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. I.

NOw after the death of Joshua, &c.] In this book the history of the Commonwealth of Israel is continued from the death of Joshua to the dayes of Eli, all which time, at least the most of which time, they lived under the command and government of certain Judges whom God successively raised up to rule over them, as his deputies and vicegerents; and therefore is this book called the book of Judges: for though Eli and Sa∣muel may well be numbred amongst the Judges of Israel, be∣cause they commanded in chief after the same way of government as these did, whose history is recorded in this book; yet because the change of the government from that of Judges to that of Kings, happened in the daies of Samuel, and the story of Sa∣muel must needs be begun from the dayes of Eli; therefore the acts of their times are not recorded here, but are reserved to another book. Who wrote this book is no where expressed; it sufficeth us to know that it hath alwaies been kept in the Church amongst those Oracles of God, whose penmen were guided by the infallible inspirati∣on of his Spirit, and indeed one passage of this book, to wit, that concerning Sampson, chap. 13.7. the child shall be a Nazarite to God, is, by the judgement of many learned Expositours, principally intended by the Evangelist S. Matthew, where he under∣takes to alledge a testimony out of the writings of Gods Prophets, Matt. 2.23. And he came and dwelt in a citie called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet, He shall be called a Nazarene.

The children of Israel asked the Lord, saying, Who shall go up for us against the Canaanites first to fight with them?] In the last years of Joshua his government the Israelites had lived in peace, Josh. 21.44. And the Lord gave them rest round about, according to all that he sware unto their fathers, and there stood not a man of all their enemies before them: the Lord delivered all their enemies into their hand, the Canaanites not daring to provoke them, and the Israelites not yet attempt∣ing any further upon the Canaanites, partly because the land they had already van∣quished was as much as they could well people; partly, perhaps out of an over-eager desire to, and love of the rest they now enjoyed: and indeed they knew it was a∣greeable to the will of God, that they should not drive out all the inhabitants at once, but by degrees, Deut. 7.22. And the Lord thy God will put out these nations from before thee by little and little; Thou maist not consume them at once, lest the beasts of the field encrease upon thee. But now Joshua being dead, who a little before his death had encouraged them to go forward in expelling the Canaanites, though they had no man chosen of God, to command over them in chief, as Moses and Joshua did; yet finding that indeed it was now fit they should proceed on in the warre, they assembled themselves together (as it seems at Shiloh) and there resolved to renew their battels against the inhabitants of the land; onely, because the successe of their

first attempts would be a matter of great consequence, either for the encouragement or disheartning the people, therefore they would first enquire of the Lord, which ac∣cordingly they did: they asked the Lord, as it is here said, to wit, by Phinehas the high priest (or Eleazar if he were yet living, which is doubtfull, because he died im∣mediatly after the death of Joshua, Josh. 24.33.) before the propitiatory or mercy-seat, who shall go up for us against the Canaanites first to fight against them? that is, which of our tribes shall first begin and set upon the inhabitants that still abide in their lot? for this is doubtlesse the meaning of this question they asked.

Vers. 2. And the Lord said, Judah shall go up, &c.] That is, the tribe of Judah; because that was the most populous and the strongest of the tribes, and had their portion in the chief of the land, which it was therefore fit should be first cleared of the enemie, therefore they were appointed first to begin the warre: and besides, thus was that still accomplished which Jacob prophecied concerning the preheminence this tribe should have above the rest, Gen. 49.8. Judah thou art he whom thy bre∣thren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies, thy fathers chil∣dren shall bow down before thee.

Vers. 3. And Judah said unto Simeon his brother, Come up with me, &c.] The Simeonites were brethren to those of Judah both by father and mother; but besides, their cohabitation was another tie betwixt them, in regard whereof they lived in the same lot, as brethren in one and the same house, and in this respect chiefly, is Sime∣on called Judahs brother.

Vers. 4. And Judah went up, and the Lord delivered the Canaanites, &c.] That is, one particular people of this countrey so called.

And they slew of them in Bezek ten thousand men.] That is, in and about Be∣zek, to wit, in taking the town, or after they had taken it, when the king fled thence to save his life, as is more particularly after related.

