here charged with, see Exod. 23. 32, 33. Exod. 34. 12, 15, 16. Deut. 7. 2, 3. Josh. 23. 12. also Exod. 23. 24. & 34. 13. Deut. 7. 25.
Wherefore I said, I will not drive them out from before you, but they shall be thornes in your sides, and their Gods shall be a snare unto you; to this effect it was said, Josh. 23. 13. to which this hath reference.
These things being spoken by the Angel, the people wept, and hence the place was called Boch••m, weeping; so that it was called so before by anticipati∣on, because, as Augustine hath it, this Book was written after this thing done, and this name upon that place imposed. and they sacrificed there unto the Lord. They wept, saith Ferus, out of compunction for their sins, and sacrificed, to shew their faith in Christ, that was to come, who was figured out in those sa∣crifices, so that here were two things required in true repentance, but the third, viz. the workes of faith, was wanting, and thus their repentance was frustra∣ted, because that after this they amended not their lives. Wherefore wee must learn to doe all three, that God may forgive us. Sacrificing was sometime by peace-offerings in way of thankfulnesse for benefits received, and sometime by sin-offerings for the expiating thereof, and of this kind their sacrifices at this time doubtlesse were.
Joshua his dismissing of the people is repeated from Josh. 24. 28. and his dy∣ing and being buryed, and the peoples persevering in the service of God, &c. of all which enough upon that place.
And there arose another generation, which knew not the Lord, nor the workes that he had done for Israel. Here is set downe the Originall of all the evills that followed, related in this Book, godly men were taken away, and an ignorant generation remained: intimating how necessary godly Governours and Pa∣stors [Note.] are for the people; when such fail, godlinesse, and the knowledge of God faileth in the land, and all things tend to ruine. They are said not to have known the Lord, because they had not seen those famous and wonderful works wch he did in former times, so Augustine; and for the relation made hereof either they beleeved it not, or were unaffected herewith, so that they knew not the Lord to be better and more worthy to be served then the Gods of the Heathen.
And hereupon they did evill, and served other Gods, for which they were given over to divers oppressions by their enemies, but then God in mercy raised them up Judges to deliver them, and the Judge being dead, they sinned in like manner againe, which is the summe of all the relations following in this Book. Wherefore it is to bee understood that what is here said to v. 20. is the gene∣rall summe, after which follow the particulars in the residue of this book.
They served Baal and Ashteroth. Baal signifieth a Lord, and was the common name of the chief God amongst the Heathen, who was Jupiter Belus, being set forth in divers Countreys with divers additions; and Baalim in the plurall number were all other heathen Gods called that were males, and the females Ashteroth, and when it is in the singular number Astarthe, Juno the chiefe God∣desse is set forth hereby; so Augustine, who will have Baal to be a Punick word, and saith, that Juno was set forth in the plurall number Ashteroth, because there were many images of the same Juno, called together Ashteroth, or Junoes. Others think, that by Astrate and Ashteroth Ʋenus was set forth, the Goddesse of the Sidonians, as Ashteroth is said to be, 1 Kings 11. 5. 33. 2 King. 23. 13. be∣ing so called from Astron the morning Starre, in the similitude whereof shee was worshipped. Plutarch is doubtfull whether it be Ʋenus or Juno. Lucianus thinketh that it was the Moon. The word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, from whence Ashteroth commeth, signifieth a flock of sheep being Ewes, in similitude of which this I∣dol was made, and worshipped by the Sidonians, so Pagninus out of R. D. and Jupiter of a Ramme.
And hee sold them into the hands of their enemies: If hee sold them, saith Augu∣stine, what price took he for them? and answereth by that, Psal. 44. 12. hee took no money for them. Wherefore he is said to sell them, when hee gave them into their hands who were wicked, and returned no thankes or Worship unto God as a price therefore. The Vulg. Latine hath it, they sold them,