A commentary upon the whole Old Testament, added to that of the same author upon the whole New Testament published many years before, to make a compleat work upon the whole Bible. Vols. 2-4. Wherein the divers translations and expositions, literall and mysticall, of all the most famous commentators both ancient and modern are propounded, examined, and judged of, for the more full satisfaction of the studious reader in all things, and many most genuine notions inserted for edification in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. A work, the like unto which hath never yet been published by any man, yet very necessary, nor only for students in divinity; but also for every Christian that loveth the knowledge of divine things, or humane, whereof this comment is also full. Consisting of IV parts. I Upon the Pentateuch, or five books of Moses. II Upon the historical part, from Joshua to Esther. III Upon Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Solomons Song. IV Upon all the prophets both great and small. By John Mayer, doctor of divinity.

CHAP. IV.

TAke you 12 Men, out of every Tribe a man, and command them, saying, Take ye * 1.1 hence out of the place, where the Priests feet stood firme, 12 stones, and yee shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the lodging place, where yee shall lodge this night, &c.

The Lord having done this great miracle for Israel, now taketh order that it might never be forgotten by them or their posterity afterwards by comman∣ding 12 stones to bee erected for a monument hereof, and they should tell their children of it, that all might bee excited from generation to generation to * 1.2 feare and serve him, and to put their trust in him, as the like charge was given before touching the Passeover and first borne. The 12 men appointed to car∣ry these 12 stones were doubtlesse chosen of the strongest, that each man might carry a great stone, out of the place, where the Priests feet stood: that is, as all un∣derstand it, neare their feet, as the 12 stones set up by Ioshua in the midst of

Jordan, v. 9. were set up neare the place of their feet, for it is not likely that the Priests removed, that they might take up the stones under their feet, but stood still till all things were done, v. 10. That of telling their children af∣terwards, is againe repeated, v. 21, 22, 23. 24. and this is set forth to bee the end, the glorifying of God amongst all people of the earth, and that Israel might feare him.

And these stones shall be a memoriall to the children of Israel for ever. This is not * 1.3 to be understood simply, world without end, as Augustine sheweth; for both the heaven and the earth passe away; but a long time, the end of which is un∣known to men, for that with the Hebrews is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 for ever.

And Joshua set up 12 stones in the midst of Jordan, where the feet of the Priests * 1.4 stood, &c. The Vulgar Latin for further explication hath it 12 other stones, the 12 stones before spoken of were set up in Gilgal by the 12 men that carryed them; but these were other, as Lyra hath it, most probably farre greater stones, in * 1.5 the setting up of which Joshua used the helpe of others; that although they stood in the river, yet sometimes when the water was at the lowest, they might be seen of men; and of these stones, he saith, it is commonly held, that the speech of John the Baptist is to be understood, Matth. 3. God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham, for hee was baptizing there. Calvin thinketh, * 1.6 that being even under the water and not seen, but talked of from generation to generation, they might be a memoriall, as the things in the Arke, which were covered, and hidden from the fight of the people. But I preferre the former, because there was not the like reason of hiding these from the fight of the people, that there was of hiding the Arke, which was done for reve∣rence to God represented hereby. And there they are till this day: Hence some doe argue, that Joshua wrote not this Booke, but some other holy man long after; but this proveth not the contrary, for this clause might bee afterwards added, they appearing to be there still many yeares after, that men might bee stirred up to goe and see them, and make use of it, as a thing not fained, but really in being.

For the Priests which bare the Arke, stood in the midst of Iordan, till every thing * 1.7 was finisht, that the Lord commanded Ioshua to speake to the people, as Moses comman∣ded Ioshua, &c. Because for [every thing] here spoken of, Hebr. it is every * 1.8 word, some will have it precisely to bee expounded so, till Joshua had com∣manded the 12 stones to be taken up out of Iordan, and 12 more to be brought in. But who knoweth not, that by 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 a thing is meant, as well as a word? and how absurd were it, that the Priests should stay no longer, but till the words were spoken, and not till it was done accordingly, seeing that so soone as they were come out of Iordan, the waters returned to their naturall course immediately againe? Masius therefore and David Kimchi are rather herein * 1.9 to be followed, who stand for the doing of all things commanded. But why is it added, as Moses commanded Ioshua? Calvin, and some others thinke, that it is onely meant, as he commanded him, when hee charged him to attend diligently to the Word of the Lord in generall: But for so much as we read not of any word of the Lord in particular to Ioshua for the setting up of 12 stones in Iordan, or of the Priests standing in the midst of Iordan till all things were done: it is probable that hee had direction herein from Moses, before his death; and that we might not thinke that he did this of his owne head, these words are here added, as Moses commanded Ioshua. Ferus from the setting up * 1.10 of these stones gathereth, that they doe ill that are against images, which bee set up in Churches for a memoriall; onely willing that Pastors should teach the people the right use of them, and to keep them from being abused: For the stones set up in Gilgal were afterwards abused by the peoples comming and sacrificing upon them, as also was the brazen Serpent set up by Moses. Thus he. But Images in Churches are not like unto these stones, and they are by Gods * 1.11 commandment forbidden for the errors which cannot but bee in them; and therefore the onely way to keep men from sinning hereby, is to pluck them downe as Hezekiah did the brazen Serpent.

