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. XVII.

BVt Elijah the Thishbite of the inhabitants of Gilead said to Ahab, as the Lord God of Israel liveth, there shall be neither dew nor raine, these yeares, &c.] Here * 1.1 is the first mention made of Elijah that great Prophet, in whose spirit, Iohn grea∣ter then any Prophet, is said to have come. And he is spoken of, as not now first be∣ginning to be famous, but as one well known in those dayes, because it is not shewed of what parentage or tribe he was. Whereupon some Rabbins will have him to be Phinees, but without any colour of probability; for then hee must now have been 500 yeares old, and what reason is there, why he is called by a new name. It must suffice us to know that he was of Gilead, as is here said, which was the tribe of Ma∣nasseh; seeing Gilead, who gave the name to it, was the son of Machir, the sonne of Manasseh. Yet because part of Gilead belonged to Gad, some say that hee was of that tribe, and some following Iohan. Hierosol. and Epiphanius, that he was of the tribe of Levi, and a Priest; yea Epiph. haeres. 55. goes further saying, that he was bro∣ther to Iodeus the Priest, and sonne to Achimaam; but Iohan. Hierosol. calls his fa∣ther Salachah. And although he were of Thishbe, a city in Gilead, yet he might be of Levi, because the Levites and Priests were dispersed into all the tribes. Touch∣ing this prophesie, some say that it was then a great drought, and least this should be thought to come to passe by nature or chance, Elijah telleth how long it should last, and in what manner it should be, that so it might appeare to be sent of God for sin and idolatry, which did then so much abound; and foretold this to Ahab, as the au∣thour of those abominations. But because Iam. 5. Elijah is said to have prayed that it might not rain, this is a groundles conjecture. The truth is, that a judgement being shewed upon Hiel his family, and yet no reformatinn following, Elijah comes forth and threatens Ahab with a greater judgement, of which both he and all Israel should be more sensible. And the Rabbins bold to invent any thing, make a perfect hi∣story of it thus; Elijah seeing the judgment of God upon Hiel in his posterity, sought hereby to deterre Ahab from going on in his rebellious way. But Ahab contrari∣wise made a mock of this warning, asking him whether Moses or Ioshuah was the

greater Prophet; and when he answered Moses, Ahab replyed, how then hap∣pened it that the word of Ioshuah against Hiel was fulfilled, but the word of Moses threatning, that for transgression the heaven should become as brasse, and the earth as iron, was never fulfilled; no not now, when as he said, iniquity did so abound in * 1.2 him and his people; then Elijah answered as in this text, and obteined of the Lord, that it fell out accordingly; so Lyra, Martyr, and Pellican.

But the foresaid Johan. Hierosol. determineth not onely the parentage of Eli∣jah, but as he was himself a man of a monasticall life, before he came to be bishop of Ierusalem, so (he saith) Elijah was the first of men, that lived alwayes in cha∣stity, and the Virgin Mary amongst women. It is most probable, that when he came to Ahab, he came out of some desart place, where he retired himself from the society of the common sort, to converse with God, out of a detestation of the wic∣kednesse of those times, for Iohn the Baptist, whose type he was, did so, and the sudden bringing in of his history here, intimateth him to have been formerly un∣known to the world, but now his zeal for God would not suffer him to lye hid any longer, but he must come forth to declare that judgement which he had prayed might come, that it might appear, how greatly the Lord was incensed by the wic∣kednesses of those times, to move Ahab and his to repentance. And it is to be noted, that he determineth not the number of yeares, that the drought should continue, but only saith, if there shall be dew or rain those yeares, but according to my word. That is, till I shall say that it shall rain again, which most probably he himself then knew not, when it should be, but was to depend upon the Lord for further direction. For accordingly the word of the Lord came to Elijah, when he should go and speak of rain to Ahah, ch. 18. 1. Yet St. Iames saith, that he prayed, that it might rain, * 1.3 and then it rained, but this was done as he was moved by the spirit. Iosephus rela∣ting * 1.4 this history saith, that he threatned, that there should be neither rain nor dew, till he appeared again, and then he went immediatly and hid himself southward, wherein he was certainly deceived, because the Scripture saith expresly, v. 3. that he went towards the east. For it is said, Turn thee towards the East, and hide * 1.5 thee at the brook Cherith, which is over against Iordan. There was a cave the••e, saith Ierom, beyond Iordan, Adrichomius on this side, in a most desolate place, to * 1.6 which there was no way leading, and in that Elias was to hide himself, and to drink of the brook in that time of drought. This river Cherith, saith H. B. runneth between Bethel and Iericho, from mount Ephraim towards the north, and so pas∣sing along towards the east, falleth into Iordan, being eight miles from Ierusalem. But one passage more is diversly expounded. [As the Lord God liveth, before 〈◊〉〈◊〉 I stand.] Some taking it to be meant of his ready standing to go about whatsoever message the Lord would send him, some, whose servant I am and by whom I was sent, but others, before whom I have prayed for this, as Martyr, grounding upon that of St. Iames, who saith, that he prayed that it might not rain. But the second seemeth to me most genuine, because it is an apt description of a servant, and thus the servants of Solomon were described by the Queen of the south [Blessed are thy servants, that stand alwayes before thee.] And thus much for the explication of this.