Vers. 6. But Adoni-Bezek fled, and they pursued after him and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his great toes.] And thus as he had done to many other kings, as himself confesseth in the following verse, to wit, either out of a kind of barbarous sporting crueltie, or else to render them thereby unfit for warre ever after, that by the al-ruling providence of God is now done to him by the Israelites that had now taken him prisoner. Indeed we reade not that Gods people were wont to inflict any such strange kind of punishment upon those that were vanquished by them, nor doth it stand with piety thus to torture and afflict those that are taken in warre, with such studied and uncoucht wayes of punishment; and besides, the Israe∣lites had an expresse command not to spare the lives of any of these nations, but pre∣sently to cut them off; and therefore as it is likely that some speciall reason moved the Israelites to inflict this unusuall punishment upon him, so I conceive it most pro∣bable, that either when they took the city they found some of these poore captive kings that had been thus inhumanely used by him, a spectacle that might well stirre their spirits against him; or at least that they might receive information from others herein, and so might be moved thereby to deal with him as he had dealt with others, as judging it consonant to that Law of retaliation which God established amongst his people, Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, Exod. 21.24. Some Expositours indeed conceive that the Israelites knew not of this parti∣cular

cruelty that he had used to others, till himself acknowledged the just hand of God upon him herein, verse 7. Threescore and ten kings having their thumbs and their great toes cut off, gathered their meat under my table; and so they ascribe this which the Israelites did wholly to the secret providence of God, who moved them thus to return his cruelty upon himself, they not knowing why they did it. But no such thing can be necessarily inferred from his acknowledgement of that which he had done to the kings that he had conquered; for either to confesse how many kings he had used so, or out of remorse of conscience being as it were constrained to con∣fesse that it was the just vengeance of God upon him, he might well say what he did, though he knew the Israelites had purposely done thus to him because he had for∣merly done so to others.

Vers. 7. Threescore and ten kings, having their thumbs and great toes cut off, gathered their meat under my table, &c.] This need not seem strange to us if we consider, first, what petty kings there were in those times; and secondly, that this may be understood of so many kings who at severall times had been thus used, not that there were seventy all at one time thus waiting upon him: though even that is not so incredible, considering that in those dayes every city almost had a se∣verall king. And as for their gathering or gleaning their meat under his table, the meaning is not that they lay like dogs under the table, but that they were kept as slaves in such a manner, that for hunger they were glad to gather up the crumbs and scraps that fell under the kings table, as having nothing allowed them to eat but that; and happely the king to please himself with this cruell spectacle, did some∣times cause them to be fetched in, when he was in his cups feasting himself, that he might see them in this piteous plight whereunto he had brought them, and insult o∣ver them.

And they brought him to Jerusalem and there he died.] To Jerusalem I con∣ceive they brought him as a spectacle worthy to be beheld, that men might learn by him, how just God is in punishing men according to the nature of their wicked∣nesse; and therefore it is most likely also that he dyed there presently of the wounds he had received in the warre, in that severe punishment that was inflicted on him: or else, that he was kept there upon this extraordinary occasion, purposely that men might see in him how God abhorres such cruelty as his was, he being otherwise one of those accursed nations that might not be spared.

Vers. 8. Now the children of Judah had fought against Jerusalem, and had ta∣ken it, &c.] That is, before Joshuas death: for this is added, to shew the reason why they carryed him to Jerusalem, to wit, because Jerusalem, that is, that part of Jeru∣salem that was in Judahs lot, was now in their possession, though not the fort. So that most Expositours hold, that both this and the following verses unto verse 17. are a repetition of the memorable acts done by the tribe of Judah whilest Joshua was now living: Indeed before the land was divided, all Israel fought as in one army against the Canaanites; but after the tribes were seated in their severall porti∣ons, each tribe made warre against the inhabitants in their severall lots; and thus the men of Judah are here said to have done these things here related; for it is not necessary to hold that Jerusalem was taken when the king thereof was slain, Josh. 10.23. See the note, Josh. 15.63.

Vers. 9. And afterwards the children of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites that dwelt in the mountain, &c.] That is, from Jerusalem, which stood in a mountainous countrey, Psalme 125.2. As the mountains are round about Je∣rusalem, so the Lord is round about his people.

Vers. 10. And Judah went against the Canaanites that dwelt in Hebron, &c.] That is, against the Canaanites that dwelt in the mountains about Hebron, which they did in the dayes of Joshua, and under the conduct of Caleb, who then com∣manded in chief. It is evident that Hebron was taken by Joshua, concerning which see the note, Joshua 10.37. and that afterwards Caleb drove out the giants that had possessed themselves of the strong holds in and about Hebron, Ioshua 15.13, 14. Concerning which see the note, Ioshua 11.21. But because the Authour of this hi∣story was here to relate the memorable exploits that were done by the men of Iu∣dah, therefore together with those noble acts which they did after the death of Io∣shua, he repeats also those that were done by them whilest Ioshua was yet living, under the command of Caleb, both against Hebron, and against Debir in the fol∣lowing verses, so to set forth the glory of this tribe the more fully.

