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.

CAP. I. Of the sundry names, by the which the Prophets have beene called.

I Thinke I shall doe a thing worthy the travell, if (intending with the helpe of God to take in hand the exposition or laying open of the meaning of the twelve Prophets, which are called Small Prophets) of a notable argu∣ment or matter I shall make also a notable beginning: and shall first set downe as cer∣taine fore-notes, those things the which will bring light unto the whole discourse ensuing. And such they are as doe most especi∣ally appertaine unto the declaring of the office and order of the prophets, of the which albeit many have written many thinges most learnedly, chiefly Iohn Calvin in his fore-notes upon Isai,* 1.1 and Peter Martyr in his common places, the which are gathered together out of his workes: yet is there as I suppose, no law to the contrarie, but that I also may lay downe my shot as it were, for the common use and edifying of the Church, and now adde, if any thing of them be overpassed. For the which no man will blame me, especially when as I will now only deliver those things the which doe properly belong unto the manner of my purpose, Nay, to speake truly, are altogether requisite and necessarie ther∣unto. And of these things intonding a most briefe rather then large discourse, I will especially begin with this point,* 1.2 Of the sun∣dry names or titles of Prophets. For these termes of Prophets, Pro∣phesie,

and Prophesying are founde not onely in Church-men or Church-writers: but also in prophane authours, both Greekes, as Plato his Phoedrus, Charmides, and other his workes: also in Aristotle his booke of the worlde: but also in Latine writers, as appeareth out of Festus Pompeius.* 1.3 But M. Tullius calleth them every where Diviners: because of all men they come neerest un∣to the nature of God, and declare unto us his will and mind, be∣ing othervvise secret and hidden. But to the ende this whole discourse may be the more fitly and easily understood,* 1.4 first vvee must intreate of the worde Prophet it selfe, and afterwardes of the thing meant by the worde, and shewe what it is. Now the name or worde Prophesie is it whereof Prophetes are named, the which excell and are indued therewithall. The Hebrewes (to begin with them) call a Prophet Nabia,* 1.5 and Prophecie Nebuah; because prophets are Messengers unto men of the answeres and decrees of God. For they receave the worde from God, the which after∣wardes they deliver unto others. Whereupon the word Nib sig∣nifying a speech,* 1.6 hath great affinitie with the worde Nabiah a prophet. Yet others had rather fetch it from the verb Boa, because that prophets doe foretell things that happen and come after∣wards to passe. Certes from whence soever the Hebrew word be derived or set, or with what worde soever it have affinitie or like∣nes, this with full consent and truly hath bin noted of the Hebrues, that the verb Naba, the which signifieth to prophesie, is wont to be formed in the passive voice Niphal, when as mention is made of the true prophets of God,* 1.7 because that word betokeneth that the same prophet was truly and indeed inspired by the spirite of God, and received from God and not from himselfe the prophe∣sie, the which he afterwards delivereth unto men. But when they speake of false prophets, they use the selfe same verb in the coniu∣gation Hithpael, because such prophets are not sent of God, but of themselves thrust forth themselves of their owne authority to prophesie.

Furthermore, the signification of the word Prophet and Prophe∣sying,* 1.8 is very large among the Hebricians. For it comprehendeth all those the which being moved with the spirit of God, either or∣dinarily or extraordinarily, either in prose or in verse doe set forth, tell, and declare the will of God, and the same either already knowen & written: or as yet hidden & unknown. So the Levites

that were Singers are called Prophets, as appeareth in the begin∣ning of the 1. Chron. 25. in these words:* 1.9 So David and the captains of the armie separated for the ministery the sonnes of Asaph, & He∣man, & Ieduthun, who should prophesie with harpes, viols, & cymbals, &c. Yea moreover the false prophets, who although they lie,* 1.10 yet professe that they will declare the will of God, are also tearmed Prophetes. Wherefore it commeth to passe, that Paul Titus 1.12.* 1.11 (speaking of Epimenides of Creta, a prophane man) calleth him a prophet, because he did lively set forth the disposition & maners of the men of Creta, and was a most ancient poet, as Cicero teach∣eth in his first booke of Divination. And thus because the signifi∣cation of a prophet and prophesying is most large; the wordes of Paul be these: One of themselves, even one of their owne prophets said, The Cretians are alwayes lyars, evill beastes, slow-bellies.* 1.12 To be short, both Lactantius and sundry others doe call the Sibyllae of the Heathen, Prophetisses.* 1.13 The same Hebrewes also doe call a pro∣phet Chozch, a Seer, because by the reuelation of God they doe foresee things to come, as in Samuel 1.9. vers. 19. Hee that is now called a Prophet, was in the old time called a Seer.* 1.14 And vers. 19. And Samuel answered Saul and saide, I am the Seer. They call him also Maleah, that is to say, an Angell or Messenger, be∣cause he bringeth unto us the commandements of God. Haggai 1.13. Then spake Haggai the Lords Messenger in the Lords message unto the people, &c.* 1.15 Although notwithstanding some thinke that this is the difference betweene a Prophet and an Angell, that an Angell or Messenger bringeth unto us not onely the charge and commandement of another: but also often times the very words and speech of the commaunder: but the Prophets,* 1.16 as these men will have it, delivered in their owne wordes the comman∣dement, which they received from God. As if the selfe same spirite of God did not tell unto the Prophets the very wordes which they should use when as hee gave unto them the matter, the which they should declare, as Peter teacheth in his second Epistle chapt. 1. vers. 20, 21. So that ye first knowe this, that no Prophesie in the scripture is of any private motion. For the Pro∣phesie came not in the olde time by the will of man, but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the holy ghost. And after this maner doe the Hebrewes call the prophets.

