and that all the difference which was between him and consequently between other good men and the wicked progeny of Cain was not from the nature which they received from Adam but from the grace infused into them by God and called his name Seth. 4. * 1 Chron. 1 â—… c. And the days of Adam after he had begotten Seth were eight hundred years And he begat Sons and Daughters k Whose names and numbers are here passed over in silence as not belonging to the Genealogy of Christ nor to the following History 5. And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years l The long lives of men in ancient times here noted are also mentioned by Heathen Authors And it was wisely so ordered by God both for the more plentiful encrease of mankind in the first age of the world and for the more effectual propagation of true Religion and other useful knowledge to the World And many natural reasons might be given why their lives were then longer than afterwards and he died 6. And Seth lived an hundred and five years and begat Enos 7. And Seth lived after he begat Enos eight hundred and seven years and begat Sons and Daughters 8. And all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years and he died 9. And Enos lived ninety years and begat †Heb. Kenaâ—… Cainan 10. And Enos lived after he begat Cainan eight hundred and fifteen years and begat Sons and Daughters 11. And all the days of Enos were nine hundred and five years and he died 12. And Cainan lived seventy years and begat †Gr. Maleleel Mahalaleel 13. And Cainan lived after he begat Mahalaleel eight hundred and forty years and begat Sons and Daughters 14. And all the days of Cainan were nine hundred and ten years and he died 15. And Mahalaleel lived sixty and five years and begat †Heb. Iered Iared 16. And Mahalaleel lived after he begat Iared eight hundred and thirty years and begat Sons and Daughters 17. And all the days of Mahalaleel were eight hundred ninety and five years and he died 18. And Iared lived an hundred sixty and two years and he begat Enoch 19. And Iared lived after he begat Enoch eight hundred years and begat Sons and Daughters 20. And all the days of Iared were nine hundred sixty and two years and he died 21. And Enoch lived sixty and five years and begat †Gr. Mathusala Methuselah m Whose name is thought by some learned men to contain a prophesie of the flood which was to come a thousand years after for it signifies He dies and the dart or Arrow of Gods vengeance comes Or He dies and the sending forth of the Waters comes 22. And Enoch * Chap. 24. 40. Psal. 16. 8. 116. 9. walked with God n i. e. He lived as one whose eye was continually upon God whose care and constant course and business it was to please God and to imitate him and to maintain acquaintance and communion with him as one devoted to Gods service and wholly governed by his will he walked not with the Men of that wicked age or as they walked but being a Prophet and Preacher as may be gathered from Iude v. 14 15. with great zeal and courage he protested and preached against their evil practises and boldly owned God and his ways in the midst of them Compare Gen. 6. 6. Ier. 12. 3. Mic. 6. 8. after he begat Methuselah three hundred years and begat Sons and Daughters o Hence it is undeniably evident that the state and use of Matrimony doth very well agree with the severest course of Holiness and with the office of a Prophet or Preacher 23. And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years 24. And * Heb. 11. â—… Enoch walked with God And he was not p i. e. He appeared not any longer upon Earth or amongst mortal Men. The same phrase is in Gen. 42. 36. Ier. 31. 15. for God took him q Out of this sinful and miserable World unto himself and to his heavenly Habitation See Luke 23. 43. And he took either his Soul of which alone this phrase is used Ezek. 24. 16. or rather both Soul and Body as he took Elias 2 King 2. 11. because he so took him that he did not see death Heb. 11. 5. 25. And Methuselah lived an hundred eighty and seven years and begat †Heb. Lemech Lamech 26. And Methuselah lived after he begat Lamech seven hundred eighty and two years and begat Sons and Daughters 27. And all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty and nine years r The longest time that any man lived But it is observable that neither his nor any of the Patriarchs lives reached to a thousand years which number hath some shadow of perfection and he died s But a little before the Flood came being taken away from the evil to come 28. And Lamech t Not that wicked Lamech mentioned Chap. 4. for he was of the Family of Cain but this was descended from Seth. lived an hundred eighty and two years and begat a Son 29. And he called his name †Gâ—… Noe. Noah u Which signifies rest saying x By the Spirit of Prophesie this same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands y i. e. Concerning the hard labour and manifold troubles to which we are sentenced ch 3. 19. And this he did either 1. By the invention of instruments of husbandry whereby Tillage was made more easie Or 2. By removing in some part the curse inflicted upon the Earth and reconciling God unto mankind Possibly he might suppose that this was the Messias or promised Seed and the Saviour of the undone World As it was frequent with the antient Fathers through their earnest desire of the Messias to expect him long before he came and to mistake other persons for him Or 3. By preserving a remnant of mankind from that deluge which he by the spirit foresaw would come and re-peopling the emptied Earth with a new Generation of men and by restoring and improving the art of Husbandry See Gen. 9. 20. because of the ground which the LORD hath cursed 30. And Lamech lived after he begat Noah five hundred ninety and five years and begat Sons and Daughters 31. And all the days of Lamech were seven hundred seventy and seven years and he died 32. And Noah was five hundred years old And Noah begat z i. e. He began to beget God in mercy denying him Children till that time that he might not beget them to the destroyer that he might have no more than should be saved in the Ark. Or having before that time begotten others who were now dead and having the approaching Flood in his view he began again to beget a seminary for the World Of these three Sons here following the eldest
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
in 2 King 8. 26. and here of the Kâ—… to which he belonged Ans. 2. Some acknowledge an 〈◊〉 in the Transcribers of the present Hebrew Copies in which Language the numâ—…l Letters for 22 and 42 are so like that they might easily be mistaken For that it was read 22 here as it is in the Book of Kings in other Hebrew Copies they gather from hence that it is at this day so read in divers ancient Greek Copies as also in those two Ancient Translations the Syriack and the Arabick and particularly in that Famous and most Ancient Copy of the Syriack which was used by the Church of Antioch in the Primitive Times and to this day is kept in the Church of Antioch from which that most Reverend Learned Pious and Publick-spiâ—…ted Archbishop Usher did at his own great Charge get another Copy transcribed in which he hath published to all the World that he found it here written Twenty and two years old c. Nor doth this overthrow the Authority of the Sacred Text as Infidels would have it partly because it is onely an Historical Passage of no Importance to the Substantial Doctrines of Faith and a good Life and partly because the Question here is not whether this Text be true but which is the true Reading of the Text whether that of the generality of present Copies or that which was used in the Ancient Copies which the Ancient and Venerable Translators above mentioned did follow For it seems unreasonable and uncharitable to think that all of them would have conspired to have changed the Text and put in twenty and two for forty and two if they had so read it in their Hebrew Copies Nor can this open any great Door to those innumerable Changes which some have boldly and rashly made in the Hebrew Text without any such pretence of Authority as there is for this which as they are affirmed without reason or authority or necessity so they may as easily be rejected If all this will not satisfie our present Infidels I desire them onely to consider what hath been hinted before upon such Occasions that many Difficulties which did seem unanswerable being now fully cleared by later Writers it is but reasonable to think that this may be so in after times either by finding of some Hebrew Copies in which it may be Twenty and two years c. or by some other way and he reigned one year in Jerusalem his mothers name also was * Chr. 2â—… 2. Athaliah the daughter of Omri c i. e. Of Omri's Family Or of Ahab Omri's Son Grandchildren are oft called Sons and Daughters as Mat. 1. 1. Luk. 3. 26. 3 He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab for his mother was his counseller d Being a Crafty and an Imperious Woman to do wickedly 4 Wherefore he did evil in the sight of the LORD like the house of Ahab for they were his counsellers after the death of his father e Who whilest he lived seduced his Son by his Counsel and Authority and made other Evil Counsellers then unnecessary to his destruction 5 He walked also after their counsel and went with Jehoram the son of Ahab king of Israel to war against Hazael f Following the Evil Example of Jehoshaphat therein ch 18. though he would not follow him in what was good But of this and the following verses see 2 King 8. 28 29. 9. 21 27. king of Syria at Ramoth-gilead and the Syrians smote Joram 6 And he returned to be healed in Jezreel because of the wounds †Heb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which were given him at Ramah when he sought with Hazael king of Syria And ‖ Otherwise called 〈◊〉 Ch. 2â—… 1. 2. 〈◊〉 Ch. 2â—… â—… Azariah the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Jehoram the son of Ahab at Jezreel because he was sick 7 And the †Heb. â—…ing 〈◊〉 destruction of Ahaziah * Iuâ—…g 14. 4. was of God g By his Providence so disposing Occasions and Ahaziah's Inclinations that he should come at that season to receive his deserved Judgment by coming to Joram for when he was come he went out with Jehoram against Jehu the son of Nimshi whom the LORD had anointed * 2 Kin. 9. â—… to cut off the house of Ahab 8 And it came to pass that when Jehu was executing judgment upon the house of Ahab and * 2 Kin. 10. 〈◊〉 found the princes of Judah and the sons of the brethren h Either properly so called Or the Sons of his Cousins or near Kinsmen who are oft called Brethren for his Brethren were slain v. 1. of Ahaziah that ministred to Ahaziah he slew them i That came thither to wait upon their King Ahaziah as is here implyed and withal to visit Joram and his Children as is noted 2 King 10. 13. 9 * 2 Kin. 9. 27 And he sought Ahaziah k Who though wounded had made an escape 2 King 9. 27. and they caught him for he was hid in Samaria l Either 1. In the Kingdom of Samaria to wit in Megiddo Or 2. In the City of Samaria and so he fled first to Megiddo and not thinking himself safe there he fled to Samaria where he was taken and sent thence by Jehu's Order to Samaria where he received the Sentence of Death See more of this matter upon 2 King 9. 27. and brought him to Jehu and when they had slain him they buried him m They gave his Servants leave to carry him away to Jerusalem and bury him there 2 King 9. 28. Both God and Men are oft times said to do what they and others do by their permission when they could hinder them because said they he is the son of Jehoshaphat who sought the LORD with all his heart So the house of Ahaziah n i. e. His Posterity because they were young and feeble being ground between two Milstones the great and growing power of Jehu and the craft and tyranny of Athaliah had no power to keep still the kingdom 10 * â—… Kin. 11. 1. But when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah o This and v. 11 12. are explained on 2 Kings 11. 1 2 3. saw that her son was dead she arose and destroyed all the seed royal of the house of Judah 11 But Jehoshabeath the daughter of the king took Joash the son of Ahaziah and stole him from among the kings sons that were slain and put him and his nurse in a bed-chamber So Jehoshabeath the daughter of king Jehoram the wise of Jehojada the priest for she was the sister of Ahaziah hid him from Athaliah so that she slew him not 12 And he was with them hid in the house of God six years and Athaliah reigned over the land CHAP. XXIII 1 AND * â—… Kin. 11. 4 〈◊〉 in the seventh year Jehojada strengthened himself and took the captains of hundreds a Not
people of Israel whom therefore he desires God to rebuke and humble that he may acknowledge the true God which is foretold that he shall do v. 31. As for this enigmatical designation of this King that is agreeable enough both to the usage of the Prophets in such cases and to the rulers of prudence and upon the same accounts the Prophet 〈◊〉 threatning destruction against 〈◊〉 calls it enigmatically 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 25 26. and 51. 41. and S. Paul calls Nero the Lion 2 Tiâ—… 4. 17. But then this one King being eminent in his kind is by an usual 〈◊〉 put for all of them which were enemies to God's people the multitude of the bulls n By which he doubtless understands men of War as the following words expound it the great and potent and fiâ—…rce and furious Adversaries of God and of his Church as this word is used Psal. 22. 12. Isa. 34. 7. And consequently the calves must be their people or Soldiers depending upon them and joining with them in these acts of hostility against thine Israel with the calves of the people till every one submit himself with pieces of silver o This he adds as a limitation of his request Rebuke them O Lord not to utter destruction but onely till they be humbled and submit themselves and in token thereof bring pieces of silver for presents as was foretold v. 29. For 〈◊〉 himself it is in the Hebrew cast 〈◊〉 down or offers himself to be trod upon But because this supplement may seem too large and not necessary the words are and may be rendred otherwise that tread upon or walk proudly in or with fragments or pieces of silver wherewith eminent Captains used to adorn themselves and their very horses And to this belongs to the bulls and calves whose pride and wealth and power is described in this manner ‖ Or â—…e 〈◊〉 scatter thou p Heb. He hath scattered i. e. He will certainly scatter according to the Prophetical Style So this may contain an answer or his assurance of an answer to his prayer I prayed Rebuke the company c. and God hath heard my prayer and I doubt not will rebuke or scatter them the people that delight in war q That without any necessity or provocation and merely out of a love to mischief and spoil make war upon others and upon us particularly Now that thou hast given thy people rest and settled the Ark in its place O Lord rebuke all our mâ—…licious and bloody enemies and give us assured peace that we may worship the Lord without disturbance And withal David may seem to utter this for his own vindication It is true O Lord I have been a mâ—…n of War and therefore have lost the honour of building the Temple and am now forced to lodge the Ark in a mean Tabernacle which I have erected for it But this thou knowest that I have not undertaken any of my wars out of wantonness or ambition or love to war and mischief but onely by constraint and necessity for the just defence of my self and of thy people and therefore do not lay my wars to my charge 31 Princes shall come out of Egypt Ethiopia r He names onely these as the great and Ancient Enemies of God and of his People and as a most wicked and Idolatrous and Incorrigible sort of Men see Ier. 13. 23. Avos 9. 