But a doubt may here further arise, because Elias is said to have prayed; that it [Ob.] might not rain, how he may be justified in calling for so great a judgement against the king and people, seeing it is the duty of prophets not to pray against but for them, 1 Tim. 2. Let supplications be made for all men, &c. 1 Sam. 12. God forbid, saith Samuel, that I should sinne against God and not pray for you.

Charity indeed requireth that we should pray for all men, but the prophets of [Sol.] God knowing by the spirit, which they have, what conduceth most for conver∣sion and salvation, see that judgements are sometimes necessary for this purpose, and so pray for them, not out of malice, or for any end of their own, but to bring them to God, and then they pray again for the removall of these judgements, as al∣so Elias did, and it was not altogether without effect in the people, who being thus prepared, and seeing a further miracle of fire coming down from heaven upon Elijah his sacrifice, acknowledged Iehovah to be the onely true God, whereas * 1.7 they had served Baal before. And Samuel proceeded also in like manner, first cal∣ling

for thunder and rain in wheat-harvest, and then for fair weather, and Moses did the like towards Pharaoh in the land of Egypt.

But to return now again to Elijah his hiding of himself, where Ahab might not finde him, who the Lord knew, would bee enraged against him, when hee should begin to suffer by this drought. It may seem strange both that Ahab laid not hold upon Elijah, when he was before him, and also, that the Lord should bid him go and hide himself, when he was able to protect him unhidden. But to the first it may be said, that Ahab haply contemned his threatning, as coming from an idle and distempered brain of one, who was not to be regarded; and to the se∣cond, that the Lord in his example, would teach us to use means of preservation in time of danger, by fleeing and hiding our selves, and not to trust to his imme∣diate providence, when there is any other lawfull way of escaping; so Martyr. * 1.8

And thou shalt drinke of the brooke, and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee * 1.9 there.] This is spoken, lest Elijah should doubt, when he came into so desert a place, that he should be destitute of necessary food. And it was a strange way of feeding him, but served to set forth the power of God the more, whereby he can make any of his creatures to serve for the good of his, although against their na∣ture; and Martyr noteth particularly, that the ravens especially did owe the Lord this service for the benefit which they singularly above other fowles enjoy by his providence, when they are young; according to Ps. 14. 7. Who feedeth the young ravens, that call upon him. And Iob 39. 3. For being newly hatched, as some ob∣serve the dam forsakes them, till they be feathered, and in all that time they are by an extraordinary providence susteined; and they determin also the means, viz. by little wormes, bred about their nest. And as the Lord promised it was perfor∣med to his Prophet: the ravens brought him bread, and flesh morning and even∣ing, and this the Rabbins are bold to say, they took out of Ahabs kitchin. But cer∣tainly no man knoweth where they had it, only it is certain that he who employed them about this carriage, could provide it any where at his pleasure, and he could also have sent it him by his Angels, but it was his will at this time rather to make this use of these fowles, so singularly obliged unto him, to teach men to be ready to doe him service for his goodnesse extraordinary towards them, in feeding the hun∣gry, as he commands, out of that which they have to feed themselves withall: ac∣cording to that, He that hath meat let him give to him that hath none. But seeing the raven is an unclean bird, why would the Lord have meat brought to Elijah by * 1.10 ravens, or how could he eat it without being defiled? Martyr answereth, the same Lord, who would have the raven generally counted unclean, by appointing the ra∣vens * 1.11 now to bring him meat dispensed with that law, and indeed in case of neces∣sity Christ teacheth, that a ceremoniall law need not to be kept, but that a mans necessity for the preservation of his life is alwayes a dispensation to it, when hee justified his Disciples plucking of eares of corn upon the Sabbath being hungry, say∣ing, * 1.12 man is not made for the Sabbath, but the Sabbath for man, Thus Martyr; but it is to be noted, that although the raven was unclean, and they that did eat of it, or touch the carcasse of it being dead, were hereby indeed made unclean for a time, yet no uncleannesse was by it contracted whilste it lived, and therefore no dispensation * 1.13 was now needfull. Allegorically by the ravens, the ordinary glosse understandeth the Gentiles black by sinne and idolatry, but they bring meat, as it were, unto Christ, * 1.14 when they turn to the faith; according to that saying of his, when the Samaritans came out to heare him, and believed, I have meat to eat, that yee know not of; for that meat was their faith, and herewith Christ is fed morning and evening, when * 1.15 the Gentiles embrace the faith in the beginning of the Gospell, and continue in it unto the end. The Papists to countenance the superstition of Anchorites, parallel this of Elias, with the like done to Paul the first Eremite, who they say had bread brought unto him once a day by the ravens, herein making him to be of a more per∣fect life then Elias, because he eat but one meale a day, and bread onely, without flesh; hereupon commending this course of life as most perfect, when as by this ex∣ample of Elijah it is plaine, that it well agreeth with the holyest man living ordina∣rily to eat flesh as well as fish, and two meales a day as well as one, so that gluttony

