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. IV.

Vers. 1. ANd the children of Israel again did evill in the sight of the Lord when Ehud was dead.] In none of the Judges dayes did the Israelites enjoy so long a peace, as in the dayes of Ehud, as is evident in that clause (however we understand it) chap. 3.30. Moab was subdued under the hand of Israel, and the land had rest fourscore years; and here we see what effect this long peace wrought amongst them, and how ill they requited the Lord for so great a mercy; even as standing waters are wont to putrifie, so they were corrupted by their long peace, and by degrees fell off from God, as they had formerly done.

Vers. 2. And the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor.] See the note chap. 2.14. There was a Jabin that reigned in Hazor formerly (who it is likely was called as this is here king of Canaan; for Ha∣zor is there said to be the head of all the neighbouring kingdomes, Josh. 11.10.) the same who was the cheif in that confederacy against Joshua, Joshua 11.1. but

he was slain by Joshua and his city burnt with fire, Josh. 11.11. It seems therefore that this was some one of that stock who afterward recovered from the Israelites that part of the land, and repaired the city Hazor, and so reigned there again as his predecessours had done. When this was done we cannot say, but doubtlesse it was not in Joshuas time as some think; for it is not to be thought that the Lord ever suffered the Canaanites to recover any part of the land which the Israelites had taken from them, till they by their sinnes had provoked the Lord to anger against them. But now at last not contented with his own kingdome, it seems he made warre with the Israelites in generall, brought them into bondage, and no doubt op∣pressed them the more cruelly in revenge of that Joshua had done to Hazor and Ja∣bin king thereof, Josh. 11.11. who perhaps was his father or grandfather. And besides, it must needs be most terrible to the Israelites to be oppressed by the Cana∣anites of all other nations, because God had promised to cast them out before the Is∣raelites; so that their prevailing over them was in a speciall manner a signe that God had cast them off.

The Captain of whose host was Sisera, which dwelt in Harosheth of the Gen∣tiles.] So called (as it is probably thought) because in the time of the Israelites prevailing against the severall nations of the Canaanites, many of them fled thither as to a place of great strength, and there fortified themselves unto this time; or else for the reasons given in a like case, Josh. 12.23.

Vers. 3. For he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he mighti∣ly oppressed the children of Israel.] Concerning these chariots of iron, see the note Josh. 17.16. This clause, and he mightily oppressed the children of Israel, is no where else inserted, where mention is made of the bondage of Israel under other kings, and therefore it seems this king did farre more cruelly oppresse them then the rest had done, which might be, partly from the deadly hatred which the Canaanites above other nations did bear to the Israelites, because the Israelites had taken their land from them; and partly from the just vengeance of God upon the Israelites, be∣cause God had afforded them so long a peace in the dayes of Ehud, chap. 3.30. and they had made so ill an use of his long-suffering and goodnesse therein. See the note also, chap. 3.14.

Vers. 4. And Deborah a prophetesse, &c.] A woman, the weaker sex, that the glory of the work might be given to God, and not to the instrument he used.

Vers. 6. And she sent and called Barak the sonne of Abinoam, out of Kedesh-naphtali, &c.] That is, Kedesh in the tribe of Naphtali, to distinguish it from other towns of the same name in other tribes, as Kedesh in Issachar, 1. Chron. 6.72. Ke∣desh in Judah, Josh. 15.23. and others. Now Deborah did thus send for Barak, not of her own head chusing him as a man of eminency for the undertaking of the service, but by speciall direction from God, as the words she spake to Barak when he came to her do imply, Hath not the Lord God of Israel commaded, saying, Go and draw toward mount Tabor, &c? Deborah was a prophetesse, and therefore no doubt God had revealed unto her that which now she imparted to Barak, to wit, either by secret instinct of his Spirit, or perhaps, by the ministry of an Angel: for that some Angel did appear to her, either before or after the battell which they fought with Sisera, seems evident in that clause of Deborahs song, chap. 5.26. Curse

ye Meroz (saith the Angel of the Lord) curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof.

And take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali, and of the children of Zebulun.] To wit, first, because they were nearest at hand: secondly, because Naphtali was likely to be the forwardest in this work, because Barak was of that tribe, and they were most oppressed, Hazor and Harosheth being both in their tribe.

Vers. 8. And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go, &c.] Barak, no doubt, believed what Deborah had told him in the foregoing words as from the Lord, namely, that Sisera should be vanquished by him, and therefore we see that he was willing to hazard his life and all that he had in rising against this mighty king that had brought the Israelites into bondage; whence it is that Barak is commended for his faith by S. Paul, and reckoned amongst those who through faith subdued kingdomes, Heb. 11.32, 33. But why then did he refuse to undertake the ser∣vice enjoyned him unlesse Deborah would go along with him? I answer, partly be∣cause he considered that Deborah being a prophetesse, he should have a great advan∣tage in having her with him to pray for them, to give them counsell, and to advise them what to do upon every occasion; but partly also no doubt, because his faith was also accompanied and assaulted with doubtings and fears, as we may see by Debo∣rahs answer in the following verse, wherein she discovered what a fault it was so doubtfully to yield to what God had enjoyned him.