7. but by them he Synecdochically understands all other Nations and People of the like Character shall soon stretch out her hands unto God s Either in way of humble Supplicaâ—…ion and Submission begging Mercy of him Or to offer up the presents expressed v. 19. But this Prophecy as also the next Verse Evidently belongs to the times of the Messiah when the Gentiles were to be brought in to the knowledge and Worship of the true God with the Thoughts and Hopes whereof David oft Comforteth himself in that Confined and Afflicted state of the Church in his time 32 Sing unto God ye kingdoms of the earth t Not onely Epypt and Ethiopia but other Kingdoms and Nations also who shall partake of the same Grace with them O sing praises unto the Lord Selah 33 To him * Psal. 18. 10. aâ—…d 104. 3. that rideth upon the heavens u Upon the highest Heavens as Deut. 10. 14. his truest and best Sanctuary By which Expressions he prevents all mean and Carnal Conceptions of God as if he were confined to the Ark or Tabernacle and lifteth up the Minds both of Iews and Gentiâ—…es to Heaven and representeth God as dwelling there in infinite Glory and Majesty and from thence looking down upon all the Inhabitants of the Earth and Ruâ—…ing them by his Almighty Power and therefore most fit to be owned and received by all Kings and Kingdoms as their Lord and Governour which were of old x i. e. From the very beginning of the World whereas the Ark was onely some hundreds years Old Or which are everlasting for this Hebrew word Answers to Olam which looks not onely backward to time past but forward to the Future of which this Word is by divers understood Deut. 33. 15. This is also opposed to the Condition of the Ark and Tabernacle and Temple all which as David by the Spirit of Prophecy well knew would be abolished and dissolved lo he doth †Heb. give send out his voyce and that a mighty voyce y By which he understands Either 1. The Thunder called God's 〈◊〉 Psal. 29. â—… and elsewhere Or rather 2. His Word to wit the Gospel published by Christ and by his Apostles assisted by the holy Spirit sent from Heaven which might well be called God's Voyce and that a mighty Voyce because it produced such great and wonderful Effects as are here above mentioned in converting all the Kings and Kingdoms of the Earth 34 Ascribe ye strength unto God z Acknowledge that he is mighty and able to do whatsoever he pleaseth for his People or against his and their Enemies his excellency a His excellent Power and Goodness is over Israel b Dwels among them and is employed for them as occasion requires He is indeed the universal Lord of the whole Heaven and Earth but in a special and excellent manner he is the God of Israel and his strength is in the ‖ Or Heavens clouds c Or in the Heavens He hath two dwellings and Thrones the one in his Church and People and the other in Heaven See Isa. 57. 15. 35 O God thou art terrible d Or Venerable deservedly to be both Reverenced and Feared out of thy holy places e Or Sanctuaries He useth the plural Number Either 1. Of the Sanctuary in Zion because the Tabernacle and Temple consisted of three Parts the Court the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies Or rather 2. With respect to that twoâ—…old Sanctuary here mentioned one in Zion and the other in Heaven And out
Latine not in the peculiar Language of any Countrey The ancientest Notes we have in English were those ordinarily known by the name of the Geneva Notes after two years labour finished 1560. By those good men who flying from Queen Maries persecution took Sanctuary there A work so acceptable to Protestants in the beginning of our Reformation that their Bible with those Notes annexed was as is observed by the Authors of our late English Annotations Printed above Thirty times over by Qu. Elizabeths Printers and their Heirs and Successors There wanted not one indeed who Fifty years after boldly reflected on that excellent work in the most publick Pulpit of our University of Oxford but how grateful his reflections were to the University at that time may be read in the Preface to the English Annotations he was in the same Pulpit checkt and confuted by the Doctor of the chair and suspended by the Governours of the University The labours of Erasmus in his Paraphrase on the New Testament were so acceptable that by publick order they were to be in every Church exposed to publick view and use and if we mistake not ought to be so still After these were published Diodates Notes written in Italian since translated into English About the year 1640. some deliberations were taken for the composing and Printing other English Notes the old Geneva Notes not so well fitting our new and more correct Translation of the Bible these were at first intended to be so short that they might be printed together with our Bibles in Folio or Quarto But those Divines who were ingaged in it found this would not answer their end it being not possible by so short Notes to give people any tolerable light into the whole Text yet they so contracted their work that it was all dispatched in one Volume Which tho it were at first greedily bought up yet we cannot say it gave so general a satisfaction by reason of the shortness of it as was desired and expected So as upon the Second Edition it came forth quite a new thing making two just Volumes This was so acceptable to the World that within sixteen years it was ready for a third Edition with some further enlargements Before which also were published the Dutch Annotations Translated into our Language So that at this day besides the shorter Geneva Notes we have three sorts of Annotations in our own Language those of famous Diodate The Dutch Annotations and those of our own Divines Originally so wrote after which New Annotations may seem superfluous It seems therefore reasonable that we should give our Readers some short account of our undertaking We dare say nothing could be further from the thoughts of our Reverend Brother now at rest with God who first began this work then to reflect any dishonour upon those eminent persons who laboured before in works of this nature nor is any thing further from our thoughts they all of them did famously in their generations And if it should appear to any of our Readers that any of us have seen further into any particular Texts then those did who went before us yet we hope all our Readers will understand there is little honour due to us upon that account because we had all their shoulders to stand upon The pains which our Reverend Brother 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 took in his Synopsis Criticorum is such as not onely will make his name live in the Churches of Christ but also eminently fitted him for giving the sense of the whole Scripture in Annotations of this Nature which he undertook and carried on by his own hand to the fifty eighth of Isaiah designing that two volumes should comprehend the whole and that the first should determine with his notes upon the Song of Solomon What occasioned his first thoughts and undertaking himself tells us in his paper of Proposals published with reference to that work in these words But altho there are many excellent Comments upon diverse parts of the Scripture and some intire Comments or large Annotations upon the whole in the English Tongue Yet because of the too much brevity of some and the unequal composure of others as being done by diverse hands and the prolixity of those that have been written upon particular Books it hath been often and earnestly wished that there were some short and full Comment wherein all those passages which need the help of an Interpreter might be sufficiently cleared c. As the first Edition of our English Annotations after which followed the Translation of those of the Learned Diodate into our Language and then those of the Low-Country Divines of Holland tho all of them deservedly valuable seemed much too short to satisfie the thirst of many pious Souls after the fuller knowledge of the Scriptures so the larger Edition of our English Annotations seems capable of some amendments by which they might be made more serviceable to those that use them especially in these particulars 1. The whole Text is not Printed in them so as those who will use them must make use of a Bible also for the understanding of them Our Reverend Brother with whom also we concurre rightly judged that it would be of more advantage to have the entire Text in the Readers Eye while he is seeking the sense of any particular place and while he reads a Chapter to have a Commentary under his Eye in which he might find the sense of any part of it and satisfie himself as to any difficulty occurring in it Secondly As some very eminently learned men had been too large in those Annotations saying almost all that hath been said by any upon the Texts they handled so others had been as much too short and that especially in the New Testament which seems to Christians to need the fullest explication and others from their variety of learning had mixed several quotations out of the Fathers and Critical and Philological notions possibly not so proper for the end for which such Annotations are designed which is to give the unlearned Christians the true sense of the Holy Scriptures That thâ—…se who can might read and understand the Will of God That our Reader may not mistake our design or undertaking we desire that he should know That we do not pretend as some have vainly fancied to translate Mr. Pooles Synopsis Criticorum that would have asked six Volumes in stead of two and when it had been done would have signified very little unless for those who being learned men needed no such Translation possibly in a whole leaf of that book six lines would not serve our purpose Nor have we had any ambition either to say something that none had said before us we have observed that those who have had such an itch have for the most part happened to say what those who came after them would not subscribe nor yet to say all that we knew was said before us that had been to have confounded our Readers onely
the whole society of the faithful and wandring hither and thither Others render the words mourning and trembling or trembling and wandring These two words note both the unquietness and horrour of his Mind and Conscience and the unsettledness of his habitation and condition and as some add the trembling of his Body shalt thou be in the Earth 13 And Cain said unto the LORD ‖ Or mine iniquity is greater than that it may be forgiven my punishment n Heb. My Sin But Sin seems here to be put for punishment as before ver 7. and Gen. 19. 15. Levit. 5. 1. Psal. 69. 27. Prov. 12. 21. For Cain was not so sensible of his sin as of the ill effects of it as himself shews ver 14. is greater than I can bear 14. Behold o Consider how severely thou usest me thou hast driven me out p With publick infamy as the word signifies this day from the face of the Earth q Or This Earth my native Land * and from thy face r i. e. Favour and Protection shall I be hid and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the Earth And it shall come to pass that every one that findeth me shall slay me s As the publick Enemy of mankind and as one devoted by thee to destruction Quest. Whom did Cain fear when it appears not that there were any but his Father and Mother Answ. So ignorant people conceive but it is a fond conceit to think that there were no more men than are expressed in this Book where God never intended to give a catalogue of all men but only of the Church or those who had some relation to or concern with it Nay that there were very many thousands of men now in being is very credible upon these rational grounds and suppositions 1. That Adam and Eve did according to Gods precept and blessing Gen. 1. 26. procreate Children presently after the fall and Gods gracious reconcilement to them and consequently their Children did so when they came to competent age 2. That those first Men and Women were endowed by God with extraordinary fruitfulness and might have two three four or more at a time as divers persons long after had which was then expedient for the replenishing of the World and the like may be judged of their Children during the Worlds infancy 3. That this Murder was committed but a little before the hundred and thirtieth year of Adams Age which appears by comparing Gen. 4. 25. and 5. 3. Before which time how vast and numerous an off-spring might have come from Adam none can be ignorant that can and shall make a rational computation 15. And the LORD said unto him therefore t Or Assuredly as the word signifies Ier. 2. 32. and 5. 2. Zach. 11. 17. That thou mayst see how I hate murther and how impartially I shall punish all Murtherers and that thou mayst be unhappily free from this fear that thou mayst live for an example to mankind for a terrour to thy self and others whosoever slayeth Cain vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold u i. e. Abundantly he shall be plagued with many and grievous punishments as the phrase is used Levit. 26. 28. Psal. 12. 7. and 79. 12. and in many other places And the LORD set a mark upon Cain x What this was whether a trembling of his Body or a ghastliness of his countenance or what other visible token of the divine displeasure God hath not revealed nor doth it concern us to know lest any finding him should kill him 16. And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD y i. e. Was banished from the place of Gods special presence and habitation from the society of his Father and of the only Church which God had upon Earth and dwelt in the Land of Nod z In the Land which was afterwards called Nod from Cains unsetled condition because he continued wandring hither and thither in it on the East of Eden 17. And Cain knew his Wife a Of which phrase see on Chap. 4. 1. and she conceived and bare †Heb. Chaâ—…och Enoch and he built a City b Partly to divert his troubled mind with business and pleasure and partly for his own security against the Enemies and evils which his guilty Conscience made him fear notwithstanding the assurance which God had given him And this he did as soon as he was in capacity for it either by the increase of his own posterity or by the accession of other degenerate Sons of Adam to him who either being banished or having departed from the Church willingly associated themselves with their brethren in iniquity and called the Name of the City after the name of his Son Enoch c Not after his own name which he knew to be infamous and hateful 18. And unto Enoch was born Irad And Irad begat Mehujael and Mehujael begat Methusael and Methusael begat †Heb. Lemech Lamech 19. And Lamech d The wicked branch of that cursed root of Cain took unto him two Wives e Against Gods first institution Gen. 2. 24. Mal. 2. 15. and without Gods leave the Name of the one was Adah and the name of the other Zillah 20. And Adah bare Iubal He was the Father of such as dwell in Tents f He taught Shepherds to dwell in Tents and to remove them from place to place for conveniency of Pasture The first Authors or Inventers of any thing are commonly called its Fathers and of such as have Cattle g Heb. And of Cattle i. e. The Inventor of the art of keeping and managing Cattle 21. And his Brothers name was Iubal He was the Father of all such as handle the Harp and Organ h Or the lovely instrument But what kind of instrument this was even the Jews do not understand The meaning is he was the Inventer of Musick and musical instruments 22. And Zillah she also bare Tubal-Cain i Whom as the learned conceive and the agreement of the name and function makes probable the Heathens Worshipped by the name of Vulcan the God of Smiths and his Sister Naamah by the name of Venus an †Heb. Whâ—…tter Instructer of every Artificer in Brass and Iron k Who first taught men how to make arms and other instruments of Iron And the Sister of Tubal-Cain was Naamah l So called from her beauty which her Name signifies 23. And Lamech said unto his Wives Adah and Zillah m Who observing his fierceness and cruelty feared that the vengeance of God or men would fall upon him and upon them for his sake Hear my voice ye Wives of Lamech hearken unto my speech For ‖ Or I would slay a man in my wound c. I have slain a man to my wounding and †Heb. a Child a young man ‖ Or in my hurt to my hurt n i. e.
