many heapes, Exod. 8. 14. rankes rankes, Mar. 5. 40. for, by many rankes. fell] that is, were slaine there; as the word also signifieth in Ios. 8. 24. 25. Iudg. 8. 10. and 12. 6. and many other places: So, there fell of Israel, 1 Chron. 21. 14. for which in 2 Sam. 24. 15. is written, there dyed. See after, Gen. 25. 18.
Vers. 11. the substance] or the goods, cattell, mony, [unspec 11] &c. see Gen. 12. 5. their victuals] or, their meat; the fruits of the land; which were both sweet and plentifull, made now a prey to the hungry soul∣diers. The like judgements God threatned to the Israelites, when they entred this land to possesse it, if they brake his covenant, Deuteron. 28. 30. 31. 33. 51.
Vers. 12. dwelt] or, was dwelling: and so became [unspec 12] partaker of their calamitie: God thus chastening Lots former affectation of this pleasant country, Gen. 13. 10. 11.
Vers. 13. the Hebrew] so named of his father He∣ber, [unspec 13] Gen. 11. 16. and hee and his children were commonly knowne by this title, as in Gen. 39. 14. Numb. 24. 24. Ier. 34. 9. Some thinke hee was so called of passing over the River, when God called him from Chaldea, Ios. 24. 2. but by Gen. 10. 21. it appeareth rather to bee of Heber the Patriarch: and as this name of Hebrewes was the first title gi∣ven to Abram and his seed: so it indureth one of the last, 2 Cor. 11. 22. Phil. 3. 5. the Okes] or plaines: see Gen. 13. 18. confederates] Hebr. men (or masters) of league, or covenant: sworn-friends, as the Greeke importeth.
Vers. 14. brother] that is, his kinsman: see Gen. [unspec 14] 13. 8. armed] or drew out, that is, ledforth of his house. Greeke, numbred, mustered. trained] or instructed: we may understand it both of civill affaires, and religion, wherein hee had trained them: the Chaldee calleth them young men: and so doth Moses, in vers. 24. children] that is, ser∣vants borne in his house, and to it belonging. See af∣ter in Gen. 15. 3. pursued] to weet, after them, as the Greeke saith: meaning those kings fore-mentioned. Dan] a place in the north parts of Canaan, called of old Leshem, and being won by the Danites, it was named Dan, Ios. 19. 47. After, it was called Caesarea: so the Ierusalemy paraphrase calleth it, Dan de Kasarjon.
Vers. 15. the left hand of Damascus] called in He∣brew [unspec 15] Dammesek. (and sometime Darmesek, as 1 Chron. 18. 5.) which was the head of Aram, (or Syria) Es. 7. 8. and for the left hand, both the Chal∣dee paraphrasts say, north of Damascus; and that rightly: for the east is counted the formost part of the world, and the west the hindmost; Esay 9. 12. and the South is called the rightside, opposed to the North, Psal. 89. 13. Thus Abram pursued them, passed in peace, by a way that hee had not gone with his feet, Esay 41. 3.
Vers. 16. the substance] or, goods, to weet, of the [unspec 16] S••do••ites, as the Greeke version addeth. Thus God gave the nations before Abram, and made him rule ever Kings: gave them as dust to his sword, as dri∣ven stubble to his bow, Esay 41. 2. A like victory God gave to David over the Amalekites, 1 Sam. 30. 18. 19. &c. And as the Hebrew have a saying, that whatsoever befell unto the fathers, is asigne unto the children; so of this victory they write, that it befell unto Abraham, to teach, that foure kingdomes should stand up to rule over the world, and that in the end, his children should rule over them, and they should all fall by their hand, and they should bring againe all their captives, and all their substance. Which are the foure kingdomes spoken of in Daniel. R. Mena∣chem, on Gen. 14.
Vers. 17. from smiting] or from the slaughter, as [unspec 17] the Greeke turneth it, and the Apostle hath the same word in Hebr. 7. 1. So in the Hebrew where one Prophet saith, he smote, 2 King. 14. 5. another saith, he killed, 2 Chron. 25. 3. of the King] a val∣ley not farre from Ierusalem, there Absolom set up his pillar, 2 Sam. 18. 18.
Vers. 18. Melchisedek] the Ierusalemy Thargum [unspec 18] saith, hu Shem rabba, this was Sem the great: and in Breshith rabba upon this place, it is said, this Mel∣chisedek was Sem the sonne of Noe. Hee was called Melchisedek, that is by interpretation, King of justice, Heb. 7. 2. and therein, was a figure of Christ, the King that reigneth in justice, Esay 32. 1. (as all Kings should be, 2 Sam. 23. 3. Psalm. 72. 1. 2. &c.) Other the best and most ancient Hebrew Doctors, doe also hold Melchisedek to bee Sem: so Pirke R. Eliezer, chapt. 8. and Thalmud Babyl. in Treatise of vowes, at the end of Chap. 3. and Ben Syraoh saith, Sem and Seth were glorious among men, Ecclus. 49. 16. of Salem] both the Chaldee paraphrasts say, of Ierusalem: which is also called Salem, in Psalm. 76. 3. and it signifieth Peace, Heb. 7. 2 which was the summe and end of Christs administration; (whom Melchisedek figured) Ephes. 2. 14 15. 17. So in him, justice and peace have kissed, Psal. 85. 11. for the worke of justice is peace, Esay 32. 17. and he is called the Prince of Peace, Esay 9. 6. And the He∣brew Doctors in Echah rabbethi (or Comment on the Lamentations) say from Esay 9. 6 the name of the Messias is called Salom, (Peace.) And Melchise∣dek his figure, here hath nothing to doe with the warres of the nine Kings, but governed his realme in peace. brought forth bread, &c.] comming to meet Abram that returned from the slaughter of the Kings, Heb. 7. 1. so that the bread and wine, was to refresh Abram and his men after their travell; as David and his people were refreshed in the wilder∣nesse, by good men that brought them victuals: 2 Sam. 17. 27. 28. 29. and as on the contrary, the Ammonites and Moabites might not enter into the congregation of the Lord for ever, because they met not Israel with bread and water in the way, when they came out of Aegypt, Deut. 23. 3. 4. that is, be∣cause they refreshed them not when they were faint and weary, Deut. 25. 18. Melchisedek doing this as he was King, the Apostle being to treat of Christs Priesthood in speciall, therefore passeth it over, Heb. 7. 1. Albeit even in this action, Mel∣chisedek may be minded as a figure of Christ, who taketh away the hunger and thirst of all that be∣leeve in him, Ioh: 6. 35. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 he a Priest] or as the Greeke addeth, he was a Priest: but the word he, sometime signifieth a continuance in the same estate, as in Psal. 102. 2••. thou he, that is, thou art