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. VI.

Vers. 1. THe sonnes of Levi; Gershon, &c.] Levi was next in age to Reuben (Si∣meon onely excepted, whose genealogy was joyned with Judahs, chap. 4.24. because they dwelt amongst the tribe of Judah) and therefore is Levies genealo∣gie next recorded: for the genealogie of Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh is one∣ly inserted with Reubens in the former chapter, because they dwelt together with the Reubenites without Jordan.

Vers. 4. Eleazar begat Phinehas, Phinehas begat Abishua, &c.] Eleazar succeed∣ed his father Aaron in the high priesthood, in the fourtieth yeare after their coming out of Egypt, Numb. 20.25, &c. and 33.18. and was high priest all the time of Jo∣shua, and died immediately after him, as may seem by the relation of their deaths together, Josh. 24.29, 33. Phinehas his sonne that succeeded him, was he that slew Zimri and Cozbi in the wildernesse, and had thereupon a promise from God, that the high priesthood should be settled upon him and his seed for ever: see Numb. 25.7.—13. He succeeded his father Eleazar about the death of Joshua, Josh. 24.29, 33. How long he lived high priest it is no where expressed; but probable it is he was high priest all the time that the people served the Lord after Joshuahs death, in the dayes of the elders that out-lived Joshua, Judg. 2.7. and perhaps in the time of the first re∣volting of the people in the time of the Judges (which must needs then be a matter of much grief to a man of such zeal as he was) for it is evident that when the Israelites made warre against Benjamin, he was high priest, Josh. 20.28. And Phinehas the sonne of Eleazar, the sonne of Aaron stood before it in those dayes. As for the next three that follow, Abishau, & Bukki his sonne, and Ʋzzi his sonne, they were it seems high priests in those corruptest times of Israel under the Judges: whereto agrees that which is by some said, that in the dayes of Uzzi it was that Eli (and so his po∣sterity after him) got the high priests office, not being of Eleazars stock, but of the stock of Ithamar: and if so it were, then the foure next following of the stock of Eleazar were never high priests, to wit, Zerahiah, and Meraioth, and Amariah, and Ahitub; but Zadok the sonne of Ahitub, vers. 8. was the first that recovered that dignity again, which was in the dayes of Solomon, who thrust out Abiathar of the posterity of Eli, and of the stock of Ithamar, from being high priest, and put Za∣dok the sonne of Ahitub in his room, 1. Kings 2.27, 35.

Vers. 10. And Johanan begat Azariah, (he it is that executed the priests office in the temple that Solomon built in Jerusalem.] That is, this is that Azariah of whom such honourable mention is made in the book of the Chronicles, 2. Chron. 26.16. &c. who did so worthily execute & maintain the honour and office of the priesthood against the intrusion and usurpation of Uzziah the king of Judah; and it is expressely noted that it was in the temple which Solomon built in Jerusalem, be∣cause at the time when this was written, there was another Temple in Jerusalem built by Zerub-babel. Yet some understand these words of Johanan the father of Aza∣riah,

that he was that Jehoiada that was high priest in the dayes of Athaliah, by whom both the Temple and Common-wealth were preserved, when they were in danger to be ruined by her.

Vers. 13. And Shallum begat Hil••iah.] Who found the book of the Law in the dayes of Josiah, 2. Kings 22.8.

Vers. 14. And Azariah begat Seraiah, &c.] Seraiah was the high priest whom Nebuchadnezzar slew: see 2. Kings 25.18,—21. He was also the father or grand-fa∣ther of Ezra, Ezra 7.1. Now after these things in the reigne of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra the sonne of Seraiah, the sonne of Azariah, the sonne of Hilkiah, &c. and then Jehozadak his sonne was the father of Josuah, who was so famous at the return of the Jews, and the rebuilding of the Temple, Hag. 1.1. In the second yeare of Darius the king, in the sixth moneth, in the first day of the moneth, came the word of the Lord by Haggai the Prophet, unto Zerubbabel the sonne of She∣altiel, governour of Judah, and to Josuah the sonne of Josedech the high priest.

