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. XII.

Vers. 1. ANd Samuel said unto all Israel, Behold, I have hearkened unto your voice in all that ye said unto me, &c.] Samuel presseth them now more closely and sharply then ever, with their sinne in rejecting the government which God had established among them: first, because in this their jollity, for that glorious victory which their new king had obtained against the Ammonites, they were in danger to be puffed up with an opinion, that God approved that which they had done, and that they had not sinned in desiring a king: secondly, because having established Saul in the throne, & actually resigned the government into his hands, he might now speak the more freely, without giving the least ground of suspition that he was loth to give over the government, and therefore condemned them for choo∣sing a king.

Vers. 2. And now behold, the king walketh before you.] This is meant of Sauls being now settled in the supreme magistracy, as a shepherd or captain to lead and go∣vern the people, and to be as a shield unto them, to stand betwixt them and harms way: the like phrase there is Numb. 27.17. concerning which see the note there.

And I am old, and gray-headed, and behold, my sonnes are with you.] To im∣ply how good cause he had to be very well content in regard of himself, that the burden of the government should be taken from his shoulders, he wisheth them to remember that he was now grown aged, I am, saith he, old and gray-headed, and then he addes, and behold my sonnes are with you, that is, they are amongst you, as one of you, they shall lay no claim to the government no more then I do; so that this he saith: either first, the more to clear his integrity who was willing his sonnes should lay down the power of government as well as himself: or secondly, to intimate that if they could charge him for any wrong done, his sonnes should make satisfaction: or else to imply, that of them they might be satisfied concerning his course of life; and particularly, whether he did any way incourage them in those wicked courses they ranne into, chap. 8.3.

Vers. 3. Behold, here I am, witnesse against me before the Lord, and before his anointed, &c.] As if he should have said, being now the power of government is transferred to another, ye need not fear to speak your minds of me, and therefore if ye can accuse me of any evil, speak it freely. And this protestation of his innocency he makes: First, that he might the more freely reprove them. Secondly, to mani∣fest the greivousnesse of their sinne, who had without any just cause rejected the government which God had erected among them. And thirdly, to propound this covertly, as a pattern for their new chosen king to follow, before whom all this was spoken, witnesse against me before the Lord, and before his Anointed.

Vers. 7. Now therefore stand still, that I may reason with you before the Lord, of all the righteous acts of the Lord, &c.] That is, both mercies and punishmen••••; but cheifly I conceive this is meant of his mercies, wherein the Lord approved his faithfulnesse, in performing the covenant which he had made with them; for these he presseth upon them, to discover the hainousnesse of their sinne in rejecting his go∣vernment, who had so carefully protected them against all their enemies, and so abundantly blessed them in every regard.

Vers. 8. The Lord sent Moses and Aaron, which brought forth your fathers out of Egypt, and made them dwell in this place.] This making them to dwell in the land of Canaan, is ascribed to Moses and Aaron: First, because they led the people from Egypt through the wildernesse, and brought them unto the land which God had promised them: and secondly, because Moses put them in possession of that part of the land which was without Jordan, and substituted Joshua in his place, who afterward gave them the possession of the rest of the land. But the chief thing intended, is to put them in mind of Gods mercy in giving them that land, without whom, neither Moses, nor Aaron, nor Joshua could have done it.

Vers. 9. And when they forgat the Lord their God, he sold them into the hand of Sisera, &c.] Samuel here calls the rebellion of the Israelites against God, a forgetting of the Lord; because if men did indeed think upon God as they ought to do they would not dare so to transgresse his commandments: and thence it is also, that David saith of wicked men, that God is not in all their thoughts, Psal. 10.4.

Vers. 11. And the Lord sent Jerubbaal▪ and Bedan, and Jephthah, and Samuel, &c.] Some conceive that Jair is here called Bedan, and that to distinguish him from that former Jair of whom Moses speaks, Numb. 32.41. and indeed there is one Bedan a Manassite mentioned, 1. Chron. 7.17. Others again think that this Bedan was some Judge of Israel, that is not mentioned in the book of Judges. But the more common, and I think the more probable exposition is, that Samson is here meant, and that he is called Bedan, because he was of the tribe of Dan; for Bedan signifieth in Dan, or, of Dan, and Bendan signifieth the sonne of Dan. As for Sa∣muels speaking of himself as of a third person, it is usuall in the Scripture, as we see Gen. 4.23. And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: for I have slain a man to my wound∣ing, and a young man to my hurt. He particularly puts them in mind of Gods de∣livering them by him, because the deliverance which God had given them by him, was best known to them, and best served to condemn them for rejecting in his dayes that government which God had settled among them, and that in part for fear of their enemies.

Vers. 14. Then shall both ye, and also the king that reigneth over you, continue following the Lord your God.] That is, God will not destroy you, but you shall still continue a peculiar people to the Lord, shrouded under his conduct and pro∣tection.

Vers. 17. Is it not wheat-harvest to-day? I will call unto the Lord, and he shall send thunder and rain.] In Palestina thunder and rain in wheat-harvest was most unusuall, whence is that of Solomon. Prov. 26.1. As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest: so honour is not seemly for a fool: and that Amos 4.7. And also I

have with-holden the rain from you, when there were yet three moneths to the har∣vest; and I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city. Now the rather did the Lord convince them of their sinne by this miracle, be∣cause hereby they might see their folly, both in rejecting the Lord, such a mighty pro∣tectour, who was able by thunder to destroy their enemies, as they had seen formerly chap. 7.10. and likewise in rejecting Samuel, who could by his prayers fetch down thunder and rain from heaven.

Vers. 18. And the Lord sent thunder and rain that day.] To wit, in some very extraordinary manner, in so much that the people were not onely fully convinced hereby, that they had sinned in desiring a king, but were also afraid that by this ter∣rible tempest they should have been destroyed; whence is that in the following verse, Pray for thy servants unto the Lord thy God, that we die not.

Vers. 20. And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not.] That is, despair not of Gods goodnesse and mercy.

Vers. 21. And turn ye not aside: for then should ye go after vain things, which cannot profit nor deliver.] Idols may be the vain things here principally meant, as Deut. 32.21. They have moved me to jealousie with that which is not God, they have provoked me to anger with their vanities: and Jer. 2.5. Thus saith the Lord, What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone farre from me, and have walked after vanitie, and are become vain? but withall we may well under∣stand it of every thing else, wherein they should seek for help and happinesse, having turned aside from following the Lord.

Vers. 22. For the Lord will not forsake his people, for his great names sake.] That is, because Gods name is called upon you, and so it would not be for his glory to forsake you; and indeed all the good which God doth for his Church and people, is more for his own glory, then for any good he sees in them.

Vers. 23. Moreover, as for me, God forbid that I should sinne against the Lord, in ceasing to pray for you.] They had desired him to pray for them, vers. 19. but the injury they had done him might make them fear he would not regard them; the ra∣ther, because the thunder he had prayed for, might argue some displeasure conceived in him against them, and therefore he assures them that he would not cease neither to pray for them, nor to instruct them, but (saith he) I will teach you the good and the right way.

Vers. 24. Onely fear the Lord, and serve him in truth, &c.] As though he should say, else my praying for you will do you no good.