Vers. 9. The journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honour; for the Lord shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.] Thus she yields to go with him, but withall shews him, that because of his distrustfulnesse and fear the Lord would now deprive him of a great part of that glory he should otherwise have had: Because he would not undertake the enterprise without the support and encouragement of a wo∣mans presence, therefore a woman should carry away a great part of the honour of this victory, to wit, Jael the wife of Heber, into whose hands Sisera should fall, and by whom he should be slain.

Vers. 10. And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh, &c.] The chief strength therefore of the army consisted of those that by Barak were gathered toge∣ther out of these two tribes; whence also is that, chap. 5.18. Zebulun and Naphtali were a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death in the high places of the field: where yet that some of the other tribes did also voluntarily joyn in this warre made against Sisera, Deborah in her song doth plainly acknowledge, vers. 14. Out of E∣phraim was there a root of them against Amalek, after thee Benjamin among thy people: Out of Machir came down governours, &c.

Vers. 11. Now Heber the Kenite, which was of the children of Hobab the fa∣ther in law of Moses, had severed himself from the Kenites, &c.] Because the Kenites were seated amongst the children of Judah, chap. 1.16. lest we should won∣der at the mention that is made in the following part of this chapter of Heber the Kenite, dwelling near Kedesh in the tribe of Naphtali, this is here premised concern∣ing this Heber, to wit, that for some reasons not expressed in the text, he had severed himself from the rest of the Kenites, and pitched his tent amongst the tribe of Naph∣tali, as indeed the Kenites it seems did alwayes dwell not in houses, but in tents.

Vers. 15. And the Lord discomfited Sisera, &c.] For though the Israelites pre∣vailed

by force of arms, yet it was of God that they did prevail, Prov. 21.31. The horse is prepared against the day of battell, but safety is of the Lord. Besides, Jose∣phus reports that the Lord sent a terrible tempest, wherewith the Canaanites being both terrified and disordered, the Israelites did the more easily put them to flight; and indeed, some such thing those words seem to intend, chap. 5.20. They fought from heaven, the starres in their courses fought against Sisera.

Vers. 17. For there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor, and the house of Heber the Kenite.] Though the Kenites came in with the Israelites, and were in a manner incorporated amongst them, professing the same religion, and worshiping the same God, and living with all love and amity with them, yet Jabin was willing to grant peace to them (onely perhaps taking some certain tribute of them, by way of acknowledging his sovereignty) whilest he oppressed the Israelites with all man∣ner of cruelty: First, because they lived as sojourners amongst the Israelites, and laid no claim to the land. Secondly, because they were found to be given to a peaceable pastorall kind of life, and not like to rise up in rebellion against him. Thirdly, be∣cause the Lord turned the heart of this heathenish king towards them; and that hap∣pely, because they had kept themselves pure from those idolatrous and sinfull courses, whereunto the Israelites had plunged themselves, that so in them his people might see wherefore it was that the Lord had brought such miseries upon them.

Vers. 18. And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said unto him, Turn in my lord, turn in to me, fear not.] The event discovers plainly that she intended his ru∣ine; and therefore though her words may be interpreted so, as if she intended that she would not have him be afraid, but commit himself to her custody; yet since she could not but know that her words would be understood by him, as if she intended that in her tent he might and should be safe; I see not what can be said herein to quit her from sinne, but onely that what she did herein she did by virtue of an extraordi∣nary warrant and authority from God.

And when he had turned in unto her into the tent, she covered him with a man∣tle.] To wit, as pretending herewith to cover him, and hide him, in case any of those that pursued him should come in thither; or else to keep him warm being now in a great heat by reason of his flying on foot from those that followed him; or else that he might the more readily fall asleep, that she might do to him what no doubt alrea∣dy she had purposed with her self.

Vers. 19. And she opened a bottle of milk and gave him drink.] Though he ask∣ed for water, which men in great heat and thirst do especially desire, yet she fetched a bottle of milk and gave him of that, either thereby to testifie her great respect of him, that so he might the more securely confide in her; or else because milk, when men that are hot drink largely of it, doth naturally encline men to sleep, and that she desired to bring him to, that then she might do to him what whilest he was a∣wake she could not hope to do: and therefore when Deborah commends Jael this is particularly expressed as an act of speciall prudency and policy, chap. 5.25. He asked water and she gave him milk, she brought forth butter in a lordly dish.

Vers. 21. And Jael Hebers wife took a nail of the tent, &c.] That is, a pin or nail of iron, or pointed with iron, wherewith the tent being stretched forth was fastened to the ground. And for this act of hers she is pronounced blessed by the

Spirit of God, chap. 5.24. and therefore there is no question to be made of the law∣fulnesse of that she did: for though it is said, vers. 17. There was peace between Ja∣bin and the house of Heber, yet that is not to be understood of any mutuall league (for princes do not use to enter into treaties of that nature with men of such inferi∣our rank, whom they have no cause to fear) but onely that Jabin had (happely up∣on the promise of some yearly tribute) yielded that his house should live in peace. However Jael might know of the prophecy of Deborah, that God had now deter∣mined to put an end to his tyranny; and besides, she might now be moved by a spe∣ciall and extraordinary instinct of the Spirit of God, which must needs be a suffici∣ent warrant for her, both to insnare this captain by policy, and afterwards to take away his life, as an enemy appointed to destruction: and the rather, that hereby she might approve her self a true member of the Church and people of God, and that she preferred their welfare before any thing that concerned her self.