The works of the Reverend and learned John Lightfoot D. D., late Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge such as were, and such as never before were printed : in two volumes : with the authors life and large and useful tables to each volume : also three maps : one of the temple drawn by the author himself, the others of Jervsalem and the Holy Land drawn according to the author's chorography, with a description collected out of his writings.

CHAP. II. Of the Names of GOD, used by Jews and Gentiles. (Book 2)

NO Nation so barbarous saith Tully, that hath not some tincture of knowledge that there is a Deity. And yet many, nay most People of the World fall short of the right ap∣prehension of God, through three reason. First, when they cannot carry their minds* 1.1 further than their senses; and so think God hath a Body as they have, that is colour∣ed, &c. Secondly, when they measure God by themselves, and so make him passionate like man. For men not able to conceive what God is, what his Nature, what his Power, &c. fall into such opinions, that they frame Gods of themselves: and as is their own humane nature, so they attribute to God the like, for his will, actions and intentions, saith Arnobius.* 1.2 Thirdly, when they mount above Nature and Sense, and yet not right, feigning that

God begat himself, &c. Hence came the multitude and diversity of Deities among the Heathen, minting thousands of Gods to find the right, and yet they could not. Hence their many names, and many fames made by them, that it seems, thought it as lawful to make Gods, as it was for God to make them.

At first they worshipped these their Deities without any representation, only by their Names: Caelites, Inferi, Heroes, Sumani, Sangui, and thousands others, the naming of which is more like conjuring than otherwise. Nature it self taught men there was some∣thing they must acknowledge for supream superintendent of all things. This light of Nature, led them to worship something, but it could not bring them to worship a∣right. Hence some adored bruit Beasts, some Trees, some Stars, some Men, some De∣vils. Some by Images, some without, some in Temples, some without. Thus was Gi∣deons fleece, the Heathen piece of the World all dry: set in the darkness of the shadow of death: But in Jury was God known, and his Name great in Israel: By his name Jehovah he exprest himself when he brought them from Egypt, and his glory he pitched among them. They knew him by his Names and Titles of Elohim, Adonai, El, Shaddai, Elion, and his great Name Jehovah, as the Jews do call it. There the Scriptures of the Law and Prophets did teach them, yet they thus nearly acquainted with the true God, forsook him, so that wrath came upon Israel.

The Rabbinical Jews beside Scripture words have divers Phrases to express God by in their Writings. As frequently they call him Hakkadhosh baruch hu, the holy blessed he, in short with four letters, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Sometime they use El jithbarech, the Lord who is, or be blessed. Sometimes Shamaiim, Heaven, by a Metonymy, because there he dwelleth. The like Phrase is in the Gospel, Father I have sinned against Heaven, Luke 15. 18. The like Phrase is frequent in England, The Heavens keep you. Shekinah they use for a Title of God, but more especially for the Holy Ghost. So saith Elias levita in Tishbi. Our Rabbins of happy memory call the Holy Ghost Shekinah gnal shem shehu shaken gnal hannebhiim, because he dwells upon the Prophets. Accordingly saith our Nicene Creed, I believe in the Holy Ghost who spake by the Prophets. Shem, a name or the name they use for a name of God, and Makom a place they place for the same, because he comprehendeth all things, and nothing comprehendeth him. Gebhurah Strength is in the same use. They are nice in the utterance of the name Jehovah: but use divers Periphrases for it, Shem shel arbang, the name of four letters. Shem hammejuhhad the proper name, and others. One in Eusebi∣us hath eloquently expressed it thus:

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉

Seven sounding Letters ring the praise of me Th' Immortal God, th' Almighty Deity: The Father of all, that cannot weary be. I am th' Eternal Viol of all things Whereby the melody so sweetly rings Of Heavens Musick which so sweetly sings.

