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.

VERS. VIII.

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

These are the beginnings of sorrows.

ES••i. LXVI. 7, 8. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; &c. Before she travailed she brought forth, before the labour of pains came, she was delivered, and brought forth a male. Who hath heard such a thing? &c. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Does the earth bring forth in one day, or is a Nation also brought forth at once? For Sion was in travail and brought forth her sons.

The Prophet here says two things.

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  I. That Christ should be born before the destruction of Jerusalem. The Jews them∣selves collect and acknowledge this out of this Prophesie. g 1.1 It is in the Great Genesis, a very antient book, thus R. Samuel bar Nahaman said, Whence prove you, that in the day when the des••ruction of the Temple was, Messias was born? He answered, From this that is said in the last Chapter of Esaiah, Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her bringing forth shall come, she brought forth a male child. In the same hour that the destruction of the Temple was, Israel cryed out, as though she were bringing forth. And Jonathan in the Ch••ldee translation said, Before her trouble came, she was saved, and before pains of child∣birth came upon her, Messiah was revealed. (In the Chaldee it is, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 A King shall manifest himself.)

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  In like manner in the same Book: R. Samuel bar Nahaman said; It happened that Elias went by the way in the day, wherein the Destruction of the Temple was, and he heard a cer∣tain voice crying out and saying, The holy Temple is destroyed. Which when he heard, he imagined, how he could destroy the World; but travailing forward, he saw men plowing and sowing; to whom he said, God is angry with the World, and will destroy his house, and lead his children Captives to the Gentiles, and do you labour for temporal Victuals? And another voice was heard saying, Let them work, for the Saviour of Israel is born. And Elias said, where is he? And the voice said, In Bethlehem of Judah, &c. These words this Author speaks, and these words they speak.

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  II. As it is not without good reason gathered, that Christ shall be born before the destruction of the City, from that clause, Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her bringing forth came (〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the pangs of travail) she brought forth a male child: so also from that clause 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 &c. Is a Nation brought forth at once, for Sion travailed and brought forth her children; is gathered as well, that the Gentiles were to be gathered and called to the faith, before that destruction; which our Saviour most plainly teacheth, ver. 10. But the Gospel must first be preached among all Nations. For how the Gentiles which should believe are called the Children of Sion, and the Children of the Church of Israel, every where in the Prophets, there is no need to shew, for every one knows it.

  In this sense is the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, pangs, or sorrows, in this place to be understood, and it agrees not only with the sense of the Prophet alledged, but with a most common phrase and opinion in the Nation concerning 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The Sorrows of the Messiah, that is concerning the calamities which they expected would happen at the coming of the Messiah.

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 h 1.2 Ulla saith, the Messias shall come, but I shall not see him, so also saith Rabba, Messias shall come, but I shall not see him. That is, he shall not be to be seen. Abai saith to Rabba, Why? 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Because of the sor∣rows of the Messias. It is a Tradition. His Disciples asked R. Eleazar, What may a man do to be delivered from the sorrows of Messias? Let him be conversant in the Law, and in the works of mercy. The Gloss is, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 That is the terrors and the sorrows, which shall be in his days. i 1.3 He that feasts thrice on the Sabbath day, shall be delivered from three mi∣series, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 From the sorrows of Messiah, from the judgment of Hell, and from the War of Gog and Magog. Where the Gloss is this, From the sorrows of Messias. For in that age wherein the Son of David shall come, there will be 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 an accusation of the Scholars of the Wise men. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 denotes such pains as women in child birth endure.

Notes

• g 1.1

  Hieron. a 〈◊〉〈◊〉 side, lib. 1. contra Iu∣d••os, cap. 2.
• h 1.2

  Sanhedr. fol. 98. 2.
• i 1.3

  Sh••a••. fol. 118. 1.