Vers. 11. And from thence he went against the inhabitants of Debir, &c.] See the notes that concern these following verses, Ioshua 15.15, 16, &c.

Vers. 16. And the children of the Kenite, Moses father in Law, went up out of the city of palm-trees, &c.] That is, out of Jericho, Deut. 34.3. the plain of the valley of Jericho, the city of palm-trees. Concerning these Kenites, see the note up∣on Numb. 10.31. in tents they alwayes dwelt, chap. 4.17. Howbeit Sisera fled away on his feet, to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite: it seems there∣fore that being appointed to have their lot with Judah, having formerly dwelt in their tents in the countrey about Jericho (for Jericho it self was many years ago destroyed, Josh. 6.24.) after Judahs portion was cleared, they removed with them to the wildernesse of Judah, there to dwell with the men of Judah, as Moses had promised to Hobab the Kenite, Num. 10.32. And it shall be if thou go with us, yea, it shall be, that what goodnesse the Lord shall do unto us, the same will we do unto thee.

Vers. 17. And Judah went with Simeon his brother.] To wit, to help Simeon in the clearing his lot, as before Simeon had helped Judah, vers. 3.

And they slew the Canaanites that inhabited Zephah, and utterly destroyed it (and the name of the citie was called Hormah)] That is, utter destruction; they were not wont thus utterly to destroy all the cities they took; it is therefore pro∣bable, that they did thus destroy this place because of the vow which the Israelites had made long since, when Arad the king of the Canaanites made warre against them; see the note Numb. 21.3. and the mention of Arad in the foregoing verse, makes this opinion the more probable.

Vers. 18. Also Judah took Gaza with the coast thereof, &c.] Yet it seems soon after the Philistines recovered these cities with the coasts thereof, and drave out the Israelites, ere they could well settle themselves therein, to wit, because they began presently to provoke the Lord with their sinnes. For it is evident that these cities were not long after this inhabited by the Philistines, chap. 3.1, 2, 3. Now these are ••he nations which the Lord left to prove Israel by them, &c. Namely, five Lords of

the Philistines, &c. and so again, 1. Sam. 6.17. Now these are the golden Eme∣rods which the Philistines returned for a trespasse-offering unto the Lord: For Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Askelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron one. As for Ekron one of the cities here mentioned, it was in Dans lot, Josh. 19.43. therefore it seems that the tribe of Judah joyned with those of Dan as well as with those of Sime∣on for the clearing of their coasts; the rather, because they could not hold those ci∣ties they had gotten from the Philistines, if they had let them alone in this neigh∣bouring citie.

Vers. 19. And the Lord was with Judah, and he drave out the inhabitants of the mountain.] This clause, and the Lord was with Judah, is added to shew of what difficulty their attempts were if the Lord had not been with them; and withall, to condemne their cowardise, that durst not proceed in their conquests against the inhabitants of the valleys, having had such incouraging experience of Gods assistance.

But could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron.] Their own fears disabling them, and God for their sinnes withdrawing himself from them. Concerning these chariots of iron, see the note Josh. 17.16.

Vers. 21. And the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem, &c.] See Josh. 15.63.

Vers. 26. And the man went into the land of the Hittites, and built a city.] Whence it seems probable that the Israelites did not onely spare his life and the life of his family, but also gave him a rich reward, to wit, for shewing them the way in∣to Bethel, as is before said.

Vers. 27. Neither did Manasseh drive out the inhabitants of Bethshean, &c.] See the note Josh. 17.12. Thus in the dayes after the death of Joshua, when it seems they had no one set over them in chief, but were onely governed by the joynt-au∣thority of the Elders in each tribe, they began to be remisse in endeavouring to drive out the remainder of the Canaanites that dwelt in the land, but were content to make peace with them; and this was the first step of their defection from God, which did by degrees lead them into grosser sinnes, and greatly provoked the Lord to displea∣sure against them.

Vers. 35. Yet the hand of the house of Joseph prevailed, so that they became tributaries.] That is, though the Danites were sorely for a time oppressed by the Amorites as is expressed before, vers. 34. And the Amorites forced the children of Dan into the mountain: for they would not suffer them to come down to the valley; yet afterward with the help of the sonnes of Joseph, who bordered upon Dans por∣tion, and came up to aid them, they prevailed against them, so that they became tri∣butaries.

Vers. And the coast of the Amorites was from the going up to Akrabbim, from the rock and upward.] This is added, to shew how the Israelites through their own sloth suffered themselves to be hemmed in with these accursed enemies.