seems to be Iaphet Gen. 10. 21. The second was Sem as appears because he was but an hundred years old two years after the Flood Gen. 11. 11. The youngest Ham Gen. 9. 24. But Sem is first named in order of dignity as being the progenitor of the Church and of Jesus Christ and because he and his progeny is the principal subject of this whole History Shem Ham and Iapheth CHAP. VI. 1. AND it came to pass when men a i. e. Wicked men the posterity of Cain as appears from the following verse Who are here called men and the Sons of men by way of contempt and of distinction meer men such as had only the natures and qualities of corrupt men without the image of God began to multiply b To wit more than ordinarily or more than the Sons of God because they practised Polygamy after the example of their Predecessor the ungodly Lamech Gen. 4. 19. on the face of the Earth and Daughters were born unto them c So doubtless were Sons also but their Daughters are here mentioned as one principal occasion of the sin noted in the next verse and of the following deluge 2. That the Sons of God d Either 1. Persons of greatest eminency for place and power for such are called Gods and Children of the Most High Psal. 82. 6. Where also they are opposed to Men ver 7. i. e. to meaner men And the most eminent things in their kinds are attributed to God as Cedars of God Hill of God c. But it is not probable that the Princes and Nobles should generally take Wives or Women of the meaner rank nor would the Marriages of such persons be simply condemned or at least it would not be mentioned as a crying sin and a great cause of the deluge Or rather 2. The Children of Seth and Enos the professors of the true Religion For 1. Such and onely such in the common use of Scripture are called the Sons and Children of God as Deut. 14. 1. and 32. 19. Isa. 1. 2. and 45. 11. Hos. 11. 1. Luke 17. 27. c. 2. This title manifestly relates to Gen. 4. 26. where the same persons are said to be called by the name of the Lord i. e. to be the Sons and Servants of God 3. They are opposed to the Daughters of Men the word Men being here taken in an ill sense for such as had nothing in them but the nature of Men which is corrupt and abominable and were not Sons of God but forreigners and strangers to him and Apostates from him 4. These unequal matches with persons of a false Religion are every where condemned in Scripture as sinful and pernicious as Gen. 26. 35. Exod. 34. 16. 1 King 11. 2 3. Esra 9. 10. Nehem. 13. 23 c. Mal. 2. 11. 1 Cor. 7. 39. 2 Cor. 6. 14. and therefore are fitly spoken of here as one of the sins which brought the Flood upon the ungodly world saw e i. e. Gazed upon and observed curiously and lustfully as the sequel sheweth the Daughters ‖ Or of Man of men f Of that ungodly and accursed race of Cain that they were fair g i. e. Beautiful and set off their beauty with all the allurements of Ornaments and carriage herein using greater liberty than the Sons and Daughters of God did or durst take 1 Pet. 3. 3. and therefore were more enticing and prevalent with fleshly minded men and they took them h Either 1. By force and violence as the word sometimes signifies Or rather 2. By consent for the Sons of God were so few in comparison of the wicked World that they durst not take away their Daughters by force which also proves that they did not take them for Harlots but for Wives Wives i Possibly more than one for each of them after the example of those wicked Families into which they were matched of all which they chose k i. e Loved and liked as the word choosing is taken Psal. 25. 12. and 119. 173. Isa. 1. 29. and 42. 1. compared with Matth. 12. 28. This is noted as their first errour that they did promiscuously choose Wives without any regard to their Sobriety and Religion minding only the pleasing of their own fancies and lusts not the pleasing and serving of their Lord and Maker nor the obtaining of a godly Seed which was Gods end in the institution of Marriage Mal. 2. 15. and therefore should have been theirs too 3. And the LORD said l Either 1. To the men of that age by the mouth of Noah Or 2. within himself See Psal. 14. 1. he determined my spirit shall not always strive with man m Or Contend or Debate in or against men as it hath hitherto done by inward motions and suggestions in the Minds and Consciences of wicked men or by the mouths and Ministry of that small remnant of Holy Men and particularly of Noah who protested against and contended with the World of the ungodly and by their doctrines admonitions threatnings and examples endeavoured to bring them to Repentance 1 Pet. 3. 19. or dispute with or concerning or because of men i. e. Whether I should destroy or save him as God disputes with or about Ephraim Hos. 11. 8. for that he also n i. e. Even the Seed of Seth or the Sons of God also no less than the off-spring of Cain The Pronoun being here put for the foregoing Noun and the singular number put for the plural he i. e. they to wit the Sons of God Both which figures are frequent in the use of Scripture Or he i. e. man all mankind the Sons of God not excepted is flesh o Not only fleshly in part or in some actions but altogether in regard of Soul as well as Body minding nothing but making provision for the flesh to fulfill its Lusts Rom. 13. 14. Not having the Spirit Iude ver 19 nor heeding its good motions but suppressing and â—…sisting them 〈◊〉 not only in the condition of their nature but in the baseness and corruption of their Hearts and Lives as the word flesh is commonly used when it is opposed to the Spirit as Iohn 3. 6. Rom. 7. 18. and 8. 5 7. Gal. 5. 17. yet p Though he deserve a speedy destruction his days q i. e. The time allowed him for Repentance and the prevention of his ruine shall be an hundred and twenty years r During which time Noah was Preaching and to assure them of the Truth of his Doctrine preparing the Ark. See 1 Pet. 3. 20. 2 Pet. 2. 5. Quest. How did God perform this promise when there were but an hundred years between this time and the Flood by comparing Gen. 5. 32. with Gen. 7. 11. Answ. 1. The encreasing wickedness of mankind might justly hasten â—…ir ruine and forfeit the benefit of this indulgence 2. This promise though mentioned after that Gen. 5. 32. yet seems to have
Or After seven days the Hebrew Lamed being put for after aâ—… it iâ—… Exod. 16. 1. Psal. 19. 3. Ier. 41. 4. Or within seven days which time God allowed to the World as a further space of Repentance whereof therefore it is probable Noah gave them notice And it is not unlikely that many of them who slighted the threatning when it was at 120 years distance now hearing a second threatning and considering the nearness of their danger might be more affected and brought to true Repentance Who though destroyed in their bodies by the Flood for their former and long impenitency which God would not so far pardon yet might be saved in their Spirits See 1 Pet. 4. 6. And as some preserved in the Ark were damned so others drowned in the deluge might be eternally saved and I will cause it to Rain upon the Earth forty days and forty nights And every living substance n All that hath in it the breath of Life as was said ch 6. 17. that I have made will I †Heb. blot out destroy from off the face of the Earth 5. And Noah did according unto all that the LORD commanded him o Which was said chap. 6. 22. and is here repeated because this was an eminent instance of his Faith and Obedience 6. And Noah was †Heb. so of c. six hundred years old when the Flood of Waters was upon the Earth 7. And Noah went in and his Sons and his Wife and his Sons Wives with him into the Ark because of p Or For fear of For fear is ascribed to and commended in Noah Heb. 11. 7. Or from the face of the Waters of the Flood 8. Of clean Beasts and of Beasts that are not clean and of Fowls and of every thing that creepeth upon the Earth 9. There went in q By the secret impulse of their great Creator and Governour See Gen. 2. 19. and 6. 20. two and two r Of which see above ver 2. unto Noah into the Ark the Male and the Female as God had commanded Noah 10. And it came to pass ‖ Or on the seventh day after seven days that the Waters of the Flood were upon the Earth 11. In the six hundredth year of Noahs Life s Either compleat Or rather current or begun otherwise he had lived three hundred fifty one years after the Flood not three hundred fifty onely as it is written Gen. 9. last in the second moneth t Either 1. Of that year of Noahs Life Or 2. of the year Now as the year among the Hebrews was two-fold the one sacred for the celebration of Feasts beginning in March of which see Exod. 12. 2. The other Civil for the better ordering of mens Political or Civil Affairs which began in September Accordingly this second moneth is thought by some to be part of April and part of May the most pleasant part of the year when the Flood was least expected or feared By others part of October and part of November a little after Noah had gathered the Fruits of the Earth and laid them up in the Ark. So the Flood came in with Winter and was by degreeâ—… dried up by the heat of the following Summer And this opinion seems the more probable because the most antient and first beginning of the year was in September and the other beginning of the year in March was but a latter institution among the Jews with respect to their Feasts and Sacred Affairs only which are not at all concerned here the seventeenth day of the moneth the same day were all the Fountains of the great deep u i. e. Of the Sea called the deep Iob 38. 16 30. and 41. 31. Psal. 106. 9. and also of that great abyss or Sea of Waters which is contained in the Bowels of the Earth For that there are vast quantities of Waters there is implied both here and in other Scriptures as Psal. 33. 7. 2 Pet. 3. 5. and is affirmed by Plato in his Phaedrus and by Seneca in his natural questions 3. 19. and is evident from Springs and Rivers which have their rise from thence and some of them have no other place into which they issue themselves as appears from the Caspian Sea into which divers Rivers do empty themselves and especially that great River Volga in such abundance that it would certainly drown all those parts of the Earth if there were not a vent for them under ground for other vent above ground out of that great Lake or Sea they have none Out of this deep therefore and out of the Sea together it was very easie for God to bring such a quantity of Waters as might overwhelm the Earth without any production of new Waters which yet he with one word could have created So vain are the cavils of Atheistical Anti-Scripturists in this broken up x The Fountains are said to be broken up here also Psal. 74. 15. by a Metonymy because the Earth and other obstructions were broken up and so a passage opened for the Fountains As Bread is said to be bruised Isa. 28. 28. and Meal to be ground Isa. 47. 2. Because the Corn of which the Meal and Bread were made was bruised and ground and the ‖ Or Flood-gates Windows of Heaven y Which some understand of the Waters which from Gen. 1. 7. they suppose were placed by God above the visible Heavens and reserved and kept as it were in prison for this very purpose and now the Prison doors were opened and they let loose and sent down for the destruction of the World But others more fitly understand it of the Clouds which are called the windows of Heaven Mal. 3. 10. So 2 Kings 7. 2. 19. Psal. 78. 23. Isa. 24. 18. Which then grew thicker and bigger with Waters nor is there any inconvenience in it if we say that God created a great quantity of Waters for this end which afterwards he annihilated were opened 12. And the Rain was upon the Earth forty days and forty nights z God by this gradual proceeding both awakened to Repentance and gave them space for it 13. In the * Job 21. 25. self same day a On which the Flood began by that terrible shower Heb. In the Body or Essence or Strength of the Day as Gen. 17. 26. Levit. 23. 14. Ios. 10. 27. q. d. Not in the dark or twilight like one ashamed of his action or afraid of the People but when it was clear day or about noon-tide in the publick view of the World entred Noah and Shem and Ham and Iapheth the Sons of Noah and Noahs Wife and the three Wives of his Sons with them into the Ark. 14. They and every Beast after his kind and all the Cattle after their kind and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the Earth after his kind and every Fowl after his kind every Bird b The first word signifies the greater the second
But because God is the Author and Fountain of all the good that man either doth or receiveth therefore the blessing is emphatically given to God who only doth the work and of right is to receive all the glory yet so as it redounds to Shem also And Shem is here peculiarly mentioned not Iapheth both for the comfort of the Israelites whose Progenitor he was and because this blessing was first seated and long continued in Shems Posterity alone Iapheths Posterity being for a long time excluded from it and because the Lord Christ who is often called the Lord and God in Scripture did take Flesh from Shem and so the Incarnation of Christ may be here foretold and Shem highly honoured and blessed in this that he should be the Father of Christ according to the Flesh Rom. 9. 5. Answ. 2. This may be a short and abrupt manner of speech which is frequent in the Hebrew Tongue and it may signifie that Shem should be so eminently blessed that men beholding it should be wrapt up into admiration and break forth into the praises of that God who gave such gifts unto men and did so great things for Sâ—…m Answ. 3. The words may be otherwise rendred either thus bâ—…essed O Lord God let Shem be i. e. Do thou bless him So it is only the construct form Elohe for the absolute Elohim which is not unusual in Scripture or thus Blessed of the Lord God be Shem or shall Shem be So here is only a defect of the Hebrew particle min which is oft wanting and Canaan shall be †Heb. Servant to them his Servant 27. God shall ‖ Or perswade enlarge Iapheth q Or Enlarge to Iapheth understand here his place as Gen. 26. 22. Psal. 4. 1. or his border Which was very literally made good to him because he had a very numerous Posterity and by them he possessed the largest part of the World even all Europe a great part of Asia and as it is probable America also Or God shall perswade Iapheth to do what follows to dwell in Shems Tents where God dwelleth and so to be re-united to his Brother Shem both in affection and in Religion in both which the Gentiles the greatest part of whom were Iapheths Posterity were for a long time at an irreconcileable distance from the Jews and he shall dwell in the Tents of Shem r i. e. Shall be of the same Church with Shem i. e. of the Church which is called in Scripture the Tents or Tabernacles of Iudah or of Iacob or in general of the Saints Zach. 12. 