And when all the people were cleane passed over, the Arke of the Lord passed over, &c. * 1.12

This was not done till the Lord commanded it, as is expressed, v. 16. which sheweth the great faith of the Priests bearing the Arke, although they saw the waters ready to overwhelme them, and all the people were gone out of the danger, but they remained alone, yet they stirred not from their place, till they were directed by the Lord to passe over.

And the children of Reuben and of God, &c. passed over armed before the children * 1.13 of Israel, as Moses commanded, &c. Of this order taken before by Moses for their going over before the rest, and that the 40000 here said to have gone o∣ver, were not all the men of Warre in these two Tribes and an half, see up∣on Chap. 1. 12, 13. and the Mystery of this, v. 14, 15, 16. Here it is noted, * 1.14 that by this miracle God magnified Joshua, as he had said, Ch. 3. 7. and so the people were moved to reverence him, as they had done Moses. Here the Lord * 1.15 biddeth Joshua to command the Priests to come up out of Jordan, &c. The Hebrews, saith Lyra, hereupon faigne, that they standing upon the further * 1.16 brinke of the River, went up upon that side, because he saith not, passe over, and then Iordan returning to his wonted course, they were miraculously trans∣ported upon the Ark, and set beyond all the people. But to let passe so grosse * 1.17 a fiction; this comming over Iordan is noted, v. 19. to have been the 10 day of the first moneth, the singular providence of God appearing herein, to bring the people of Israel into Canaan at the best time of the year, when the harvest was now at hand, thus granting them immediately to reape that which others had sowed, and this was 40 full yeares within 5 dayes, after their comming out of Egypt; so that they could no sooner be prepared after this by circumci∣sing, but the time came of eating the Passeover, viz. the 15 day of this month. And they pitched in Gilgal, on the east border of Iericho; that is, in a place, which was afterwards called Gilgal, Ch. 5. 9. but here it is so called by anticipation. This place was famous for the Circumcision made there, for the first Passe∣over kept there, for Ioshua his abode there at sundry times afterwards, and the remaining of the Arke long there, and Sauls inauguration there to the King∣dome. * 1.18 It was directly between Iordan and Iericho, saith Iosephus, but within 10 furlongs of Iericho, and 50 from Iordan: and Ierom saith it was 2 miles from * 1.19 Iericho. But Adricomius, that it was nearer to Iordan then to Iericho, and that to goe from Bethabara to Iericho, a man must decline to Gilgal to come thi∣ther.

Here Ioshua is said to pitch the 12 stones, that is, appointed them to be pit∣ched * 1.20 by the 12 men that brought them out of Iordan; and now he sheweth the use of them to all the people, as he had done before to the 12 bearers, v. 6, 7. hereupon they must from time to time take occasion to tell their children of the dividing of Iordan for them to goe through on dry ground, and also of the Red sea, that all the world might know the power of the Lord, although they profit little by it, but Israel might learne hence to feare him. And this [Note.] is the different effect of the marvailous workes of God in the wicked of the * 1.21 world, and his faithfull people; they are onely moved to wonder, and so passe them over without further profiting; but these are edified in the feare and grace of God hereby; to this effect Calvin.

Mystically by the 12 stones set up in Gilgal, saith Ferus, are set forth the 12 * 1.22 Apostles, and their preaching, manifesting all things, by those in Iordan, the Prophets, in whose writings they are more obscurely contained, as it were under the water, but both tend to the setting forth of the same, as both these monuments did. And as the Israelites came not empty out of the water of Iordan, but brought up stones with them; so the truly baptized come up out of the water of Baptisme, laden with the fruits of the Spirit. The Priests bea∣ring the Arke going in before all the people, and then comming up and going againe before them, when they were to fight against their enemies, shewed, that the Ministers of Gods Word are a defence unto his people, who so soone as they are baptized shall be assaulted with spirituall enemies. Their com∣ming up the 10 day of the first moneth, which was the day that the Paschall

Lamb was taken, Exo. 12. shewed, that when we are baptized, we must straight∣way prepare to fight under Christs banner, who is the true Paschall Lambe, a∣gainst the world, the flesh, and Devill. And as Origen hath it, be exercised in * 1.23 vertue, which is the very entring into the promised Land. Isidor by the stones carryed out, will have the examples of the Apostles understood, which wee must carry in our minds, that we may imitate them in their vertuous actions. The 12 stones set in Jordan, saith Lyra, are the 12 fruits of the Spirit in the truly baptized recited Gal. 5. 19.

Notes

• * 1.1

  V. 2, 3.
• * 1.2

  Exod. 12. 26. & 13. 14.
• * 1.3

  V. 7. August. qu. 4.
• * 1.4

  V. 9.
• * 1.5

  Lyra.
• * 1.6

  Calvin.
• * 1.7

  V. 10.
• * 1.8

  Bonfrerius.
• * 1.9

  Masius. R. David Kim∣chi Calvin.
• * 1.10

  Ferus.
• * 1.11

  Heb. 2. 18.
• * 1.12

  V. 11.
• * 1.13

  V. 12.
• * 1.14

  V. 14.
• * 1.15

  V. 16, 17.
• * 1.16

  Lyra.
• * 1.17

  V. 19.
• * 1.18

  1 Sam. 11.
• * 1.19

  Ioseph. lib. 5. de bell. Iudai. c. 1. Hieron. in loc. Hebr.
• * 1.20

  V. 20. V. 21, 22.
• * 1.21

  Calvin.
• * 1.22

  The mystery.
• * 1.23

  Origen. Isidor.