that hath not filled his days l Whereas God had made many promises of long life to 〈◊〉 Jews they should all be fulfilled to Gods people among them so as there should be rare abortions among them Exod. 23. 26. few infants should be carried out to burial nor but few that should not have filled up their years those that were now Children should die at a great age nor none of these things should be of any advantage to wicked men but if any of them should live to be an hundred years old yet they should die accursed This seemeth to be the plain sense If any desires to read more opinions of these words he may find enough in the English Annotations for the child shall die an hundred years old but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accurâ—…ed m. 21 And * Amos 9. 14. they shall build houses and inhabit them And they shall plant Vineyards and eat of the fruit of them n The quite contrary to what is said of the sloathful man and Iob 27. 13 14 15 16 17. Prov. 12. 27. 22 They shall not build and another inhabit †Psa. 92. 12. they shall not plant and another eat for * as the days of a tree are the days of my people and mine elect †Shall make them continue long or shall wear out shall long enjoy the work of their hands o Duration and perpetuity are promised to them in their happy estate 23 They shall not labour in vain nor bring forth for trouble for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord and their off-spring with them p And not only a blessing to them but also to their Off-springs But what is here promised which wicked men do not oft times enjoy and Gods People oft times want Ans. 1. Wicked men may have them for their good parents sake and good men may sometimes want them for evil parents sake 2. Bad men may have some of these things but they cannot expect them good men may at present want them but they may expect them from the hand of God if they be good for them 3. Bad men may have them in wrath the blessing of God gives them to good men and adds no sorrow therewith 24 And it shall come to pass that before they call I will answer q God promised ch 58. 9. to answer them when they called here he promiseth to be so ready to answer as to answer the words assoon as they should be formed in their hearts before they should get them out of their lips Psal. 32. 5. Dan. 10. 12. and whiles they are yet speaking r Yea while they were speaking Dan. 9. 20. 23. Acts 10. 44. nor doth God say only they shall have the things they would have for so wicked men may sometimes have from the bountiful hand of Divine Providence but they shall have them as an answer or return unto their prayers I will hear 25 The * Ch. 11. 6. 9. wolf and the lamb shall feed together and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock s This verse containeth a promise much like that ch 11. 6 9. And relates to the ceasing of persecution The People of God for their whiteness and innocency are often compared to Lambs and Sheep wicked men to Wolves and Lions for their antipathy to the seed of the Woman God here promiseth to take off the fierceness of the Spirits of his Peoples Enemies so that they shall live quietly and peaceably together and dust shall be the serpents meat t Wicked men are compared to Serpents Micah 7. 17. compared with Psal. 72. 9. God promiseth a time of tranquillity to his Church under the Metaphor of Serpents eating the dust their proper meat Gen. 3. 14. instead of flying upon men it signifies such a time when wicked men should mind their proper business and not make it their work to eat up the people of God like bread they shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain u For the last phrase see ch 11. 9. what is before noted But will some say When shall these things be The Scripture gives us no record of any such period of time yet past And it is very probable that this is a promise yet to be fulfilled and it is not for us to know the times and seasons but in the mean time to let our faith and patience be seen in the mean time we my learn That it is Gods work to restrain the Wolves and Serpents of the world who would else be always doing what they are some times doing it is a sad sign that God is not yet at peace with that people where we see Wolves devouring Lambs and Serpents destroying men instead of licking up dust nor well pleased with that part of his holy mountain where there is nothing but hurting