7. Mal 2. 12. Revel 20. 9. and here of Shem in whose Posterity the Church was first and longest settled And to dwell with another notes friendly association and communion with him as when God is said to dwell with men And when the Wolf is said to dwell with the Lamb Isa. 11. 6. Possibly this may note Iapheths Succession into Shems Tents or coming into their place and stead or the calling of the Gentiles together with the rejection of Jews as the Reubenites are said to dwell in the Tabernacles of the Hagarens whom they subdued and expelled 1 Chron 5. 10. and Canaan shall be †Heb. servant to them his Servant s This was eminently accomplished For though Shem and Iapheth in their Posterity did successively conquer and rule one over the other yet none of Hams Posterity did ever bear rule over Iapheth but Ham though for a time he bore sway in his Son Nimrod yet that dominion soon expired and the Assrrians Chaldeans Grecians and Romans ruled the World for a succession of many Ages and Hams people were constantly their Servants and Subjects 28. And Noah lived after the Flood three hundred and fifty years t Which reacheth to the fifty eighth year of Abrahams Age as the Jews note And so we have a manifest account of the propagation of Religion from the beginning of the World to this day Noah received it from his Parents who had the account of it from their first Father Adams own mouth and transmitted it to Abraham and its descent from him to the Jews and by the Jews to others is sufficiently known Within this time also Noah saw the Building of Babels Tower the horrid Wickedness and Idolatry of his Children and the bloody Wars which even then arose between some of them 29. And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years u Here is an omission of that solemn clause used in all the preceding Generations and he begat Sons and Daughters which implies that Noah had no more than these three Sons which also appears from the 19th verse of this Chapter and he died CHAP. X. THis Chapter though it may seem to some unprofitable as consisting almost wholly of Genealogies yet hath indeed great and manifold uses 1. To shew the true original of the several Nations about which all other Authors write idlely fabulously and falsly and thereby to manifest the Providence of God in the Government of the World and Church and the Truth and Authority of the Holy Scriptures 2. To discover and distinguish from all other Nations that People or Nation in which Gods Church was to be and from which Christ was to come 3. That Noahs Prophecy concerning his three Sons might be better understood and the accomplishment of it made evident 4. To explain divers prophetical predictions and other passages of Scripture as will appear in the sequel For the better understanding of this Chapter compare with it 1 Chron. 1 from ver 4. to 24. And consider these three things 1. In the search of these Genealogies we must avoid both carelessness for the reasons now mentioned and excessive curiosity about every particular person here named and the people sprung from him which is neither necessary nor profitable nor indeed possible now to find out by reason of the great changes of names through length of time loss of antient Records differences of Languages extinction of Families conquest and destruction of Nations and other causes It may suffice that divers of them and those the most eminent are evident and discernable at this day as will appear in the progress by which we may and ought to presume the Truth of the rest whose Names are lost in the publick confusions of the World in former Ages of whom I shall therefore be silent and only speak of the principal persons and that briefly 2. The same People which were originally seated in one place did oft-times thift there places or at least sent forth Colonies and that sometimes into places far distant from their Brethren as appears from the antient and famous expeditions mentioned in Sacred and Prophane story So you must not wonder if you meet with the same People in divers Countries 3. In general the World was divided into three parts whereof the more Eastern parts were allotted to Shem and his Issue the more Southern parts to Ham
men which went with me m For as Abram had a right to spoils so had they whether they joyned with him in the Battle as it is conceived they did or onely abode by the stuffe 1 Sam. 30. 24. and therefore though he might and did give away his own right he could not give away other mens Aner Eshcol and Mamre Let them take their portion CHAP. XV. 1 AFter these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a Vision a God antiently revealed himself to men two ways Either 1. When the man was asleep in a dream Or 2. In a vision Num. 12. 6. when he was awake and this either 1. When he was wrapt into an Extasie wherein his senses are idle but his mind is active and elevated to the contemplation and understanding of what God reveals See Numb 12. 6 7 8. and 24. 4. Isa. 1. 1. Act. 10. 10 11. Or 2. When the thing was manifested by an external representation So here God seems to have appeared to Abram in the shape of a man as he did Gen. 18. as may be gathered from v. 5 10. saying Fear not Abram b Neither the return of those Enemies whom thou hast smitten and provoked nor the envy of thy neighbours for this glorious victory nor for thy own desolate condition I am thy * Psal. 3. 3. 5. 12. 84. 11. 91. 4. shield and ‖ Or thy reward shall be very great thy exceeding * Psal. 16. 5. great reward c Seeing thou didst trust to my protection I will be a shield or a protectour to thee and seeing thou didst so honourably and for my sake reject other rewards taken by thy self and offered by the King of Sodom thou shalt be no loser by it I will abundantly recompence all thy piety to me and charity to thy afflicted kinsman Lot and thy liberality towards others I will bless thee with all sorts of good things as well as defend thee from all evil which two things make a man compleatly happy 2 And Abram said Lord God what wilt thou give me †What pleasure can I take in any other gifts so long as thou dost withhold from me that great and promised gift of that blessed and blessing seed in the giving of whom thy honour and the worlds happiness is so highly concerned ch 12. 3. seeing * I go d Either 1. I pass the time of my life going on and growing in years and hastning to my long home Or 2. I die i. e. am about to die or likely to die Going is oft times put for dying as 1 Chron. 17. 11. compared with 2 Sam. 7. 12. Iob. 10. 21. and 14. 20. Mat. 26. 24. childless e What good will the world do me if I have no Heir to possess it if God lose the Glory of his Truth in making good his promise and I lose the comfort of my long-hoped for Child and that such a Child the effect of a Divine promise one out of whose loines he must come in whom all Nations shall be blessed and the Steward of my house f Heb. The Son of the care or government or management of my house i. e. he who manageth the affairs of my house An usual Hebraism as captives are called children of captivity Esra 4. 1. and afflicted persons children of affliction Prov. 31. 5. Others read the verse thus And the Steward of my house this Eliâ—…zer of Damascus understand shall be my Heir which words may easily be supplyed out of the following verse And such supplements of a word or short sentence out of a member or verse either foregoing or following are frequent in Scriprure as Numb 24. 22. Zech. 14. 18. Nehem. 5. 2. Habak 2. 3. Eph. 2. 1. is this Eliezer of Damascus g This may be the name either of a man or of a place so called 3 And Abram said Behold to me thou hast given no seed and lo one born in my house h Of such see Gen. 14. 14. and Eccles. 2. 7. And these are opposed to them that are born of a man's body Iob 19. 17. Prov. 31. 2. Ier. 2. 14. is mine heir i Either 1. â—…y â—…ness of relation being as some conceive descended from Aram the eldest Son of Sem. Or 2. For a recompence of his fidelity compare Prov. 17. 2. Or 3. Because he only had the exact knowledge and absolute power of all his masters estate Gen. 24. 10. and therefore could easily keep all after his Masters death All which reasons concurring might give occasion for this speech 4 And behold the word of the LORD came unto him saying This shall not be thine heir but he that shall come forth out of thine own Bowels k i. e. Out of thy own body see Gen. 35. 11. 2 Sam. 7 12. 2 Chron. 6. 9. shall be thine heir 5 And he brought him forth abroad and said Look now towards Heaven and tell the Stars l Qu. Seeing the Sun was not yet going down v. 12. how could he see the Stars Ans. 1. He might see them by representation in a vision or by a divine power strengthning his eyes to behold them 2. It was not necessary he should then actually see them He bids him make tryal when he pleased if he could number the Stars which were now present to his mind and would shortly be present and visible to his bodily eye if thou be able to number them m Which thou art not able to do for though Astronomers have presumed to give us the number of those stars which are distinctly visible to the eye wherein yet they vary one from another yet that there are other stars innumerable appears confusedly to the eye and evidently by the help of glasses and he said unto him * 1 Chron. 27. 23. Rom. 4. 18. so shall thy seed be 6 And he * Rom 4. 3. Gal. 3. 6. Jam 2 2â—… believed in the LORD n i. e. He was fully perswaded that God was able to fulfil and would certainly fulfil the promise made to him concerning a Child and especially concerning the Messias who should come out of his loyns by that child and that both himself and all people should be justified and blessed in and through him and he counted * Or reckâ—…ned or imputed as this word is translated Rim. 4. 10 22. it to him for righteousness o i. e. For a righteous and worthy action as Psal. 106. 31. and further in respect of this action and grace of faith whereby he relyed upon God for the promised seed and upon the promised seed too he pronounced him a just and righteous person notwithstandings his failings which even this history acquaints us with and graciously accepted him as such Which sence is easily gathered from St Paul's explication and accommodation of this passage Rom. 4. 9. 18 22. 7 And he said unto him I am the LORD that brought thee out
but such as was allowable between Husband and Wife See Deut. 24. 5. Prov. 5. 18 19. But that this was not the conjugal act may easily be gathered from the circumstances of the time and place which was open to Abimelechs view and therefore that was not consistent either with Isaacs modesty or with his prudence because he would not have her thought to be his Wife 9. And Abimelech called Isaac and said Behold of a surety she is thy wife and how saidst thou she is my sister and Isaac said unto him Because I said lest I die for her 10 And Abimelech said what is this thou hast done unto us one of the people might lightly have lien with thy wife h Because the Heathens esteemed Fornication either no sin or a very little one and * Chap. 20. â—… thou shouldest have brought †Heb. sin guiltiness upon us i The guilt of Adultery which was heinous and formidable even amongst the Heathens and especially here because it was fresh in memory how forely God had punished Abimelech and all his Family onely for an intention of Adultery Gen. 20. Note here they take it for granted that their ignorance had not been a sufficient excuse for their sin 11 And Abimelech charged all his people saying He that toucheth k i. e. Hurteth or injureth So that word is used ver 29. and Ios. 9. 19. Psal. 105. 15. Zech. 2. 8. and being applied to a woman it is used for the defiling or humbling of her as Gen. 20. 6. Prov. 6. 29. this man or his wife shall surely be put to death 12 Then Isaac sowed in that land l Either in the grounds which he had hired of the right owners or in some grounds which lay neglected and therefore were free to the first occupier which was not strange in that age of the World when the Inhabitants of Countreys were not so numerous as afterward and †Heb. 〈◊〉 received in the same year an hundred fold m i. e. An hundred times as much as he sowed The same degree of increase is intimated Mitth 13. 8. and affirmed sometimes of other places by Heathen Writers but then it was in a better soil and season then this was for this was a time of Famine or scarcity and the LORD blessed him 13 And the man waxed great and †Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 went forward and grew untill he became very great 14 For he had possession of slocks and possession of herds and great store of ‖ Or Husbandry servants n Or rather of husbandry as this word is elsewhere used of Corn fields Vineyards c. for he is describing his Riches which then consisted in the two things here expressed Cattle and lands which he diligently and successefully managed ver 12. and the Philistines envied him 15 For all the wells * chap. 21. 30. which his fathers servants had digged in the days of Abraham his father the Philistines had stopped them and filled them with earth 16 And Abimelech said unto Isaac Go from us for * Exod. 1. 9. thou art much mightier then we o Which breeds Envy and Jealousie and Fear among my Subjects and may occasion greater mischiefs and therefore it is better that we should part Friends than by continuing together be turned into Enemies 17 And Isaac departed thence and pitched his tent in the valley of Gerar and dwelt there 18 And Isaac digged again the wells of water p For though there might be a brook there probably it was but little and soon dried up which they had digged in the days of Abraham his father q He digged those rather than new ones partly to keep up his Fathers memory and partly because he had most right to them and others less cause of quarrel with him about them for the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham and he called their names after the names by which his father had called them 19 And Isaacs servants digged in the valley and found there a well of †Heb. living springing water 20 And the herdmen of Gerar did strive with Isaacs herdmen saying The water is ours r Because digged in our soil Which was no good argument because he digged it by their consent or permission at his own charge and for his own use and he called the name of the well ‖ That is contention Esek because they strove with him 21 And they digged another well and strove for that also and he called the name of it ‖ That is hatred Sitnah 22 And he removed from thence and digged another well and for that they strove not and he called the name of it ‖ That is room Rehoboth and he said For now the LORD hath made room for us and we shall be fruitful in the land 23 And he went up from thence to Beer-sheba s Where he lived before the famine drave him thence 24 And the LORD appeared unto him the same night and said I am the God of Abraham thy father fear not for I am with thee and will bless thee and multiply thy seed for my servant Abrahams sake 25 And he * chap. 12. 7. and 13. 18. built an altar there and called upon the name of the LORD and pitched his tent there and there Isaacs servants digged a well 26 Then Abimelech went to him from Gerar and A huzzath one of his friends and Phicol t This may be either 1. The title of an office for the word signifies the mouth of all or he by whom all the people were to present their addresses to the King and receive the Kings commands Or 2. The name of a man and then this might be the Son of him mentioned Gâ—… 21. 32. called by his Fathers name as Abimelech also was the chief captain of his army 27 And Isaac said unto them Wherefore come ye to me seeing ye hate me and have sent me away from you 28 And they said †Heb. 〈◊〉 we saw we saw certainly that the LORD was with thee and we said Let there be now an oath betwixt us even betwixt us and thee and let us make a covenant with thee 29 †Heb if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. That thou wilt do us no hurt as we have not touched thee ‖ To wit so as to injure or hurt thee as above ver 11. and as we have done unto thee nothing but good and have sent thee away in peace thou art now the blessed of the LORD u Or O thou who art now the blessed of the Lord whom God hath inriched with great and manifold blessings which we did not take away from thee as we could easily have done but thou doest still enjoy them and now art as thou wert amongst us the blessed of the Lord. Or Seeing God hath blessed thee it will not become thee to curse us or to bear any grudge against us for that
