Annotations upon the remaining historicall part of the Old Testament. The second part. to wit, the books of Joshua, Judges, the two books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles, and the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther : wherein first, all such passages in the text are explained as were thought likely to be questioned by any reader of ordinary capacity : secondly, in many clauses those things are discovered which are needfull and usefull to be known ... and thirdly, many places that might at first seem to contradict one another are reconciled ... / by Arthur Jackson.

CHAP. XXI.

Vers. 1. THen came near the heads of the fathers of the Levites unto Eleazar the priest, &c.] It was doubtles immediately after they had made an end

of dividing the land, that the Levites came thus to Eleazer and the rest of the Com∣missioners to receive from them the cities which God had appointed to be set apart for their dwelling. For first, it is not probable that there was any delay which might move the Levites to challenge their right: and secondly, it is as improbable that the Israelites did first settle themselves in these cities, and then were afterwards put out to give way to the Levites.

Vers. 2. The Lord commanded by the hand of Moses, to give us cities to dwell in, &c.] See the notes upon Numb. 35.2. &c.

Vers. 4. And the lot came out for the familie of the Kohathites.] God had ex∣pressed the number of cities that were to be given them, to wit, fourty eight, Numb. 35.7. So all the cities which ye shall give to the Levites shall be fourty and eight cities; he had also given them directions to take these cities out of each tribe some, according as their proportion was greater or lesser: and therefore the Commissio∣ners for the dividing of the land made choice no doubt of these cities, as in their wisdome they found them most convenient for the Levites, and for the people; and then having divided the cities, they had chosen, into foure parts, one for the priests, a second for the Levites of Kohaths familie, a third for the Gershonites, and a fourth for the Merarites, then was it at last decided, in which of the tribes the priests should be placed, and so of the rest; or at least of those cities which were judged convenient they took the number agreed upon by lot. See vers. 11.

And the children of Aaron the priest, which were of the Levites, had by lot out of the tribe of Judah, &c.] Thus by Gods speciall providence the priests were seated partly in the tribe of Judah, where the Temple was afterwards to be built, and partly in the two bordering tribes of Simeon and Benjamin, and so whilst they shall approve their piety and devotion to the service of God, in being content to leave their dwellings to go up unto Jerusalem in their turns, to attend upon the ser∣vice of God, yet withall God provides for their ease, that their journeys might not be over long and burthensome to them. As for their assigning (as it is here said) of thirteen cities to the priests, herein God and the governours of Israel had respect unto succeeding times, when the posterity of Aaron should be encreased; for at pre∣sent there were but a few priests, not enough to inhabit the half part of one city; but in the mean time they were given them for their possession, which they might dispose of according to the right they had in them. For that they might so do, and that the cities of the Levites were given them not onely for their habitation, but also for their possessions and inheritance, is evident in severall places. See Levit. 25.32.

Vers. 9. And they gave out of the tribe of the children of Judah, and out of the tribe of the children of Simeon, these cities, &c.] Judahs and Simeon cities are reckoned together, because Simeons portion lay within Judahs, Chap. 19.1. And the second lot came forth to Simeon, even for the tribe of the children of Simeon according to their families: and their inheritance was within the inheritance of the children of Judah.

Vers. 11. And they gave them the city of Arbah the father of Anak (which is Hebron) in the hill-countrey of Judah, &c.] This city with the land adjoyning was formerly given to Caleb: which makes it more probable, that the cities for the

Levites were taken by lot, because it was not likely that both Hebron and Debir should be taken out of his inheritance without the Lords speciall direction. But God requiring it, Caleb willingly yields, the rather because the countrey and land about was the chief of his possession, which was not taken from him; and besides no doubt they desired to have the Levites, who were to instruct them in the Law of the Lord, to be seated amongst them.

Vers. 15. And Holon with her suburbs.] Called Hilen, 1. Chron. 6.58.

