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. 16.

And the Lord their God shall deliuer them in that day, as the flocke of his people: for they shall bee as the stones of the crowne lifted vp vpon his land.

* 1.1THe conclusion, whose both cause, and also notable of effect or consequent is here described or set forth. The conclusion is, & Iehouah, or the Lord shall saue thē, that is, therfore that same almigh∣tie and euerlasting God (who is called Iehouah) shal deliuer them, and saue them out of al the way-layings, threatnings, strength, and dangers of their enemies. The which hath euidently appeared in those altogether miraculous victories of the Machabees. For I had rather referre these things vnto that time, then vnto that deliue∣rance, whereby the Iewes through the great miracle of God were deliuered from the threatnings, rage, and crueltie of Alexander the Great being angrie with the Iewes, Alexander being by and by changed at the sight of Iaddi the high Priest. Againe I doe expound the word (Those) generallie of all the Iewes, both Elect and also hypocrites, albeit the fruite of that benefit of God were healthsome and profitable in the Elect onely. For the Hypocrites abused it. And this is the conclusion of the former promise of the victorie that the Iewes should haue against the Grecians,* 1.2 that is, the Grecian Kinges of Syria, the successors of Alexander.

But the cause of this deliuerance and decree of God is, for that

Iehouah is peculiarlie the God, keeper, and shepheard of them, that is, of the Iewes: & the Iewes are his people, & flock Psal. 105. & Psal. 78.71. Where the people cōmitted vnto the gouernement of Dauid, are called god his people, and God his inheritance, when he saith, He chose Dauid also his seruant, and tooke him from the sheepe foldes; Euen from behind the ewes with young brought he him to feede his people in Iacob, and his inheritance in Israel. Now God saueth or deliuereth his sheepe, whom he both will keepe, and also according vnto the dutie of a Shepheard ought to keepe. Lastly, the effect of this deliuerance is described or set foorth, namely the tokens,* 1.3 and those same notable monuments of their victorie, set vp in euery place, the which markes and monuments are in this place called stones of the crowne, or excellent, and no∣table stones (and not Iewels or precious stones) set vp by the Iewes vpon the ground, or land, after the maner of an ensigne, or marke of victories, as Gen. 28. ver. 18. The stone that lay vnder the head of Iacob while hee slept, and saw the ladder reaching from the earth vp vnto heauen, the which stone hee set vp as a pillar, and powred oyle vpon the top of it, in remembrance of that which there had fallen out. So Gen. 35. ver. 20. Iacob setteth vp a pillar vpon the graue of Rachel, who died in trauaile by the way home∣ward. And in many other places of the Scriptures you shall reade of the like, as for example the stones set vp in Iordan by Ioshuah, and Exod. 17. ver. 16. Moses built an altar, and called the name thereof, Iehouah-nissi, for a memoriall of the great ouerthrow gi∣uen vnto the Amalekites. These Trophees also or monuments of victorie doe appertaine vnto the sundrie victories of the Macha∣bees against Antiochus, and his successor.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The conclusion, conteining the cause and ef∣fect of their deliuerance.
• * 1.2

  1. The cause of their deliue∣rance.
• * 1.3

  2. The effect of this victorie.