A fruitfull commentarie vpon the twelue small prophets briefe, plaine, and easie, going ouer the same verse by verse, and shewing every where the method, points of doctrine, and figures of rhetoricke, to the no small profit of all godly and well disposed readers, with very necessarie fore-notes for the vnderstanding of both of these, and also all other the prophets. The text of these prophets together with that of the quotations omitted by the author, faithfully supplied by the translatour, and purged of faults in the Latine coppie almost innumerable, with a table of all the chiefe matters herein handled, and marginall notes very plentifull and profitable; so that it may in manner be counted a new booke in regard of these additions. VVritten in Latin by Lambertus Danæus, and newly turned into English by Iohn Stockwood minister and preacher at Tunbridge.

Vers. 5.

And the Princes of Iudah shall say in their hearts, The in∣habitants of Ierusalem shall be my strength in the Lord of hostes their God.

* 1.1THe first Auxesis, or increasing of the former matter. For God doth amplifie or increase this selfe same benefite and his helpe, from the maner of the same. It shall bee so manifest and euident, or plaine to be seene, that the Captaines themselues of the people of the Iewes shall freelie and openly both acknowledge and also wit∣nes the same: when as notwithstanding men for the most part, and especially Captaines, are wont to challenge vnto themselues the praise of the victorie, that is, of the armie which they haue ouer∣commen,

as it is sayd hereafter,* 1.2 ver. 7. But this verse containeth two things. First, an acknowledging of the power of God in deliuering those that are his out of the hands of their enemies by a wonder∣full victorie, and after a wonderfull maner.* 1.3 For all the Iewes shall confesse, that their power, and the power of the Inhabitants of Ie∣rusalem, and the strength of their whole armie to haue been from that same God of hostes, who is their God. Therefore the power of God in sauing those that are his shall bee so manifest, that neither the Captaines of the warre themselues, nor the dwellers at Ierusa∣lem (who were thought to bee the strength of the whole nation) shall dissemble, hide, or denie the same. For Mathathias, & Iuda, of the citie Modin did signifie so much in the writing and title or in∣scription of their Ensigne. For it was written vpon their Ensignes, Machab. 1. Who is like vnto Iehouah, glorious and strong? Where∣vpon they were afterward called Machabei of those notes or let∣ters in their Ensignes.* 1.4 There is a like place Psalm. 18 ver. 31. Who is God besides the Lord? and who is mightie, saue our God? And Psalm. 89. ver. 6. Who is equall to the Lord in the heauen? and who is like the Lord▪ among the sonnes of the gods? O Lord God of hostes, who is like vnto thee, which art a mightie Lord? But where as it is sayd (They shall say in their hearts) the Prophet doth not hereby exclude or shut out open confession, and confession with the mouth of that their acknowledging of the extraordinarie power of GOD in these warres: but onely teacheth, that they shall confesse and acknow∣ledge these things earnestly, not hypocritically: truly, or from their heart, and not dissemblingly, or feinedly. And that these things may the better be vnderstood to belong, according vnto the letter, vnto the times of these Machabees, which first deliuered the peo∣ple from that miserable tyrannie of the Antiochi, the which then shall be the Captaines of the people, are in this place called Ela∣phim, or Aluphim, that is, such Captaines as did not weare any kingly Crowne: but rather which were onely Magistrates, Gouer∣nours, or Rulers of the people, such as also the Leuites were. For the Machabees were Leuites. So 1 Machab. 2. and Ioseph. lib. 2. cap. 8. de Antiquit. Iudaeor. these Machabees are sayd to haue borne offices only, and are called Captaines of victorie. This therfore is here first to be noted. The second thing is, Vnto whom God was a strength, namely, both vnto the Captaines of the people, and also vnto the whole people, and finally vnto them of Ierusalem themselues, who then did lye miserablie oppressed vnder that tyrannie. So then no

part, or citie of that people could attribute vnto themselues the praise of so great and mightie deliuerance. So God euen now a∣dayes also doth saue and deliuer his Church by extraordinarie meanes.

Notes

• * 1.1

  What the fi∣gure Auxesis is, see Oseas cap. 7. ver. 4.
• * 1.2

  Two partes of this verse.
• * 1.3

  1. The acknow∣ledging of the power of God in this victorie.
• * 1.4

  The Machabes did carrie in thei•• ensignes these foure let∣ters M, C, B, I, alluding vnto these foure He∣brew words be∣ginning with these letters, Exod. 1••. ver. 11. Mi Camo∣cah Beelim Ie∣houah? Who is like vnto thee amōg the gods, I••houah? of which foure letters they were called Macbi, both by their countrie men, and also by strangers, and afterward corruptly Ma∣chabaei, or Ma∣chabes.