and drunkennesse be avoided, and abstinence from all meat be used at times of fast∣ing. Only where abstinence from flesh upon some dayes is by the law of the land enjoyned for the good of the common wealth, obedience herein out of the case of necessity, is to be yielded by all men.

But after certain days the brook was dryed up▪ &c. Then the word of the Lord came to * 1.16 him saying, arise go to Sareptah, &c.] Heb. it is, at the end of days, well rendred by Iun. at the end of a year, as also the same phrase is used, Gen. 4. 3. The drought was now grown very great even to the drying up of water springs. God indeed could have cau∣sed that the water should stil have continued here for the use of his servant, but it see∣med good unto him rather to work now another miracle, & in providing for him the residue of the famin, to provide for a poor faithfull widow also, who must otherwise have perished together with her son through hunger, and that not in the land of Isra∣el, but of Sidon, in Sareptah a city of the Gentiles, which was done as we may gather from the application of Christ made hereof, Luke 4. to figure out the rejection of the Iewes, and the vocation of the Gentiles; yet the Rabbins, as Martyr hath it, will some of them have this city to be in Israel, because they would not have it thought that such a miracle was wrought out of their land; and some in France, but most erroneously, as may appear by that which hath been said; how Elijah spent his time when he lived alone by the brook, it is not said, but we may easily conjecture, that he spent it in prayer, and divine meditations. Ioh. Hieros. saith, that he was there taught of God a form of living solitarily, wherein he afterwards instructed others, making this the originall of a monasticall life. And he addeth, that other godly per∣sons came thither to him by the guidance of Angels, who were by him confirmed against idolatry, and taught to live such a life, &c. When Elijah came to the gate of the city, he saw a widdow woman gathering up sticks, whom happily he knew to be a widdow by her habit, but whether the Lord had yet declared unto him, that this was she to whom he was sent, is by some doubted, holding that he asked first a little water of her, as Abrahams servant sometime had done of Rebecka, praying be∣fore, * 1.17 that her readinesse in giving it to him, might be a signe to assure him, that shee was the woman. But I rather think, that by a divine instinct he knew her so soon as he saw her, because he presently declared the word of the Lord unto her, and Prophets were of that sagacity generally, that they knew others extraordinarily, when they came near unto them, although another man could not; as Ahijah the Prophet knew the wife of Ieroboam, when her feet did but sound at his door, be∣fore * 1.18 he heard her speak, although she were also disguised to deceive him, that could not see. He then asked her first, as the thing which he first stood in need of being dry and thirsty, and then calling to her again, would have a little cake brought him also. The journey of the Prophet from the brook Cherith to Sareptah, saith H. B. * 1.19 was 100 miles, and his former journey from Samaria to Cherith 24 miles▪ Hee might well then, when hee had taken so long a journey, bee both very thirsty and hungry; and so weary, as that he might gladly sit down and rest and refresh himself there, before he went to the widdowes house; neither could he without an extra∣ordinary spirit, wherewith he was endued, travaile so far without food. But what his ability was in this kind, we may gather from ch. 18. where he is said to have g••••∣ded himselfe, and run before Ahabs chariot, when hee made all the haste that hee could from mount Carmel to Iezreel, which was 16 miles. But now he was doubt∣lesse weary and hungry, as our Lord when he had fasted 40 dayes, is said afterwards * 1.20 to have begun to bee hungry. Who this widdow was, is not otherwise expressed, but that she was gathering up sticks to make a fire; whereby it appeareth, that she was poore, So God chooseth the poor in this world: And by her speech it appeareth, * 1.21 that shee was one rich in her faith, and by her present believing the word of the Lord, which the Prophet spake unto her; For she said, as the Lord thy God liveth, and called not gods to record after a heathenish manner; and although she had only meale enough to make one cake, and then was likely to dye with famin; yet at this word she imparted thereof to Elijah for his necessity, believing to be supply∣ed again miraculously, as he had said. It cannot hence be gathered, as Martyr no∣teth, that one ought to give to a Prophet in his need, before that hee giveth to his * 1.22