Vers. 19. And these are the families of the Levites according to their fathers.] That is, of these before named were the severall families of the Levites called, to wit, the family of the Libnites, &c.

Vers. 20. Of Gershom; Libni his sonne, Jahath his sonne, Zimmah his sonne, &c.] Here follows a catalogue of those that were successively the Heads both of the Gershonites, Kohathites, and Merarites; perhaps unto the dayes of David, who did dispose of the Levites into new orders: and whereas Zimmah is here said to be the sonne of Jahath, thereby is meant that he was his grandchild: for Shimei was the sonne of Jahath, and Zimmah the sonne of Shimei, vers. 42, 43.

Vers. 25. And the sonnes of Elkanah; Amasai, and Ahimoth.] The sonnes of Elkanah are here more particularly expressed, because from him descended that Elka∣nah, who was the father of Samuel.

Vers. 26. As for Elkanah, the sonnes of Elkanah; Zophai his sonne, &c.] This is another Elkanah, who was the sonne of Mahath, and grandchild of Amasai, men∣tioned in the former verse, as is evident, vers. 35, 36.

Vers. 27. Jeroham his sonne, Elkanah his sonne.] The father of Samuel.

Vers. 31. And these are they whom David set over the service of song in the house of the Lord, &c.] That is, these are they that David made chief in the three quires of singers after the Ark had rest, that is, after it was brought to Davids house (for before it was removed from one place to another) to wit, these mentioned in the sequel of this chapter; Heman of the Kohathites, ver. 33. who was the chief, and therefore had the middle quire, and Asaph (who stood on Hemans right hand) v. 39. and was of the Gershonites; and Ethan, who was also called Jeduthun, chap. 25.1. and was of the Merarites, and stood on Hemans left hand, ver. 44. These were in their times famous men, as being the chief singers, and withall Prophets, and pen∣men of some of the Psalmes; 2. Chron. 29.30. Moreover, Hezekiah the king, and the princes commanded the Levites to sing praise unto▪ the Lord with the words of David, and of Asaph the seer.

Vers. 33. Heman a singer, the sonne of Joel, the sonne of Shemuel.] That is, Sa∣muel; for Heman was Samuels grandchild.

Vers. 50. And these are the sonnes of Aaron; Eleazar his sonne, Phinehas his

sonne, &c.] By occasion of the mention that is made of the severall offices and im∣ployments of the priests in the foregoing verse, the catalogue of the sonnes of Elea∣zar is here again set down unto the dayes of David, by whom the priests were divi∣ded into foure severall orders.

Vers. 57. And to the sonnes of Aaron they gave the cities of Judah, &c.] And Simeon, Josh. 21.9. And they gave out of the tribe of the children of Judah, and out of the tribe of the children of Simeon, these cities which are here mentioned by name.

Vers. 60. All their cities throughout their families, were thirteen cities.] To wit, the eleven here mentioned, and Ain in Judahs portion, and Gibeon in Benja∣mins, which are reckoned amongst the rest, Josh. 21.16, 17. but are not here men∣tioned.

Vers. 61. And unto the sonnes of Kohath, which were left of the family of that tribe, were cities given out of the half tribe, &c.] That is, to the rest of the sonnes of Kohath, to wit, those that were not of the priests the sonnes of Aaron, there were cities given out of the half tribe of Manasseh, that was placed within Jordan; yea, and by lot there were given them in all ten cities, to wit, foure out of the tribe of Ephraim, and foure out of the tribe of Dan, and two out of the half tribe of Ma∣nasseh, most of which are expressed by name, vers. 67, &c. and more fully, Josh. 21.21.

Vers. 65. And they gave by lot—these cities which are called by their names.] To wit, above, ver. 57, &c.

Vers. 66. And the residue of the families of the sonnes of Kohath, had cities, &c.] Here the cities that were given to the rest of the Kohathites are expressed also by name, which were before spoken of, ver. 61. as they are also Josh. 21.20. though indeed many of the names there and here differ; concerning which see the notes there.

Vers. 69. And Aijalon with her suburbs, &c.] These were given them out of the tribe of Dan; as also Eltekeh and Gibbethon, which are not here mentioned, Josh. 21.23, 24.