Vers. 9. Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, &c.

The Text speaketh of Jews of all Nations under Hea∣ven now dwelling at Ieru•alem, and yet it reckoneth but fif∣teene here, which were not all the Nations in the World; no, nor all that were in the Roman Empire, by very many▪ but to omit the Hyperboles that the Scripture useth very commonly, as Cities walled up to Heaven, shooti•g at an haire, and not misse, &c. The languages here spoken of, took up all the Nations where it is imaginable any Jews were scattered at this time through the world. [If so be they were not also all the languages that were spoken at Babel:] as to take example of one or two; the Par∣thian, Median, Persian, and Mesopotamian, were the tongues that served all the Eastern dispersion; and all the Jews that had bin Captivated by the two first Monarchies, Babylonian and Per∣sian, Page  45 wheresoever they were, in East or North, spake some of these languages, throughout the vast space of that their scatte∣ring. For to instance in the Mesopotamian onely; how many large and mighty Countries spake that one tongue? Assyria, Chaldea, Mesopotamia, Syria, Caelosyria, to inquire no fu•ther; all these spake that Chaldee language, so certainly, that there needeth not the least paines to prove it. And Iudea was falne into the same tongue now also; but with so much dif∣ference from the Mesopotamian, Syriack, or Chaldee, that here it is nominated as a language distinct: And this sheweth the reason of the Phrase, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: that he might distinguish the Syriack of Iudea and of Cha•dea asunder: that those that dwelt in Mesopotamia heard their Sy∣riack, and those that dwelt in Iudea heard theirs. Or if wee should instance in the Cretan tongue, that is here inten∣ded: the Island of Crete was but of a small compasse, but the language of Crete reacht all over Greece, not to search how farre it reacht further. And the like might be observed of o∣ther of the tongues th•t are here mentioned.

So that it is hard to find, if not impossible, any Jews at this time under heaven, where one or other of these languages here mentioned were not spoken vulgarly in that Country where they were; and so may wee very properly understand that phrase, there were Iewes of all Nations under heaven, now ga∣the•ed to Jerusalem.

Now as it was impossible for these to understand one ano∣ther in the languages of the Countries where they were born; for it was impossible an Arabian should understand a Cr•tan, or a Cretan an Arabian, a Parthian a Roman, or a Roman a Par∣thian; and so in the most of the rest; so was it impossible they should all of them understand any one tongue, either Hebrew or Syriack, which are the likelyest to suppose, or whatsoever else may be supposed.

For first, how easie is it to shew how the Hebrew tongue was utterly lost among them from common use; and how the Syriack which was in common use in Iudea, yet was unknown to them in other Countries, as appeareth by the necessity of the Chaldee Turgum, by the most familiar use of the Septuagint,Page  46 by the writings of Philo and Iosephus, and others of the Jews themselves.

Secondly, if they could have understood any one language, which was as the common language of the Nation; then was the gift of tongues most utterly needlesse: for why should the Apostles speak divers languages to them that could have all of them understood one tongue? Tongues indeed were given for a signe, 1 Cor. 14.22. but this was not the proper end for which they were given, but for instruction and edification; and as was said before, for acquainting those Nations with the knowledge of God, which had lost it and him, by the losse of the Hebrew tongue. And if the Jewes had understood all of them one tongue, this gift had been needlesse to have beene given till the Apostles were to goe to preach to the Hea∣thens.

This then being past all deniall, that these Jewes of severall Nations, could neither understand one another in the tongue of the Countrey where they were borne, nor understand any one language as common to them all; it is past all deniall al∣so, that when they were converted to Christianity, they were severed into divers Congregations; for else it was impossible for them to joyne together in publike worship.