Vers. 16. And Ain with her suburbs, and Juttah with her suburbs, &c.] This citie Ain is not reckoned, 1. Chron. 6. amongst the cities given to the sonnes of Aa∣ron: nor Gibeon here named, vers. 17. As for Juttah it is called Ashan, 1. Chron. 6.59. Some indeed conceive, that it is Ain that is there called Ashan: but there is an argument against that which seems to me unanswerable, to wit, that Ashan and Ain are in one verse distinctly named amongst the cities of Simeon, chap. 19.7. and so al∣so Almon vers. 18. is called Alemeth, 1. Chron. 6.60.

Vers. 22. And Kibzaim with her suburbs.] Called Jokneam, 1. Chron. 6.68.

Vers. 23. And out of the tribe of Dan, Eltekeh with her suburbs, Gibbethon with her suburbs.] These two cities are omitted, 1. Chron. 6. And Aijalon, and Gath-rimmon, are there ioyned with the cities of Ephraim: but that they were given out of Dans portion, is evident by this place.

Vers. 25. And out of the half tribe of Manasseh, Tanach with her suburbs, &c.] To wit, that half of the tribe which was seated within Jordan, next Dan and Ephraim. Tanach here mentioned, is called Aner, 1. Chron. 6.70. as also Gath-Rimmon, is there called Bileam.

Vers. 27. And Beeshterah with her suburbs.] Called Ashtaroth, 1. Chron. 6.71.

Vers. 28. And out of the tribe of Issachar, Kishon with her suburbs, &c.] Which is called Kedesh, as also Dabareh is called Deberath; and Jarmuth, Ramoth; and En∣gannim, Anem, 1. Chron. 6.72.73.

Vers. 30. And out of the tribe of Asher, Mishal with her suburbs, &c.] Called Mashal 1. Chron. 6.74. as also Helkath is there called Hukok.

Vers. 32. And Hammoth-dor with her suburbs, &c.] Called Hammon, 1. Chron. 6.76. as also Kartan is there called Kirjathaim.

Vers. 34. Out of the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam with her suburbs, &c.] Jokneam and Kartah are omitted, 1. Chron. 6.77. and Dimnah is there called Rimmon; and Nahalal, Tabor.

Vers. 36. And out of the tribe of Reuben, Bezer with her suburbs, and Jaha∣zah with her suburbs.] It is said that Bezer was a city of refuge, chap. 20.8. though it be not here expressed as it is in the rest, vers. 13.20, 27. which, why it is here o∣mitted we cannot say. As for Jahazah, it is called Jahzah, 1. Chron. 6.

Vers. 41. All the cities of the Levites within the possession of the children of Is∣rael, were fourty and eight cities with their suburbs.] It may seem strange why in the 19. chapter we reade of but two and twenty cities given to the tribe of Asher, nineteen to the tribe of Naphtali, yea, but twelve cities to the tribe of Zebulun, and yet the Levites which were nothing so many in number as they, have here eight and fourty cities given them. I answer: first, that besides the cities mentioned, the other

tribes had many towns and villages wherein they dwelt, which the Levites had not: secondly, that the chief cities are onely there mentioned; it is evident in severall pla∣ces that many cities which were in the severall portions of those tribes, are not there set down: thirdly, others did no doubt inhabit these cities, besides the Levites: and fourthly, it is no wonder though God deals bountifully with the Levites, that were to be imployed in his speciall service.

Vers. 43. And the Lord gave unto Israel all the land which he sware to give unto their fathers: and they possessed it and dwelt therein.] Though there were much of the land out of which the Canaanites were not yet expelled, we can∣not therefore call this truth in question; for, First, he had given them all by lot di∣vided amongst them, which was a kind of actuall enstating them in it. Secondly, he had put them into possession of the greatest part of it; neither had he promised them otherwise, but that they should possesse it by degrees, See Exod. 23.29. So both clauses of that which is here said are true; to wit, first, That God had given them all the land which he swore to give unto their fathers: and secondly, That they possessed it and dwelt therein; onely we must conceive of them severally thus: to wit, 1. That he had already actually given them the whole land, and enabled them to divide it amongst their tribes: and 2. That they possessed it and dwelt therein, to wit, by degrees; a great deal of it they had already in their possession, and the rest by degrees came into their hands as God had promised, and sooner then they did they might have enjoyed it, had it not been for their sinnes.