or the grapes of that year which are in this like the Nazarites hair not cut off by thee but suffered to grow to the use of the poor for it is a year of rest unto the land 6 And the sabbath h i. e. The growth of the Sabbath or that fruit which groweth in the Sabbatical year See on Levit 23. 38. where the word Sabbath is taken in the like sense of the land shall be meat for you for thee and for thy servant i For all promiscuously to take food from thence as they need it and for thy maid and for thy hired servant and for the stranger that sojourneth with thee 7 And for thy cattle and for the beast that are in thy land shall all the increase thereof be meat 8 And thou shalt number seven †Or weeks sabbaths of years unto thee seven times seven years and the space of the seven sabbaths of years shall be unto thee forty and nine years 9 Then shalt thou cause the trumpet †Heb. loud of sound of the jubilee k Which signified the true liberty from our spiritual debts and slaveries to be purchased by Christ and to be published to the World by the sound of the Gospel to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month l Which was the first month of the year for civil and worldly affairs which were mainly concerned in the Jubilee And therefore it began in that moneth and as it seems upon this very tenth day when the trumpet sounded as other feasts generally began when the trumpet sounded * chap. 23. 27. in the day of atonement m A very fit time that when they fasted and prayed for Gods mercy to them in the pardon of their sins then they might exercise their Charity and kindness to men in forgiving their debts which is the true fast as is noted Isa. 58. 6. and to teach us that the foundation of all solid comfort and joy must be laid in bitter Repentance and atonement for our sins through Christ. shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land 10 And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year n By which it seems most probable that the year of Jubilee was not the forty and ninth year as some learned men think but precisely the fiftieth year Which may appear 1. Because the Jews account it so which is confessed by the adversaries of this opinion who say that the Iews erre in the computation of the Iubilee as they do in Christ the great end and antitype of the Iubilee But it is not probable that the Jews should universally erre in a matter of constant practise among themselves especially when there was nothing of interest or prejudice in the case as there was in reference to Christ. 2. Because it is expresly called the fiftieth year here and ver 11. that fiftieth year which was not true if it was but the nine and fortieth year It is said it is called so popularly and it was so if you take in the foregoing Jubilee But it must be remembred that there was not yet any foregoing Jubilee but the very first of the kind is expresly called the fiftieth year which in truth it was not if the Jubilee was ended ere the fiftieth year began 3. From the common course of computation The old weekly Sabbath is called the seventh day because it truly was so being next after the six days of the week and distinct from them all and the year of release is called the seventh year ver 4. as immediately following the six years ver 3. and distinct from them all And therefore in like manner the Jubilee must needs be called the fiftieth year because it comes next after seven times seven or forty nine years ver 8. and is distinct from them all From ver 11 12. where it is said ye shall not sow nor reap c. For it is the Iubilee c. which looks like a vain and useless repetition if this year were but one of the seven years for this very command was given concerning every seventh year ver 4. but if this year of Jubilee was as indeed it was a year distinct from and coming after the seven sevens of years then this repetition and application of that command to it was highly necessary because otherwise it might seem hard and unreasonable that they should forbear sowing and reaping two years together which hereby they are commanded to do Two things are objected against this 1. That the Jubilee was onely a revolution of forty nine years But that seems a great mistake for it is most expresly distinguished from them all and by way of distinction called the fiftieth year therefore surely none of the forty nine 2. The difficulty propounded v. 20. concerns onely the 7th year whereas it had been a greater difficulty if it had been extended to the Jubilee and the Jubilee had been another vacant year coming next after the seventh year But though the difficulty was greater for the Jubilee yet it was more frequent for the seventh year and the resolution of the one made the way plain for the satisfaction of the other For as God promised so to bless every sixth year that it should bring forth fruit for three years ver 21. so when the case was extraordinary as in the Jubilee it was but reasonable to expect an extraordinary blessing from God upon that sixth year which went next before the last of the seventh years or the forty ninth year that it should then bring forth fruit for four years and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof o Understand such as were Israelites principally to all servants even to such as would not and did not go out at the seventh year and to the poor who now were acquitted from all their debts and restored to their possessions it shall be a jubilee p So called either from the Hebrew word Iobel which signifies first a ram and then a rams horn by the sound whereof it was proclaimed or from Iubal the inventour of Musical instruments Gen. 4. 21. because it was celebrated with Musick and all expressions of joy unto you and ye shall return every man unto his possession q Which had been sold or otherwise alienated from him This Law was not at all unjust because all buyers and sellers had an eye to this condition in their bargains but it was necessary and expedient in many regards as 1. To mind them that God alone was the Lord and owner and proprietor both of them and of their lands and they onely his Tenants and Farmers a point which they were very apt to forget 2. That hereby Inheritances Families and Tribes might be kept entire and clear until the coming of the Messias who was to be known as by other things so by the Tribe and Family out of which he was to come And this accordingly was done by the singular
feasts Lev. 23. yet were celebrated as such by the sound of trumpets Numb 10. 10 by extraordinary sacrifices by abstinence from servile works Amos 8. 5. and by attendance upon the ministry of Gods word 2 King 4. 23. And God ordained it thus partly that by giving God the first fruits of every moneth they should acknowledge him as the Lord of all their time and own his providence by which all times and seasons and all the fruits and blessings of them and actions done in them are ordered and partly that it might be a type of the future renovation of the world by Christ. ye shall offer a burnt-offering unto the LORD two young bullocks and one ram seven lambs of the first year without spot 12 And three tenth deals of flour for a meat-offering mingled with oyl for one bullock and two tenth deals of flour for a meat-offering mingled with oyl for one ram 13 And a several tenth deal of flour mingled with oyl for a meat-offering unto one lamb for a burnt-offering of a sweet savour a sacrifice made by fire unto the LORD 14 And their drink-offerings shall be half an hin of wine unto a bullock and the third part of an hin unto a ram and a fourth part of an hin unto a lamb this is the burnt-offering of every month throughout the months k i. e To be offered in the beginning of every moneth of the year 15 And one kid of the goats l An he goat See Numb 15. 24. for a sin offering unto the LORD m Not unto the moon to which the Gentiles offered it shall be offered besides the continual burnt-offering and his drink-offering 16 * Exod. 12. 18. â—…ev 23. 5. chap. 9. 3. Deut. 16. 1. And in the fourteenth day of the first month is the passover of the LORD n Instituted by him and to his honour and service See on Lev. 23. 5. 17 And in the fifteenth day of this month is the feast o To wit of unleavened bread of which see on Lev. 23. 6. seven days shall unleavened bread be eaten 18 In the * Exod. 12. 16. Lev. 23. 7. first day shall be an holy convocation ye shall do no manner of servile work therein 19 But ye shall offer a sacrifice made by fire for a burnt-offering unto the LORD two young bullocks and one ram and seven lambs of the first year they shall be unto you without blemish 20 And their meat-offering shall be of flour mingled with oyl three tenth deals shall ye offer for a bullock and two tenth deals for a ram 21 A several tenth deal shalt thou offer for every lamb throughout the seven lambs 22 And one goat for a sin offering to make an atonement for you 23 Ye shall offer these beside the burnt-offering in the morning p And that in the evening too as is evident from the nature of the thing and from other scriptures but the morning-sacrifice alone is mentioned partly because the celebration of the feast began with it and principally because this alone was doutbful whether this might not be omitted when so many other sacrifices were offered in that morning whereas there was no question but the evening sacrifice should be offered when there were none other besides it to be offered which is for a continual burnt-offering 24 After this manner ye shall offer daily throughout the seven dayes †Heb. the bread Lev. 3. 11 16. the meat of the sacrifice made by fire q i. e. The sacrifice made by fire which is as it were my meat or food for as God is said to smell the sacrifices to wit metaphorically i. e. to accept of them so is he said to eat them i. e. to devour or consume them and to be satisfied with them such things spoken of God after the manner of men are to be understood so as will agree with the majesty of God of a sweet savour unto the LORD it shall be offered beside the continual burnt-offering and his drink-offering 25 And on the seventh day ye shall have an holy convocation ye shall do no servile work 26 Also * Exod. 23. 16. and 34. 22. Deut. 16. 10. in the day of the first-fruits r In the feast of Pentecost Act. 2. 1. when ye bring a new meat-offering s New fruits two loaves made of your new corn Levit. 23. 16. unto the LORD after your weeks be out t i. e. The seven weeks which you are to number from the Passeover Lev. 23. 15. Heb. in the weeks in being put for after as it is Isa. 20. 1. Luk. 9. 36. and 11. 37. ye shall have an holy convocation ye shall do no servile work 27 But ye shall offer the burnt-offering u For the celebration of the feast over and besides that other offering which was joyned with the first-fruits Lev. 23. 18. so here is a new additional sacrifice prescribed which doth not destroy the former for a sweet savour unto the LORD two young bullocks one ram seven lambs of the first year 28 And their meat-offering of flour mingled with oyl three tenth deals unto one bullock two tenth deals unto one ram 29 A several tenth deal unto one lamb throughout the seven lambs 30 And one kid of the goats to make an atonement for you 31 Ye shall offer them besides the continual burnt-offering and his meat-offering they shall be unto you without blemish and their drink-offerings CHAP. XXIX 1 AND in the seventh month a So it was in their Ecclesiastical account in which the moneth Abib was the first but as to civil matters this was the first moneth on the first day of the month ye shall have an holy convocation Ye shall do no servile work * Lev. 23. 2 it is a day of blowing the trumpets b Whereby the people were admonished solemnly to prepare themselves for the feasts which were as many in this moneth as in all the year besides unto you 2 And ye shall offer a burnt-offering c Besides the offerings of every moneth and day as is expressed ver 6. for a sweet savour unto the LORD one young bullock one ram and seven lambs of the first year without blemish 3 And their meat-offering shall be of flour mingled with oyl three tenth deals for a bullock and two tenth deals for a ram 4 And one tenth deal for one lamb throughout the seven lambs 5 And one kid of the goats for a sin-offering to make an atonement for you 6 Beside * chap. 28. â—… the burnt-offering of the month d Belonging to every new moon of which see Numb 28. 11 12. 2 Chron. 2. 4. and his meat-offering and * chap. 28. â—… the daily burnt-offering and his meat-offering and their drink-offerings according to their manner e According to the order rites and ceremonies appointed by God for a sweet savour a sacrifice made by fire unto the