What these seven Letters are, that do thus express God, is easie to guess that they be the Letters of the name Jehovah, which indeed consisteth but of four Letters, but the Vowels must make up the number. Of the exposition of this name Jehovah thus saith Rabbi Salomon upon these words, I appeared to them by the name of God Omnipotent, but by my name Jehovah I am not known to them, Exod. 6. 3. He saith unto him (saith the Rab∣bin) I am Jehovah, faithful in rendring a good reward, to those that walk before me: and I have not sent thee for nothing, but for the establishing of my words which I spake to their fa∣thers: And in this sense we find the word [Jehovah] expounded in sundry places, I am Je∣hovah faithful in avenging, (when he speaks of punishing) as, and if thou profane the name of thy God, I am Jehovah. And so when he speaketh of the performing of the Commandments, as, And you shall keep my Commandments and do them, I am Jehovah faithful to give to you a good reward: thus far the Rabbin.

The▪ Alchymistical Cabalists, or Cabalistical Alchymists have extracted the name 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or number whether you will, out of the word Jehovah after a strange manner. This is their way to do it:

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉

Which great Mystery is in English thus. Ten times ten is an hundred, five times five is twenty five, behold 125. Six times six is thirty six, behold 161; and five times five is twenty five, behold 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or 186. Thus runneth their senseless multiplication, multiply∣ing numberless follies in their foolish numbers, making conjectures like Sybils leaves, that when they come to blast of trial, prove but wind. Irenaeus hath such a mystical stir about the name Jesu: which I must needs confess I can make nothing at all of, yet will I set down his words, that the Reader may skan what I cannot. Nomen Jesu (saith he) secundum propriam Hebraeorum linguam, &c. The name Jesu according to the proper speech of the He∣brews, consisteth of two letters and an half, as the skilful amongst them say: Signifying the Lord which containeth Heaven and Earth: For Jesu according to the old Hebrew signifi∣eth Heaven, and the Earth is called Sura usser. Thus that Father in his second Book against Hereticks, Cap. 41. on which words I can critick only wit hdeep silence. Only for his two letters and half, I take his meaning to be according to the Jews writing of the name Jesu: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 who deny him the last letter of his name 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, because they deny him for a Saviour. So the Dutch Jew Elias Levita saith in express words. The Christians say that their Messias was called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 by the commandment of the Angel Gabriel, because he should save all the world from Gehinnom, but because the Jews do not confess that he is a Savi∣our, therefore they will not call him 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Jeshuang, but they leave 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the last letter out, and call him 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Jesu. After this kind of writing, as Irenaeus saith, the word consisteth of two letters 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and half a letter, that is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, which may be so called, because it is so little.

The Chaldee writes the name of God with two Jods above, and a Vowel under thus 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 From hence some have picked an expression of the Trinity: In the two letters, the Father and the Son, and in the vowel the Holy Ghost proceeding from both: And from the aequidistance of the Letters and Vowel, they gather the distinction of the Persons, and by the nearests of all, the unity of Essence. Such another conceit hath Bonfinius in his Hungarian History. When the Heresie of Arrius (saith he) had got head almost over all the world, and was dilated as well by persecution as by disputation: a Town in Gaul was besieged, because it held the Orthodox Faith of the Sons coequality with the Father: God to confirm this their faith shewed this Miracle. As the Priest was at high Mass at the Altar, be∣hold three drops of bloud fell from Heaven upon the Altar; lying a while in an equal distance one from another, to shew the distinction of the three Persons, at last, in sight of all the Peo∣ple, they met together, to shew the Unity of Essence, so the story. But we have a more sure word of Prophecy: That there are three that bear record in Heaven, the Father, the Word, and the holy Spirit, and these three are one.

The Chaldee sometimes useth the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Dehhila and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Dahhalah, fear or terrour for God; because of the fear that is due to him. So Jacob coming from Syria, and being to swear to a Syrian, swears according to the Syrian or Chaldee Phrase, By the fear of his father Isaac, Gen. 31. 53. or by the God that Isaac feared: as Onkelos and Jona∣than render it.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Aug. de Trin. lib. 1. cap. 1.
• * 1.2

  Arnob. con. lib.