Nowe the Greekes also doe terme them by sundry names.

For these words Prophêtes, Hupophêtes, Mantis, Mesîtes, do often signify all one thing, as Iul. Poll. l. 1. Onomast. doth teach. Although notwithstanding he seemeth to be Prophêtes who doeth foresee a thing to come:* 1.17 but Hupophetes is he, who doth so far forth de∣clare a thing tolde him by God, as it is tolde unto him at severall seasons. Therefore he taketh the speech of another, the which he reporteth againe at the selfe same instant in which it is tolde him. Whereupon Homer Iliad. 16. calleth them Hupophetai, who onely doe openly recite the oracle, or answer, which they have received from an other. Mesites is a Messenger betweene partie and partie,* 1.18 such a one as Moses was, as hee witnesseth of him∣selfe, Deut. 5. vers. 3. when he saith, At that time I stoode beweene the Lord and you, to declare unto you the word of the Lord: for ye were afraid at the sight of the fire, and went not up into the mount, &c. And in the Galatians chap. 3. ver. 19, 20. The law was ordeined by Angels in the hand of a Mediator. Now a Mediator is not a Me∣diator of one, &c. Hee is also called an Angel. Likewise the selfe same (to wit, Prophetes) are called Manteis, that is to say, Vates, and Chresmodoi,* 1.19 Chresmologoi, Chresmodotai, that is, Pronouncers and tellers of oracles, as Iulius Pollux writeth. But the Prophets of God are no where in the holy scripture called manteis & Chres∣mologoi, of which names I will speake hereafter.

Moreover the Latine writers also doe call Prophets by sundry names.* 1.20 Isidorus lib. 7. Etymolog. chap. of Prophets writeth thus: Whome the Gentiles call Vates, or Sooth sayers, these our men call Prophets, because a farre off they doe tell and foreshew the trueth of things to come. Therefore these wordes Prophetae and Ʋates are with the Latines all one.* 1.21 Festus Pompeius a most diligent author and observer of the Latine tongue writeth thus: Iulius in Adra∣sto calleth prophets, praelates of Churches, and Interpreters of oracles. The wordes of Iulius Caesar in Adrasto, as Iosephus Scaliger the light of our age hath restored them, are these, Whom, the Pro∣phets, which devoutly purifie the holy sacrifices, doe commaund to co∣ver their heads with greene laurell. Now this C. Iulius Caesar was before the time of Cicero, whereby appeareth that the worde Prophets was in use among the olde Latines and profane writers.* 1.22 The same are called Vates, whereof commeth the verbe vaticina∣ri,* 1.23 to Prophesie: although notwithstanding M. Varro doe derive the signification of the worde Vates from one thing, and Vati∣cinor from an other. Vates, saieth hee libr. 6. de Lingua Latina,

they called the old poets à versibus viandis; of binding of verses. For in them they did binde wordes unto certaine lawes and rules: where∣upon the verses and oration of Poets is saide to be bounde. But the verbe vaticinari (as hee writeth in the fifth of the same worke) is so tearmed, because they which prophesie, doe it with a di∣straughted minde. This is the opinion of Varro. For (as Tullie teacheth lib. 1. De Divinatione) the Prophets which were know∣en unto profane men did give foorth their oracles beeing stirred up with madnesse, or as it were, distraughtnesse. But I woulde say that these tearmes vates and vaticinari are derived of all one word, and that a greeke word, namely Mantis.* 1.24 For it was an easie matter of the Greeke worde mantis to make vatis: and of the worde vatis to make the verbe vaticinor, to prophesie. Fur∣thermore they are called of the same profane authours, the Inter∣preters and Messengers of the goddes: and every where of M. Cicero Diviners, of whome afterwardes they make many sortes: as, Diviners by the entralles of beastes, Bird-prophets, Dreamers, oracle-tellers. But the Prophets of God are never called Diviners by the Latine Fathers and Ecclesiasticall or Church-writers,* 1.25 be∣cause that name according unto the use and signification of the Latine tongue is proper unto profane and devilish divination. But these sundry sortes of divining are notably set foorth by Gas∣par Peucer the best learned of all the Germanes; if any man haue leysure and a minde to reade such things. And by so many names is one and the selfe same thing called. And now let us see what that is.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Calvin. Martyr.
• * 1.2

  Prophets. Prophesie. Prophesying.
• * 1.3

  Diviners.
• * 1.4

  Prophets have their name of Prophesie.
• * 1.5

  Nabia. Nebuah.
• * 1.6

  Nib.
• * 1.7

  The Hebrewes for the most part speaking of true and false prophets, use the verb signifying to prophesie, in sundry coniuga∣tions.
• * 1.8

  The large sig∣nification of the word prophet, & prophesying.
• * 1.9

  The finging Levites called prophets.
• * 1.10

  False prophets termed pro∣phets.
• * 1.11

  Epimenides.
• * 1.12

  The Sibyllae.
• * 1.13

  A prophet called a Seer.
• * 1.14

  An Angel, or Messenger.
• * 1.15

  The difference between an Angel and a prophet, accor∣ding unto some.
• * 1.16

  The confutatiō of the former difference.
• * 1.17

  A difference between these words Prophê∣tes, and Hupo∣phêtes.
• * 1.18

  Mesites.
• * 1.19

  Other Greeke names whereby prophets are called.
• * 1.20

  The Latines call prophets by sundry names also.
• * 1.21

  Festus Pomp.
• * 1.22

  Prophets called Vates.
• * 1.23

  Varros deriva∣tion of Vates, and ••aticinari.
• * 1.24

  Danaeus his de∣rivation of the former wordes.
• * 1.25

  The prophets of God never cal∣led Diviners.