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.

ADam, Sheth, Enosh, &c.] In the book of the kings there is frequent mention of the book of the Chronicles of the kings of Israel and of the kings of Judah, as 1. Kings 14.19. and 1. Kings 15.23. and in many other places. But it is clear that these books of the Chronicles, which are a part of the sacred Scriptures, are not the very same that are there mentioned, because many things which are there said to have been related are not here to be found, as we see 1. Kings 14.19. Yet these were happely collected out of those, and that by Ezra, as it is generally thought. Their chief scope is to give us the history of the kings of Judah entirely by it self, without intermingling the story of the kings of Israel, as it is in the books of the kings; and especially to adde such remarkable passages concerning Judahs king∣dome, as were omitted in the books of the kings: whence they are called by the Greek Interpreters Paralipomena, that is, passages formerly passed by and omitted. In the first foure verses we have the line of Adam to Noah, no other of the posterity of Adam being mentioned, because they were all destroyed in the floud.

Vers. 5. The sonnes of Japheth; Gomer, &c.] See Gen. 10.1.

Vers. 10. And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be mighty upon the earth.] See Gen. 10.8.

Vers. 18. And Arphaxad begat Shelah.] The Septuagint in their Greek trans∣lation of the old Testament, do both here, and also Gen. 10.14. insert one gene∣ration more then is in the Hebrew, reading the text thus, And Arphaxad begat Cainan, and Cainan begat Shelah. And yet herein according to our translation Luke the Evangelist followeth the corrupt Septuagint translation, rather then the Hebrew copies, Luke 3.35, 36. making Salah (or Shelah) the sonne of Cainan, and Cainan the sonne of Arphaxad. Now to this it is answered that the Evange∣list did this, because the Septuagint translation was then of great esteem, and of most frequent use amongst the Jews; and therefore he would not for so small a matter, and of no importance, minister any occasion of contention, it being sufficient for him to shew that Christ was the sonne of David, even according to the genealogy of David set down by the Septuagint, which in those times passed for currant a∣mongst them; and that the rather happely, because even to this that clause may be referred, Luke 3.23. (as was supposed) namely, that in those dayes it was supposed by them that followed the Septuagint translation, that Shelah was the sonne of Cainan, and Cainan the sonne of Arphaxad. It is indeed true that some Interpreters do leave Cainan out of the genealogy of Luke, and alledge that in some Greek copies it is not found, which being granted we cannot say but they had strong in∣ducements to leave it out. But on the other side admitting our translation of the E∣vangelist to be just and warrantable, the answer formerly given for the reconciling

of this difference, is doubtlesse the most satisfying that I any where find amongst the Expositours both of the Old and New Testament.

Vers. 35. The sonnes of Esau; Eliphaz, Revel, &c.] Eliphaz was the sonne of Esau by his wife Adah, and Revel by his wife Bashemath, Gen. 36.10.

Vers. 36. The sonnes of Eliphaz; Teman, and Omar, Zephi, and Gatam, Ke∣naz, and Timna, and Amalek.] Amalek was the sonne of Eliphaz by Timna his concubine, the sister of Lotan, the sonne of Seir; of which see Gen. 36.12. But this Timna here mentioned was the sonne of Eliphaz, though of the same name with his concubine.

Vers. 38. And the sonnes of Seir; Lotan, &c.] This Seir was Prince of the Horites, who at first inhabited the land of Edom, till the children of Edom destroy∣ed them, and dwelt in their room, Deut. 2.12. The Horims also dwelt in Seir be∣fore time, but the children of Esau succeeded them, when they had destroyed them from before them, and dwelt in their stead; and therefore is the genealogy of the Horites here recorded, onely because Esau and his sonne Eliphaz were joyned in af∣finity with these Princes of the Horites; and perhaps thence the Edomites took some occasion of quarrel against them, and so seized upon their countrey. The posterity of Seir here mentioned were dukes in mount Seir, as is noted, Gen. 36.30.

Vers. 43. Now these are the kings that reigned in the land of Edom, &c,] See Gen. 36.31.