and †〈◊〉 set a 〈◊〉 upon the land put the land to a tribute k To wit a Yearly Tribute whereby they should acknowledge him to be their Superior and for which he would be their Protector when they needed his help of an hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold 34 And Pharaoh-nechoh made Eliakim the son of Josiah l Whom he perceived to be of a more mild and peaceable disposition king in the room of Josiah his father and turned his name to * Matt. 1. 11. called Ioâ—…im Jehoiakim m Because the giving of Names was accounted an act and sign of Dominion which therefore Parents did to their Children and Conquerors to their Vassals or Tributaries Compare Chap. 24. 17. Dan. 1. 7. and took Jehoahaz away n Partly as a Punishment for him and partly that he might give no disturbance to his Brother and he came to Egypt and died there 35 And Jehoiakim gave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh but he taxed the land to give the money according to the ‡ Heb. mouth commandment of Pharaoh he exacted the silver and the gold of the people of the land of every one according to his taxation to give it unto Pharaoh-nechoh 36 ¶ Jehoiakim was twenty and five years old when he began to reign o Either 1. When he began to Reign alone and with full Power or after Iehoahaz his Death till which the people would not disown him whom they had Anointed King which was esteemed a great tie 2 Sam. 19. 10. nor own or accept Iehojakim as their King but only as his Brothers Vice-roy though Pharaoh had by violence forced him upon them And so Iehoahaz might be his Elder Brother and the same who is called Iohanan and is first mentioned as the eldest son 1 Chron. 3. 15. though he may be placed first not in regard of his Birth but of his Dignity the Crown being first put upon his Head Or 2. When he was first set up by Pharaoh and so this was the Elder Brother though by popular Violence put by his Right See on ver 31. and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem and his mothers name was Zebudah the daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah 37 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD p By Idolatry the Oppression of his People and the Persecution of the Prophets and other good men Ier. 26. 20. Ezek. 19. 5 6 7. according to all that his fathers had done CHAP. XXIV IN * 2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his days a i. e. In Iehoiakim's Reign in the end of his third Year Dan. 1. 1. or the beginning of his Fourth Ier. 25. 1. Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon b The son of Nabopolassar who quite subdued the Assyrian first his Lord and then his Competitor and made himself Absolute Monarch of all those parts of the World came up c To wit against Iehoiakim as the Friend and Confederate of Pharaoh whose Forces he had lately Conquered Ier. 46. 2. and Jehoiakim became his servant three years then he turned and rebelled against him d By the instigation of the Egyptian who threatned him if he did not Rebel and promised him his utmost Assistance if he did 2 And the LORD sent against him bands of the Caldees and bands of the Syrians and bands of the Moabites and bands of the children of Ammon e For Nebuchadnezzar's Army was made up of several Nations who were willing to Fight under the Banner of such a Puissant and Victorious Emperor and sent them against Judah to destroy it * Chap. 〈◊〉 and 23. 〈◊〉 according to the word of the LORD which he spake ‡ Heb. by the hand oâ—… by his servants the prophets 3 Surely at the commandment of the LORD came this upon Judah to remove them out of his sight for * Chap. 〈◊〉 and 2â—… 〈◊〉 the sins of Manasseh f Properly and directly for their own sins and occasionally for the sins of Manasseh which had never been charged upon them if they had not made them their own by their impenitency for them and repetition of them according to all that he did 4 And also for * Chap. 〈◊〉 the innocent blood g To wit of those Prophets and Saints who either reproved or would not comply with his Idolatrous Worship that he shed for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood ‡ Heb. 〈◊〉 God 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 or â—…e â—…rable 〈◊〉 which the LORD would not pardon 5 ¶ Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim and all that he did are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah 6 So Jehoiakim slept with his fathers and Jehoiachin h Called also Iechoniah 1 Chron. 3. 16. as Iehojakim also was by comparing this with Matt. 1. 11. and in way of contempt Choniah Ier. 22. 24. his son reigned in his stead 7 And the king of Egypt came not again any more out of his land i To wit in this Kings days nor until Zedekiah's time Ier. 37. 6 7. nor to any purpose He could not now come out to Protect the King of Iudah being scarce able to defend his own Kingdom for * Jer. 4â—… â—… the king of Babylon had taken from the river of Egypt unto the river Euphrates all that pertained to the king of Egypt 8 ¶ Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reigh k Object He was then but Eight years old 2 Chron. 36. 9. Answ. 1. Both are true in his Eighth Year he began to Reign with his Father who made him King with him as divers other Kings of Israel and Iudah had done in the like times of trouble and in his Eighteenth Year he Reigned alone 2. He is called a son of eight years when he began to reign 2 Chron. 36. 9. because this was the Eighth Year not of his Age but of the Babylonish Captivity or Bondage under which both he and his Father had been just so long for it began in the Fourth Year of Iehojakim as it is affirmed Ier. 25. 1. and continued all his Reign which lasted Eleven Years Chap. 23. 36. and so the First Year of Iehojakim was precisely the Eighth Year of that Captivity And this is certain That the Years of Kings mentioned in Scripture are not always accounted from the beginning of their Age but from some other Remarkable Time or thing thus Saul when at Man's Estate is called the son of one year 1 Sam. 13. 1. of which see my notes there and Ahaziah whose Father lived onely Forty Years 2 Chron. 21. 20. is called a son of forty and two years when he began to reign 2 Chron. 22. 2. because that was the Forty and second Year of the Reign of Omri's Family as most think And therefore it cannot seem strange if the Years of this King be computed not from liis Birth but from the beginning of so great
Those Metals which did lie hid in the secret parts of the Earth he discovers to himself and others 12. But where shall Wisdom l Heb. that Wisdom for here is an article which seems to be emphatical The sense is I confess that man hath one kind of Wisdom in a great Measure to wit to discover the works of Nature and to perform the operations of art but as for that sublime and eminent Wisdom which consists in the exact knowledge of all Gods Counsels and Ways and of the several manners and reasons of his governing the world and dealing with good and bad men this is far above mâ—…ns reach and is the Prerogative of God alone be found and where is the place of Understanding m There is no vein for that upon Earth as there is for Gold or Silver 13. Man knoweth not the price thereof n Man knoweth neither where to purchase it nor how much it is worth nor what to offer in exchange for it neither is it found in the Land of the Living o Amongst mortal men that live upon Earth but only amongst those blessed Spirits that dwell above 14. * 〈◊〉 2â—… 〈◊〉 11. 33 3â—… The depth p To wit of the Earth because the Sea here follows as a differing place This is a very common figure whereby Speech is ascribed to dumb and senseless Creatures The meaning is this is not to be found in any part of the Land or Sea yea though a man should dig or dive never so deep to find it nor to be learned from any Creatures For though these discover the Being and Power and in part the Wisdom of God yet they do not instruct us in the methods and grounds of Gods providential dispensations to good and evil men these are secrets of Wisdom reserved for God himself saith It is not in me and the Sea saith It is not with me 15. †Heb. 〈◊〉 gold 〈◊〉 not be giâ—… 〈◊〉 it It * â—…rov 3. 13 1â—… 8. 11 19. 16. 16. cannot be gotten for Gold q The choicest Gold laid up in Treasures as the word signifies neither shall Silver be weighed r To wit in the ballance for in those times Money was paid by weight noâ—… by tale See Gen. 23. 16. Ier. 32. 9 10. for the price thereof 16. It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir s Which was the best sort of gold See on 1 King 9. 28. Iob 22. 24. with the pretious Onyx t Or Sardonyx See on Exod. 28. 20. or the Saphire 17. The gold and the crystal u Or Amber which in those parts was of very great price Or the Diamond The Hebrew word is not elsewhere used and it hath in it the signification of purity or clearness or brightness cannot equal it and the exchange of it shall not be for ‖ Or vessels of 〈◊〉 gold jewels x Or vessels wherein there is not only the excellency of the materials but the curiosity of art which renders the other much more valuable of fine gold 18. No mention shall be made y They are of no value nor worthy to be named the same day with this nor fit to be mentioned as a price or recompence wherewith to purchase this of ‖ Or 〈◊〉 coral or of pearls for the price z Or the attraction or acquisition or rather the Extraction or drawing forth For Iob useth the word of art which was proper in the taking of Pearls as the following word rendred by our Translators Rubies is understood by divers both Hebrew and Christian Interpreters and amongst others by the late eminently learned Bochart who proveth it by divers Arguments Now these Pearls are and were taken by men that dived to the bottom of the Sea and drew them out thence which is the very word which both Arabick and Latine Authors use in the case as indeed the same word is used of all Fisher-men who are said to draw forth with their Hook or Net or otherwise Fishes or any other thing for which they are fishing Moreover this diving as it produced great profit so it was not without some danger and difficulty for if they heedlesly put their fingers into the gaping shell within which the Pearl was it speedily closed upon them and put them to exquisite pain to the loss of their finger and sometimes of their Life Which is a fit representation of the state of those persons who search after the knowledge of Gods Counsels and ways and the grounds of them who as when they modestly enquire into them and truly discover them they have infinite advantage and satisfaction therein so if they prie into them too boldly searching into those things which God hath concealed and rashly judging of them above what they know which Iob judged to be his Friends case they expose themselves to manifold snares and dangers And this extraction or drawing forth is aptly used concerning this Wisdom which lying very deep and remote from the reach of ordinary men is not be obtained without diligent search and consideration And so the place may be thus translated the extraction or drawing forth of Wisdom is above that to wit the extraction of Pearls of Wisdom is above rubies 19. The topaz a Of which see Exod. 28. 17. 39. 10. of Ethiopia b Or of Arabia for Cush signifies both Ethiopia and Arabia and the Topaz was found in the Red-Sea which lay between both and so might be ascribed to either shall not equal it neither shall it be valued with pure gold 20. * Ver. 1â—… Whence then cometh wisdom and where is the place of understanding c Where this pretious Treasure lies and whence a man may fetch it 21. Seeing it is hid from the Eyes of all living d Of all men that live upon the Earth and kept close from the fowls of ‖ Or heaven the air e Though they flie high and can see far and well yet they cannot discern this Men of the most raised understandings cannot discover it It is to be found no where in this visible World neither in the upper nor lower parts of it 22. * Ver. 1â—… Destruction and death f Either 1. Men that are dead and thereby freed from the encumbrance of their bodies which depress their minds and have more raised thoughts than men that live here Or 2. The Grave the place of the dead to which these things are here ascribed as they are to the depths and to the Sea v. 14. by a Figure called Prosopopaeia If a man should search for this Wisdom either amongst living men or amongst the dead he could not find it yea though he should and might enquire of all men that formerly lived in the World some of whom were persons of prodigious Wit and Learning and of vast Experience as having lived nigh a Thousand Years and made it their great business in
