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. V.

Vers. 5. GO and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel.] Which was Je∣horam the sonne of Ahab, chap. 3.1.

Vers. 6. I have therewith sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosie.] That is, that thou mayest cause him to be recovered of his leprosie, for what any prophet in Israel could do, he doubted not but that the king might command.

Vers. 7. He rent his clothes, and said, Am I a God, to kill and to make alive? &c.] His words shew what was the cause of his griefe; namely, the feare that Ben-hadad the king of Syria, the old enemy of Israel, sought in this to pick a quar∣rell that he might invade the land; yet likely enough it is, that to cover this, he pretended the blasphemy of requiring that of him, which was the onely proper work of God, and in the meane season never thought of what Elisha could do.

Vers. 8. Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes?] And thus Elisha covert∣ly taxed the king for so little regarding the miracles which Elisha had wrought, that now he never entertained a thought of consulting with him, and gave him to

understand that even the Syrians should know that there was a prophet in Israel, though he and his courtiers would take no notice of him: Let him come now to me, saith he, and he shall know there is a prophet in Israel.

Vers. 10. And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, &c.] Not going out to him, First, that the miracle might be the more remarkable, the prophet doing no more but send him a message, that he should go and wash in Jordan, and he should be clean: Secondly, that Naaman might the more plainly see, that he did it not to ingraciate himself with so great a peer of Syria, or out of a hope to get any thing from him, but onely to advance the glory of the God of Israel: Thirdly, the better to try the faith and obedience of Naa∣man, which was happely also the reason why he appointed him to wash seven times.

Vers. 13. And his servants came near and spake unto him and said, My fa∣ther, &c.] Some conceive, that because Naaman had wrought some great delive∣rance for Syria, vers. 1. therefore he was usually stiled the father of his countrey, and that hence it was that his servants gave him this title, My father: others think that it was in relation to the gentlenesse of his government, in that he was to them more like a father then a lord and master: but I rather think that the great princes and nobles of Syria were usually called fathers, and that thence it was that Naa∣mans servants used this expression when they spake to him.

Vers. 14. And his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child.] Be∣cause leprosie used to eat away and consume the flesh, therefore it is said here of Naaman, that being cured his flesh came again, and that it was like unto the flesh of a little child; that is, full, clear and fresh▪ without any skar or mark of his for∣mer disease; ••his former storming at the prophets directions hindred not the cure, be∣cause God intended mercy to him, and would not have the word of his prophet fail of successe.

Vers. 16. As the Lord liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive none.] Though the prophets used to receive presents of those that came to them; yet here Elisha would receive none of Naaman: and that happely, first, that Naaman might not think that the prophet had done what he did in hope and expectation of receiving a reward: and secondly, that he might honour the God whom he served, and the religion he professed, by slighting and rejecting that earthly pelf, which worldly men do so much adore, and so might thereby gain Naaman to embrace the true relition together with them.

Vers. 17. Shall there not then, I pray thee, be given to thy servant two mules bur∣den of earth? &c.] Here was zeal in this new convert without knowledge: as con∣ceiving that the God of Israel would be the better pleased with his sacrifices, if they were offered on an altar made of Canaan mold; or at least, desiring by this out∣ward ceremony openly to confesse, that he was an Israelite in religion though he dwelt in Syria; and that he had joyned himself in the unity of one faith to the peo∣ple of God, he makes known these his thoughts to the prophet, as seeking his appro∣bation herein. The mold of Canaan, more then he required, he might have taken without asking leave of Elisha; who would have opposed him? but it was not so much the gift of the earth, as the giving of it for that use, (with the approbation of the prophet) which he required.

Vers. 18. When my Master goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leaneth on my hand, and I bow my self, &c.] To wit, onely that the king leaning on his shoulder might bow, which he could not if he stood upright and would not bend his body: and that it was usuall with kings in those times to lean on the shoulders of their nobles, is evident, Chap. 7.2. Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned, &c. This bowing of his, though he did it onely upon this ground, his own conscience told him was not justifiable, yet because he could not avoid this, and yet keep his place and favour with the king, therefore herein he desires to be excused: the Lord, saith he, pardon thy servant in this thing; so intimating, that he desired the prophets prayers to God for him in this regard.

Vers. 19. And he said unto him, Go in peace.] Not as approving that his bow∣ing in the house of Rimmon doth the prophet bid him Go in peace, for to make a semblance or do that which should have shew of adoring the idol could not be law∣full, 1 Thess. 5.22. Abstain from all appearance of evil, 1 Cor. 6.20. For you are bought with a price, therefore glorifie God in your body, and in your spirit, which are Gods: onely as glad to see him thus farre, and rather thinking it fitting to forbear the checking of him for this reservation in hope of Gods pardoning him, then by pressing too much upon him in the weaknesse of his first conversion, to en∣danger the beating him off; he onely dismisseth him with a civill valediction, bid∣ing him farewell, Go in peace; or at the most, he doth but intimate that he did in∣deed desire that God would be mercifull to him, if he should thorough weaknesse of faith do so, or that he hoped that the Lord would direct him, so that he should not offend God with any such thing▪

Vers. 20. Behold my master hath spared Naaman this Syrian, &c.] Thus con∣temptuously did Gehazi speak of Naaman; Naaman this Syrian: to intimate the reason why he disliked his masters refusing of Naamans gifts; namely, that being a stranger, and of that nation that had alwayes been enemies to the people of God, he should rather spare him, then take that which might have done so much good to him and his, and generally to the colledges of the poore prophets who had need of some support in those evil times.

Vers. 23. And Naaman said, Be content, take two talents.] To wit, for each of the young men one; for Gehazi had told him of two young men of the sonnes of the prophets that were come to his master, as is expressed in the foregoing verse.

Vers. 24. And when he came to the towre, he took them from their hand, &c.] This might be some fort standing in the high way, or some out-house belonging to the place where the prophet dwelt; and here Gehazi took the silver and the garments from Naamans servants, not suffering them to go any nearer to the house, lest Elisha his master should see them.

Vers. 26. Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, &c.] He char∣geth him with receiving olive-yards, and vine-yards, and sheep, and oxen, &c. be∣cause these things in his mind he had already purchased with his two talents of sil∣ver; and Elisha would have him see, that his very thoughts God had revealed to him, and he pressed withall the unseasonablenesse of this fact, because they had now to do with strangers, and Naaman himself was but newly wonne to God,

and Elisha had purposely refused his gifts, to bring the more honour to God and their religion, all which Gehazi had crossed by his base covetousnesse.