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. IIII.

Vers. 1. ANd when Sauls sonne heard that Abner was dead in Hebron, his hands were feeble, &c.] That is, he was so dismayed and discouraged, Abner being slain on whom he wholly relyed, that there was no power in him to do any thing for himself: the like phrase we have, Ezra 4.4. And the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building; and Neh. 6.9. They all made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work that it be not done. Now therefore O God, strengthen my hands. Yea, and thus it was too with all the tribes of Israel, as it follows in the next words, and all Israel were troubled, to wit, because they had opposed David, and now their gene∣rall on whose counsell and power they had hitherto stayed themselves, was taken away; yea, and that when he went about to yield himself to David, and further his title to the crown. So that should they go forward in that resolution of revolting from Ishbosheth to David, they suspected they should find no more favour then Ab∣ner had found.

Vers. 2. For Beeroth also was reckoned to Benjamin, &c.] This is added, to shew why Rimmon the father of the two forenamed captains, is called a Beerothite, to wit, because he belonged to Beeroth a city in Benjamin, Josh. 18.25. For though they dwelt not indeed at present in Beeroth, but sojourned in Gittam another town in Benjamin, Neh. 11.33. yet that was because the Beerothites fled to Gittam, and were sojourners there, (to wit, when Saul and his sonnes were slain) leaving Bee∣roth to the Philistines, who came and dwelt in it, 1. Sam. 31.7. and so still they were called Beerothites after the place of their former habitation, and lived but as sojourners in Gittam amongst their brethren the children of Benjamin.

Vers. 4. And Jonathan Sauls sonne, had a sonne that was lame on his feet, &c.] This is here inserted, to imply, what it was that did chiefly encourage these men to murder Ishbosheth, to wit, because he being taken away, there would be no legiti∣mate issue of the royall stock of Saul left, but onely Mephibosheth, who being but a child of twelve years of age, and withall lame in his feet, was altogether unfit to succeed in the kingdome; whence they inferre, first, how advantagious this their in∣tended fact would be unto David: secondly, how likely they were to be highly re∣warded by him: and thirdly, how safely they might do it, because there would be none left of Sauls house to revenge the death of Ishbosheth.

And his name was Mephibosheth.] He is also called Meribbaal, 1. Chron. 8.34. So Jerubbaal, Judges 6.22. is called Jerubesheth, 2. Sam. 11.21. and Ishbaal, 1. Chron. 8.33. is the same Ishbosheth, whom Abner now made king over Israel. Some think that in detestation of the heathen idols the Hebrews were wont many times to leave out the word Baal, and to put in the room of it this word bosheth, or besheth which signifieth a shamefull or infamous thing, Hos. 9.10. They went to Baal-peor and separated themselves unto that shame.

Vers. 5. Who lay on his bed at noon.] Though it be not simply evil to lie on a bed at noon, yet considering that the Scripture sets forth Ishbosheth in other things to be a man of a slothfull and dull spirit, not active in any thing, but leaving all to Abners disposing, we may justly think that it is purposely noted here, as the just reward of his idlenesse and sloth, that as he slept away his time, so he dyed at last sleeping.

Vers. 6. And they came thither into the midst of the house, as though they would have fetched wheat, &c.] The meaning of this is, either that they came in the disguise and habite of countreymen or merchants that came to buy wheat, or of porters that came to fetch away wheat that was bought, or else rather, that being known Captains of Ishbosheths bands, under a colour that they came to fetch corn for the souldiers or for themselves, (for the souldiers in those times had usually their pay in corn) they had free accesse into the house, and so went in where he lay, and slew him, and that by smiting him under the fifth rib; of which, see the note, chap. 2.23. and this doubtlesse they did, hoping that David would reward them for it: for though David seemed greatly to take to heart the death of Abner, and to be high∣ly displeased with Joab for it, yet because he did not punish him, these captains per∣haps concluded, that David was well enough pleased with it, though he would not be known of it, and so he would be with them too, if they should kill Ishbosheth; and hereby it is likely they encouraged themselves in this treacherous villany against their Lord and Master.

Vers. 11. How much more when wicked men have slain a righteous person.] That is, in respect of them which conspired against him; he had deserved well of them, and for them therefore thus treacherously to slay him, in his own house upon his bed, when he thought of no danger, was a villany that did farre more justly deserve death: and the rather too, because they durst do this, notwithstanding David had so severely punished him that pretended he had slain Saul.

Vers. 12. And they slew them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them up over the pool in Hebron.] To wit, that all men might see how much David

abhorred this fact of theirs, and how farre he was from knowing any thing of it, or giving the least encouragement to them that did it.