and expresly from their own mouths Of which see my Latine Synopsis upon this place and from the matter of the Psalm which can by no means or arts be made to agree to David who was not Davids Lord nor a Priest much less a Priest for ever or after the order of Melchisedek the Priesthood of Aaron being in Davids time in use and force and in the hands of another person and family And whereas divers other Psalms though principally directed to and to be understood of the Messiah yet in some sort may be understood concerning David also or at least took their rise and occasion from David or from something relating to him this Psalm is directly and immediately and solely to be understood concerning the Messiah the Spirit of God wisely so ordering this matter that it might be a most express and convincing testimony against the unbelieving Jews concerning the true Messiah and concerning the nature and quality of his Kingdom 1 THE * 〈◊〉 22. 44. 〈◊〉 12. 36. 〈◊〉 20. 42. 〈◊〉 2. 34. 〈◊〉 Cor. 15 25. 〈◊〉 1. 13. LORD b God the Father the first Person in the Trinity to whom accordingly the Original of all things and especially of the work of mans Redemption by Christ is ascribed said c Decreed or appointed it from Eternity and in due time published this Decree as is noted Psal. 2. 7. and actually executed it which he did when he raised up Christ from the dead and brought him into his heavenly mansion unto my LORD d Unto his Son the Messias whom David designedly calls his Lord to admonish the Jews and the whole Church that although he was his Son according to the flesh or his humane nature Act. 2. 30. Rom. 1. 3. yet he had an higher Nature and Original and was also his Lord as being by Nature God blessed for ever and consequently Lord of all things as he is called Act. 10. 36. and by Office as he was God-man the Lord and King of the whole Church and of all the World for the Churches sake And this was a necessary provision to prevent that scandal which the Holy Ghost foresaw the Jews and others would be apt to take at the meanness of Christs appearance in the flesh The Hebrew word Adon is one of Gods Titles signifying his Power and Authority or Lordship over all things and therefore is most fitly given to the Messias to whom God hath delegated all his Power in the World Mat. 28. 18. Sit thou at my right hand e Thou who hast for many years been veiled with infirm and mortal flesh despised and rejected and trampled upon by men and persecuted unto the death do thou now take to thy self thy great and just power thou hast done thy work upon earth now take thy rest and the possession of that Soveraign Kingdom and Glory which by right belongeth to thee do thou rule with me with equal Power and Majesty as thou art God and with an Authority and Honour far above all creatures such as is next to mine as thou art man as this phrase is expounded in other places See Mark 16. 19. Luke 22. 69. 1 Cor. 15. 25. Heb. 1. 3 13. 8. 1. 10. 12 13. Eph. 1. 20 c. It is a Metaphor from the custom of earthly Princes who place those persons whom they honour most at their right hand of which see 1 Kings 2. 19. Psal. 45. 10. Mat. 20. 21. Sitting is put for reigning 1 Kings 3. 6. comp with 2 Chron. 1. 8. and withal notes the continuance of the Reign 1 Cor. 15. 25. until f Which word doth not necessarily note the end or expiration of his Kingdom at that time for in other places it notes only the continuance of things till such time without excluding the time following as is evident from Gen. 28. 15. Psal. 112. 8. Mat. 1. ult So here it may signifie that his kingdom should continue so long even in the midst of his enemies and in spight of all their power and malice which was the only thing which was liable to any doubt for that he should continue to reign after the conquest and utter ruine of all his enemies was out of all question And yet this is a word of limitation in regard of the mediatorial kingdom of Christ in respect of which Christ rules with a delegated power as his Fathers Vice-roy and with the use of outward means and instruments and ordinances c. for that manner of Administration shall cease which also seems to be intimated by this word as it is expounded 1 Cor. 15. 25. I make g By my Almighty power communicated to thee as God by eternal generation and vouchsafed to thee as Mediator to enable thee to the full discharge of thine Office thine enemies h Which also are the enemies of thy Church all persecutors and ungodly men who will not have Christ to rule over them Luke 19. 14. sin and death and the Devil 1 Cor. 15. 26. thy footstool i Thy slaves and vassals to be put to the meanest and basest services as this phrase implies 1 Kings 5. 3. Psal. 18. 39. 91. 13. being taken from the manner of Eastern Princes who used to tread upon the necks of their conquered enemies as we read Ios. 10. 24. Iudg. 1. 7. And long after those times Sapores the Persian Emperor trod upon Valerian Emperor of the Romans and Tamerlan used to tread upon Bajazet the Turkish Emperor whom he kept in an iron cage for that purpose 2 The LORD shall send k Or send forth into the world the rod of thy strength l Thy strong or powerful rod by an usual Hebraism And the Rod is put for his Scepter or Kingly power as it is Isa. 10. 24. Ier. 48. 17. Ezek. 7. 10 11. 19. 11 12. But as the kingdom of Christ is not carnal or of this world Ioh. 18. 36. but spiritual so this Rod or Scepter is nothing else but his Word published by himself or by his Apostles and Ministers and accompanied with his Spirit by which the Messias did his great exploits and set up and established his kingdom converting some of his enemies and confounding and destroying of others of them by that same instrument as is manifest by comparing Isa. 2. 3. 11. 4. Mich. 4. 2. 2 Cor. 10. 4. 2 Thess. 2. 8. Hence this word is called the word of the kingdom Mat. 13. 19. and the power of God Rom. 1. 16. David having spoken of the Messias v. 1. now turneth his speech to him out of Zion l From Ierusalem which is frequently understood by the name of Zion which was an eminent and venerable part of it as Psal. 48. 13. 87. 2. 102. 14 17 c. Where the Scepter of the Messias was first to be established according to the predictions of the Prophets Psal. 2. 6 8. 48. 3. Isa. 2. 3 c to which the event exactly
an occasion of despair or idleness or dissoluteness as some abuse this Doctrine but that by the consideration of his Soveraign and irresistible power in the disposal of all Persons and things as pleaseth him men should learn to trust in him to submit to him to fear to offend or rebel against him and more carefully and industriously to study to please him 15 That which hath been is now and that which is to be hath already been l Things past present and to come are all of the same nature and all ordered in the same manner by one constant counsel and settled course in all Parts and Ages of the World There is a continual return of the same mâ—…tions and influences oâ—… the Heavenly Bodies of the same seasons of the Year and a constant succession of â—…ew Generations of Men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all of the same quality The same thing in substance was said before Ch. 1. 9. and God requireth m i. e. Reneweth as this word is used Iob 3. 4. †Heb. that which is drivers away that which is past n Thâ—…t time and those things which are irrecoverably gone in themselves but are as it were recalled because others of the same kind arise and come in their stead Heb. that which is driven away with a mighty force as time present is violently thrust away by that which comes after it 16 And moreover o This is mentioned either 1. as another vanity to wit the vanity of Honour and Power which is so ofâ—… an instrument of injustice and oppression Or rather 2. as another argument of the vanity of worldly things or an hindrance of that comfort which men expect in this life because they are oppressed by their Rulers I saw p I perceive it by information from others and by my own observation under the sun the place of judgment q In the Thrones of Princes and Tribunals of Magistrates where Judgment should be duely executed that wickedness was there r Judgment was perverted the guilty acquitted and the innocent condemned and the place of righteousness s In which Righteousness should be found and should dwell if it were banished from all other places that iniquity was there 17 I said in mine heart t Mine Heart was sorely grieved at this disorder but I quieted it with this consideration God shall judg the righteous and the wicked u Absolving and saving the just and condemning the wicked for there is * Ver. 1. a time x Fixed by God's unalterable Decree He implies that as this life is the Sinners time in which he doth whatsoever seemeth good in his own Eyes so God will have his time to reckon with them and rectifie all these disorders there y In the presence or at the Judgment Seat of God which is easily understood out of the foregoing words the relative being put for the antecedent as it is Numb 7. 89. Esth. 9. 25. Iob 1. 21. Psal. 14. 5. 114. 2. Or it may be rendred then as this Particle is used Psal. 14. 5. Hos. 2. 15. and as it is usual in other Authors for Adverbs of place to be put for Adverbs of time for every purpose and for every work z For the examining and judging not onely all mens practices or open actions but also all their secret Thoughts and Purposes all the evil which they either did or designed or desired or endeavoured to do The design of this Verse is partly to strike a terrour into oppressing Potentates and partly to satisfy the doubts and support the Spirits of good men who are oppressed in this life 18 I said in my heart a And further I considered with my self concerning the estate of the sons of men b Concerning their condition and deportment in this present World ‖ Or that 〈◊〉 might 〈◊〉 God and see c. that God might manifest them c God suffers these horrible disorders among men expressed v. 16. that he might discover men to themselves and by permitting these actions shew what strange Creatures they are and what vile Hearts they have which men would not otherwise understand or believe See 2. Kings 8. 13 14. and that they might see that they themselves are beasts d Heb. that they are Beasts to themselves either 1. one to another devouring and destroying one another Or 2. in their own judgment or themselves being Judges that although God made them Men or reasonable Creatures yet they have made themselves Beasts by their brutish practices and that men considered onely with respect unto the present life which is the onely thing valued and regarded by most men and the vanity whereof is the Principal subject of this Book are as vain and miserable Creatures as the Beasts themselves the great differences between Men and Beasts being such as respect the other life For men seem here to be called Beasts in both these respects and the latter he prosecutes more largely in the following Verses 19 * Ps. 49. 12. 20. Ch. 2. 16. For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts e They are subject to the same Diseases pains and casualties even one thing befalleth them as the one dieth so dieth the other f As certainly and no less painfully yea they have all one †Heb. Spirit breath g One breath of life which is in their Nostrils one and the same living Soul by which the Beasts perform the same vital and animal Operations For he speaks not here of Man's rational and immortal Spirit nor of the future Life so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast h In respect of the present life and sensible things Nay the Beasts have quicker senses than men and therefore enjoy more pleasure in those things and that with less dangers and mischief than men do for all is vanity 20 All go unto one place i To the Earth as it is expressed v. 21. out of which they were both taken * Gen. 3. 19. all are of the dust and all turn to dust again k Which is meant onely of their Bodies as it is explained Eccles. 12. 7. 21 Who knoweth l It might be objected that the condition of men and beasts are vastly differing because Man's Spirit goeth upward to God Ch. 12. 7. but the spirit of a beast goeth downward together with its Body and perisheth with it To this he answers Who knoweth this Which is not to be understood as if no Man did know it or as if the thing were utterly uncertain and unknown for he knew it and positively affirms it Ch. 12. 7. but that few know it as the same manner of expression is understood Prov. 31. 10. Who can find Isa. 53. 1. Who hath believed c Which note the scarcity or difficulty but not the nullity or impossibility of the thing Besides he seems here to speak not so much of
called is oft put for to be the city of the sun or as the Graecians call it Heliopolis which the Egyptians called On Gen. 41. 45. which was a very eminent City and a chief Seat of Idolatry being a City of Priests as Strabo reports and therefore its Conversion to the Faith was more wonderful shall be called the city ‖ 〈◊〉 of Heres 〈◊〉 of the sun of destruction 19 In that day shall there be an altar a For God's Worship not a Levitical but a Spiritual and Evangelical Altar as appears from hence because that was confined to one place Deut. 12. 13 14. The altar is put for the Worship of God as it is in many places both of the Old and New Testament And nothing is more common in the Prophets than to speak of Gospel-worship in the Phrases of the Law to the LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt and a pillar b A Monument of the True Religion Here also he alludes to the ancient Custom of erecting Pillars to God of which see Gen. 12. 7. 28. 18 c. Ios. 22. 10. 24. 26 27. at the border thereof c As before in the midst of it The meaning is There shall be Evidences of their Piety in all Places to the LORD 20 And * See Jos. â—… 20 21. 22. 27. d The Altar or Pillar last mentioned it shall be for a sign and for a witness unto the LORD e To testifie that they own the Lord for their God of hosts in the land of Egypt for they shall cry unto the LORD because of the oppressors f Being sorely distressed and finding the weakness of their Idols they shall turn unto the True God and he shall send them a Saviour and a great one g A great or mighty Saviour by a common Figure called Hendiaduo as a cloud and smoke is put for a smokie cloud Isa. 4. 5. or a Saviour and a Prince even Christ who is so called Act. 5. 31. as is evident from the whole Context which apparently speaks of Gospel-times And the emphatical Phrase here used directed them to look for an extraordinary Saviour and he shall deliver them 21 And the LORD shall be known to Egypt and the Egyptians shall know the LORD h Shall acknowledge and love and serve them for Words of Knowledge in Scripture commonly include Affection and Practice as hath been often observed in that day and shall do sacrifice and oblation i Shall worship God spiritually which yet is signified by Typical Phrases as it is Mal. 1. 11. and in many other Places yea they shall vow a vow unto the LORD and perform it k They shall not onely profess and promise Piety but shall seriously and diligently practice it 22 And the LORD shall smite Egypt he shall smite and heal it l God will afflict them by Oppressours v. 20. and otherwise and by those Afflictions he will convert and save them and they shall return even to the LORD and he shall be intreated of them and shall heal them 23 In that day * Ch. 11. 16. shall there be a high-way out of Egypt to Assyria and the Assyrian shall come into Epypt and the Egyptian into Assyria m They who were implacable Enemies one to another and both to the Church and People of God shall now be reconciled and united together in the Service of God and Love to his Church and the Egyptians shall serve n To wit the Lord who is easily understood from v. 21. 25. with the Assyrians 24 In that day shall Israel be the third o The third Party to wit in that sacred League whereby all of them oblige themselves to God with Egypt and with Assyria p These People are named because they were the most obstinate and malicious Enemies to God's Church and therefore in a special manner accursed by God but they are here put Syncchdochically for all the Gentiles even a blessing q This is peculiar to Israel who is not onely a third Party as the others are but is the most eminent and blessed of the three as being the Fountain or rather the Conduit-pipe by which the Blessing is conveyed to the other two because Christ was to be born of them and the Gospel-Church and Ordinances were first established among them and from them derived to the Gentiles in the midst of the land r Or of the earth Which may be added to imply that God's Blessing should be convey'd from and by Israel not onely to the Egyptians and the Assyrians but to all the Nations of the Earth in the midst of which the Land of Israel might well be said to lie Or of that land of which I am here speaking or the Singular Number being put for the Plural of those lands Egypt and Assyria between which Israel lay 25 Whom the LORD of hosts shall bless s Whom i. e. which People to wit Israel Egypt and Assyria expressed both in the foregoing Verse and in the following Clause of this Verse of whom he speaks as of one People in the Singular Number because they are all united into one Body and Church Or For or Because as this Particle is taken 1 Sam. 15. 15. and elsewhere the Lord of hosts shall bless him or them So this is added as a Reason why he said Israel should be a Blessing to them all saying Blessed be Egypt my people t This Title and those which follow that were peculiar to the People of Israel shall now be given to these and all other Nations of the World and Assyria the work of my hands and Israel mine inheritance CHAP. XX. IN the year that * 2 Kin. 18. 17. Tartan a A great Commander in Sennacherib's Army 2 Kings 18. 17. came unto Ashdod b An eminent and strong City of the Philistins Ios. 13. 3. 1 Sam. 5. 1. in the utmost part of the Land of Canaan towards Egypt when Sargon c What King of Assyria this was is much disputed It is well known and confessed that one and the same Person hath frequently several Names both in Scripture as hath been observed again and again and in other Authors And therefore this may be either 1. Salmaneser who when he took Samaria might also by Tartan take this Place or 2 Sennacherib who before he came to Ierusalem came up against and took all the fenced cities of Iudah 2 Kings 18. 13. of which Ashdod might be reckoned one as being in the Tribe of Iudah Ios. 13. 3. 15. 47. and taken by Hezekiah from the Philistins as it seems very probable from that Passage 2 Kings 18. 8. He smote the Philistins even unto Gaza and the borders thereof from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city Or 3. Esarhadden Sennacherib's Son who by cutting off the first Letter is called Sarchedon Tobit 1. 21. and thence possibly by abbreviation
