Choice observations and explanations upon the Old Testament containing in them many remarkable matters, either not taken notice of, or mistaken by most, which are additionals to the large annotations made by some of the Assembly of Divines : to which are added some further and larger observations of his upon the whole book of Genesis perused and attested by the Reverend Bishop of Armagh, and Mr. Gataker Pastor of Rederith / by ... John Richardson ...

CHAP. IV.

Verse 2. ABel] So the New Testament writes him, Matth. 23. 35. Luke 11. 5••. Heb 11. 4. and 12. 24. The Hebrew still is Hebel. Saith David, Psal. 39. 5. Verily every man at his best estate is altogether A∣bel, i. e. vanity. And so indeed Abel was, being slaine by his brother.

V•• 3. of the fruit of the ground an offering] An Obla∣tion, or Meat-offering of fine flower, or first-fruits in the eare, in Levit. 2. and chap. 22. 14. Exod. 22. 29 23. 19. The Heathen Greeks and Romanes, in their times did likewise: Likely by an imitation of the Jewes.

V. 4. firstlings] This afterwards by a special Law, upon a special reason, prescribed to the Jewes, Exod. 13. 2. Num. 3. 13.

and of the fat thereof] In Moses time this expressely com∣manded, Exod. 20. 13, 22, 25. Levit. 3. 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17. The fat is the food of the offering made by fire, for a sweet favour unto the Lord. All the fat is the Lords: neither Offerer, nor Sacrificer; nor yet in Civil use was any Jew to eate of it; at leastwise of the fat of such cleane beasts as were fit for sacrifice, Levit. 7. 23, 24, 25. The fat of the oile is mentioned, Num. 18. 12. mean∣ing the best of it; And so of all things offered to the Lord, the best is required, which it seemes also that Abel here performed. Not as those did, Mal. 1. 13.

By Faith Abel offered this Sacrifice, Heb. 11. 4. And therefore it was no will-worship, but grounded on Gods Word for his warrant; revealed to Adam, and by him like∣ly to his sonnes.

had respect] This was seene of Cain. It is likely there∣fore that God shewed it by some visible signe, as by fire from heaven consuming the Sacrifice; as, Levit. 9. 24. Judg. 6. 21. 1 Chron. 21. 26. 2 Chron. 7. 1. 1 Kings 18. 38. or it might be by some other wayes.

unto Abel, and to his offering] To the man first, to the Offering for the mans sake, as a fruit of his faith. He righ∣teous, Matth. 23 35.

V. 5. not respect] Through his want of faith and since∣rity in this service of God, 1 John 3 12.

very wroth] At God, and Abel both.

V. 7. Sinne lieth] Sinne is anom••e, or enormity; and the punishment of sinne, which like a Serjeant, or they, is couching, and lieth watching, ready to seize upon thee, and tear thee.

And unto thee shall be his desire] Subject to thee, as to the first-borne, as, chap. 3. 16. This is to allay his wrath and incensed spirit.

V. 8. talked] In a brotherly maner, dissembling his ha∣tred, that he might get the better opportunity to kill him, when Abel should not think of it. See the Annotations on chap. 35. 22.

V. 11. Cursed from the earth] The earth shall plague thee, that received thy brothers blood; as is shewed in the next words.

V. 12. when thou tillest] A punishment, the more pro∣per, because he was a tiller of the ground; and proper to Cains portion, where ever he was; not a second general curse upon all the earth.

a fugitive] Cast out from society with thy kindred and acquaintance; from Gods presence, and the communion of his Church, and pursued still with a guilty conscience. So in ver. 14, 16.

V. 14. Of the earth] Of this earth where I now dwell with my Parents and Kindred. Else he speaks like a man distracted by a guilty conscience. He dilates his punish∣ment that denied his sin.

Every one that findeth me shall slay me] There might be many living by this time of Abels murther, of whom he might stand in feare, yea, of them as yet unborn. And his guilty conscience now feares every one, as having made himself odious to every one. And such flee when none pursueth; yea, the sound of a shaken leaf doth chase them: And he might justly fear the beasts of the field. Amongst the ancient Romanes, Greeks and others, such notorious offendors, whosoever would, might surely kill them. And what large power is given to the revenger of blood by Gods Law, we may see in Numb. 35. 19, 21.

V. 15. Seven fold] God would have him preserved a∣live, (though a life likely worse then death,) as a monu∣ment of his justice against murder and tratricide, Psal. 59. 11. Not for love to Cain, but to prevent future murder.

Mark] a mark of protection, and of ignominy too; like∣ly a kinde of palsie and ghastly look; or some worse mark, that made him an horrible spectacle of Gods ven∣geance against so hainous a crime.

V. 16. From the Presence of the Lord] not of his ge∣neral Providence, but of his special Presence, by grace, in the place of his Worship and Service; of which place, and the Presence of the Lord there, with Adam and his godly seed, it might be said, as, Gen. 28. 17. This is no o∣ther but the House of God, and this is the gate of Heaven.

Nod] so called by Anticipation, from his wandring there.

V. 17. Builded a City] at last; builded, or rather was building, began to build, as the builders of Babel, Gen. 11. as in many hundred years after he and his posterity well might, and yet he be a vagabond in body and minde ne∣verthelesse.

V. 19. Two wives] The first bigamist, and corrupter of wedlock.

V. 23 I have slain, &c.] Beastingly he speaks of his valour and wrath, to asray and appease the brawles of his wives between themselves, and the vexing of him; that he was a man that would not suffer the least injury of them, or of any man, but he would avenge himself, and that fully: Or vaunting himself to his wives of his valour, to appease their feare of him, lest hurt should come to him from others, through his fiercenesse and boisterous violence; bragging what heavy vengeance he would take of him that should set upon lamech, many times more then God himself appoint∣ed to be taken for the avengement of Cain. Or, if he had slain a man, and was wounded himself, and thereupon his wives afraid of his life, he seeks to appease them, but in a fierce and insolent manner, as scorning their feare of his danger, and thinking it a disparagement to him and his valour, and upon this reason too; That he had a juster cause for what he had done, then Cain had, and therefore might be the more secure, that if Cains death should be avenged, much more his; or rather in an Athe¦istical scorne, vaunting, That if God did set such a guard upon Cain, surely Lamech they needed not to doubt, should scape well enough; Cains impunity might well serve for his security. Thus variously may these vaunting words of this wrathful, lustful man, be understood and taken; bearing himself haply the more proudly upon his sons in∣ventions, v. 20, 21, 22.

V. 25. Seth] borne, when Adam was 130. years old, ch. 5. 3. Therefore in all probability Cain slew Abel, not long before that time.

For God] Eve rejoyceth, that her whole number of chil∣dren in him was filled up again. For it is not imaginable, that she had no more then Cain and Abel in all that time And it might be she foresaw by the Spirit of God, that Seth should be like righteous faithful Abel, and the roo•• of that holy progeny, wherein the Church was afterward esta∣blished.

V. 26. Enos] Sorrowful, Psal. 9. 20. that the Na∣tions may know themselves to be but Enos, i. e. woful men. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉

Then began men to call] the Worship of God grew more publick and solemne, and in a sort restored and revived again, in the persons and families of Seth and E∣nos, having bin almost buried in the paucity and privacy of the godly before this time; a separation now being made by them from the profane society of the wicked; such as were generaly the posterity of Cain.