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. X. Vers. 1, 2.

[World 2774] [Abimelech 1] TOLA of Issachar judgeth twenty three years; he beareth the name [Abimelech 2] [Abimelech 3] of the first-born of Issachar, Gen. 46. 13. He is said to dwell in Shamir, [Abimelech 4] in the hill Country of Ephraim, which may very well be supposed to be Sa∣maria; [Abimelech 5] [Abimelech 6] and so he lived near the place where the late strages and destructi∣on [Abimelech 7] had been made by Abimelech: Shechem from the time of Joshua was de∣signed [Abimelech 8] for the head Town of Israel, till Jerusalem in Davids time obtained [Abimelech 9] [Abimelech 10] that priviledge: For Joseph being reputed the first-born, and this the chief [Abimelech 11] Town of Joseph, it came into that dignity and preheminence; but here it

is laid in the dust by Abimelech. Observe in 1 King. 12. that the Tribes come to Shechem to make Rhehoboam King, for now they begin to stand upon Josephs [Iair 12] priviledge and birth-right again, which Judah had carried all the time of Da∣vid [Iair 13] [Iair 14] and Solomon; when Shechem was thus destroyed by Abimelech, Samaria ari∣seth [Iair 15] by Tola, a man of Issachar, but now a sojourner here. It is probable that [Iair 16] the distracted and low estate of Shechem and Ephraim through the late civil [Iair 17] [Iair 18] wars, did give him the better rise; he himself either taking now advantage for [Iair 19] his own promotion from their helplesness, or the Lord raising him a neighbour [Iair 20] [Iair 21] of another Tribe for their relief when they could not relieve themselves: Issa∣char [Iair 22] is sluggish and unactive at home, as Gen. 49. 14. yet thus active abroad; in [Iair 23] Tola now; and in Baasha in after times, 1 King. 15. 27. and both in and about the same place Shechem and Samaria.