3. 17. path in the mighty waters t Who as he formerly made a path-way for his people through the Red Sea so he will in no less wonderful manner remove all impediments or difficulties out of the way of his people when they return from Babylon 17 Which bringeth forth the chariot and horse the army and the power u Or rather Who brought forth the Chariots c. i. e. Pharoah and his Chariots and Horses and Army as may be gathered from the next verse where the things here mentioned are called former things and things of old they shall lie down together they shall not rise x Or they did lie down together to wit in the bottom of the Sea they did not rise they sank like lead as it is said Exod. 15. 10. and they never rose again to molest the Israelites as God promised Exod. 14. 13. These two Hebrew Verbs are of the future tense but that seems to be put for the preter tense because the two following Verbs which treat of the same thing and are added to explain these are of the pretertense they are extinct they are quenched as tow y As the wieke of a Candle when it is put into the Water is wholly extinguished and not the least spark of fire left so were they utterly destroyed and not one of them remained 18 * Chap. 46. 9. Remember ye not the former things neither consider the things of old z But although your former deliverance out of Egypt was in it self a most glorious work which you ought alwayes to remember and consider yet this other work of your deliverance out of Babylon by Cyrus and those blessings which shall follow upon it and particularly that inestimable mercy of sending the Messiah shall be so transcendent a favour that in comparison thereof all your former deliverances are scarce worthy of your remembrance and consideration Which exposition is confirmed by two parallel texts Ier. 16. 14 15. 23. 7 8. From all which texts layd together it appears that this later deliverance compared with that out of Egypt is not to be confined to their freedom from the Babylonish Captivity but to be extended to the consequences of it and especially to the Redemption by Christ because otherwise that Egyptian deliverance was more glorious and wonderful in many respects than the Babylonian 19 Behold I will do a * 2 Cor. 5. 17. Rev. 21. 5. new thing a Such a work as was never yet done in the World even the Redemption of the World by the Messiah now b Shortly although it was not to be done till after some hundreds of years For so the Scripture oft speaketh of things at a great distance of time as if they were now at hand as Hagg. 2. 6. Iam. 5. 9. Rev. 22. 20. and elsewhere which it doth to â—…orrect our impatience and to make us willing to wait till Gods time come and to assure us that the mercy shall come as soon as ever it is fit for us and we for it and to make us sensible of the inconsiderableness of time and all temporal things in comparison of God and of the eternal things upon which account it is said that a thousand years are in Gods sight but as one day Psal. 90. 4. it shall spring forth shall ye not know it c Certainly you Iews shall know it by experience and shall find that I do not deceive you with vain hopes I will even make * Chap. 42. 16 Jer. 31. 9. a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert d I will give you direction and provision in the Wilderness where there is commonly no path and where all necessaries are wanting Which as it literally speaks of Gods conducting them in the way from Babylon to Ierusalem which lay through a great desert so it is mystically meant of those spiritual blessings which God in and through Christ will confer upon all his people not the Iews onely but also the Gentiles who in Prophetical Language are oft compared to the Wilderness as Isa. 35. 1. and elsewhere 20. The beast of the field shall honour me e Shall have cause if they had abilities to honour and praise me for their share in this mercy Possibly the beast of the field may mystically signify the Gentiles whom the Iews reputed as Beasts and who were as destitute of all saving knowledge as the Beasts which perish yet should become the Lords People as they seem to be called ver 21. the dragons f Which live in dry and barren deserts and are very thirsty and therefore more sensible of this mercy and the ‖ Or ostrickes †Heb. daughters of the owl owls because I give waters in the wilderness and rivers in the desert to give drink to my people g To whom these waters were principally designed but the beasts fared better for their sakes Thus Christ was primarily sent to the lost Sheep of Israel Mat. 15. 24. yet the Gentiles there compared to Doggs fared better for the Children picking up some crumbs of their bread and the Iews generally rejecting Christ the Gentiles came in their stead my chosen 21. * Luk. 1. 74. 75. This people h My People as he now called them ver 20. consisting in part of the Iews but especially of the Gentiles have I formed for my self * 1 Pet. 2. 9. they shall shew forth my praise i I have created as it were out of nothing I have called them into my Church that I might have glory and praise from them for so stupendious a mercy 22. But k Or For as this conjunction is oft used So this may be added as a reason why God called the Gentiles to be his people because the Iews forsook him thou hast not called upon me l Thou hast grosly neglected or very slightly performed the duties of my worship O Iacob but thou hast been weary of me m Thou hast not esteemed my service to be a priviledge as in truth it is but as a burden and bondage Compare Mal. 1. 13. O Israel 23. Thou hast not brought me the †Heb. lambs or kids small cattel of thy burnt offerings n Either 1. Because thou didst not offer thy Sacrifices to me but to Idols Or rather 2. because what thou didst offer was not done to me not for my sake not from a principle of love and obedience to me not to please and honour me with it but meerly for thine own ends Which interpretation seems to be favoured by the following clause and by comparing this with Zech. 7. 5 6. Did ye fast unto me even to me And when ye did eat did ye not eat for your selves neither hast thou honoured me with thy sacrifices o Because thou didst either neglect this work of Sacrificing to me or didst perform it meerly out of custome or ill design and not with a
Sea coasts being usually noted for the worst of men shall now love thee or the wealth and traffick of those that trade by Sea the Riches of the Merchant and so possibly the Prophet may allude to Psa. 72. 10. for Tharsis is sometimes taken for the Sea as hath been before shewed see on 1 Kin. 10. 22. shall be converted unto thee o Thy traders shall not so much convert their Riches to their own use as to thine the ‖ Or noise of the sea shall be turned toward thee forces p Or wealth thou shalt not have only the wealth but the strength of the Nations to stand by thee which hath also an Eye as in the type to that readiness and willingness that would be in the Nations to help them out of Babylon of the Gentiles shall come unto thee 6 The multitude of camels q shall cover thee the dromedaries r or also or even the Dromedaries which are a lesser sort of Camel so called from their swiftness in running to which they are the better enabled because as Pliny observes they can indure thirst four days together q. d. They shall make all the hast imaginable in bringing their Riches to thee of Midian and Ephah s Both these Midianites and Ephaites descended from Abraham by Keturah Gen. 25. 2. 4. they dwelt beyond Arabia and Camels are mentioned coming from hence because of all places they were the most numerous here Iudge 7. 12. all they from Sheba t This Sheba descended from Cush the Son of cursed Ham the Son of Noah Gen. 10. 6 7. from whom a certain Country in Arabia Felix took its name whose Queen it was that came to visit Solomon 1 Kin. 10. 1. and her bringing gifts might be a type of this Solomon being a type of Christ of which the wise men might be the first fruits Mat. 2. shall come they shall bring ‖ Or wealth * Chap. 61. 6. gold and incense u The Principal Commodities with which this Country abounded and by which we are to understand what ever is precious and Frankincense is onely peculiar to Arabia and they shall shew forth the praises x The motive drawing them thither being more for Religion then trade of the LORD g i. e. The abundance of wealth and Treasure that is brought upon Camels this being the Creature the Eastern people used for carriage of their gold and spice and other rich Treasure which are said to cover them the like phrase with that Iudg 6. 5. or whereby is understood those people that did use to ride on Camels as the Arabians and the bordering Countries for by these and such like figurative and borrowed expressions in several verses of this Chapter is particularized several Nations and by them is implyed the coming in of all Nations unto Christ and therefore they are brought in as presenting the choicest Commodities of their respective Countries so that we may be the better excused from speaking particularly to them in their respective places 7 All the flocks of Kedar y The people whereof descended from Ishmael and lived in Arabia Petrea who were principally Shepherds shall be gathered together unto thee the rams z q. d. Nay the chief of the flock viz. for Sacrifice this Nebâ—…joth being put for the people thereof and sprang from Ishmael also Gen. 25. 13. Rich as the other were in flocks 〈◊〉 inhabiting the same Country as the Sabeans offered the Proper Commodities of their Country as gold and spice so these of theirs viz. Cattle shewing that each Country and so each Person should bring that wherewith they did most excel of Nebajoth a This shews that Abraham's Children according to the flesh should also be brought in to the Gospel comp Mal 1. 11. shall minister unto thee they shall come up with acceptance b Being offered they shall not now as heretofore be rejected and hereby they shall be distinguished from the profane oblations of the Gentiles i. e. In the name of Christ who is the true and only Gospel Altar on mine altar and I will glorify the house of my glory c i. e. The Temple or my house Glory being put here by a Metonymy of the Adjunct for God himself who is glorious God shall become glorious by the multitude of Sacrifices that shall be offered and accepted here Psa. 29. 9. and it is a type how glorious his New Testament Spiritual Worship shall be this Altar pointing at Christ out of whom nothing is accepted and that his Church should be glorious being built of living stones 1 Pet. 2. 5. 8 Who d In the 4th verse he spake to them as upon some high watch Tower where they might behold as in a Circle all the parts of the World Now espying from all parts he brings them in calling out with admiration who are these Partly with reference to the number or partly with reference to the Persons so the Heb. what are these They being not Jews but strangers and so directly intimating the Gentiles flocking into the Church that come so swiâ—…tly and in so great flocks the same thing still The former Metaphor of clouds imports their number as well as their speed Ezek. 38. 9. thus abundance of Witnesses is called a cloud of Witnesses Heb. 12. 1. the scope is to note the great confluence of people that should come into the Church that should be begotten by the Apostles Doctrine which the LXX Translation seems to point at who render it as Doves with their young ones unto me and by flying may be noted their Spiritual state being elevated above the world as the Clouds above the Earth and Doves when upon the wing are these that fly as a cloud and as the doves to their windows 9 Surely the isles f See Chap. 41. 1. and 59. 18. shall wait for me and the ships g viz. to conveigh them to me of Tarshish h i. e. Those that Traffique by Sea as before see Chap. 2. 16. these lying most convenient for that imployment in naming this he implies by a Synecdoche all that had commerce with other Nations first i Preferring this before any other business they take in hand this hath undergone the various senses of divers Interpreters such as are not futilous and vain I conceive may run into one of these two either 1. By reading it with a supplement of the note of similitude which is frequent as at first or formerly viz. As in the days of Solomon who was a type of Christ the matter here spoken of seeming to sâ—…it with it 1 King 10. 12. See 2 Chro. 9. 21 c. Or rather 2. By taking the word first as the Hebrews mostly do not so much with reference to time or order as to dignity namely they shall have the precedency and honour of bringing themselves and conducting others this may be true also as to time and so verified in the