child, or himselfe, or parents. For charity beginneth at home, and a man must first * 1.23 and chiefly provide for his own family, and honour father and mother by supplying their wants, and if he hath any thing to spare, then give to others; and chiefly to Prophets in want. For when the Pharisees taught, that in giving to the Priest, a man did so highly please God, that he needed not thus to honour his parents, they are censured as overthrowing Gods command by their traditions. Neither did this * 1.24 widow give the prophet a cake first to diminish her necessary provision, which was for the sustentation of her and her sonnes life, but to have it encreased, as it is said indeed that it was.

For whereas she had onely meal and oyl enough for once to feed her and her * 1.25 sonne, it was now so encreased from thenceforth as she spent of it, that both he and she and her house, which was not spoken of before, lived upon it many dayes, neither was it thus diminished, till the earth returned to her former fertility. In the text it is said, till God sent rain upon the earth, not meaning, that then imme∣diatly it ceased, for after the rain it was divers moneths, before the earth could yield any fruit, but so soon as this was done, the miracle of encreasing the meal and oyl ceased, and that was two yeares and an half, as will appear by comparing here∣with vers. 7. How this was done is not to be enquired, for he that promised it, could as easily do it by his almighty power, as cause the earth ordinarily to bring forth corn and oyl by his blessing. Yet the Rabbins are bold to set down the way, viz. by causing the aire about the oyl to turn into oyl, and that about the meal into meal, as in the caverns of the earth, from whence the water-springs come, the cir∣cumambient aire is by the coldnes & moisture of the place turned into water, wher∣by no want followeth the running out of the water, but the same current conti∣nueth still. It may be noted here, that the famine brought upon Israel by the wic∣kednesse of king Ahab, extended to some forreign countrries also, but herein it is probable, that there was a speciall hand of providence directing it to the country of the Sidonians for the punishment of their idolatry, who were authours to Israel of sinning thus in their daughter Iezabel, the wife of Ahab, who sprung from their king, the land of Iudah under good king Iehosaphat, being in the mean season free from this judgement, and all other countries also, as may well be supposed, be∣cause no history maketh mention of any such famine in all the world, and Tostatus * 1.26 argueth against it both from naturall causes, which never are of a famine in all parts together, seeing the constitution of divers clymates are divers, and from superna∣turall, seeing God doth not at any time punish all countries in one kinde. But a∣mongst the Sidonians and Tyrians that this famine was, Menander testifieth, say∣ing, * 1.27 in the time of Ithobaal king of the Tyrians, there was such a defect of rain from the moneth Hyperbereteus unto the Hyperbereteus of the year following, that none fell in all that time, but when he had appointed supplications to be made, a great deal of thunder followed, wherein yet he goeth from the sacred history, which speaketh not of a year only, but of three years and six moneths. If it be asked, why the prophet was not sent at the first to this widow? Tostatus answereth * 1.28 rightly, that Ahab making enquiry after him, when he began first to be vexed with the famine, in all kingdomes about, as Obadiah afterwards told him, it had been hard for him to be hidden in a populous city, but now having searched in all places as much as he could after him, and hearing no where of him, he did most probably give it over, resolving that either he was dead, or else taken away so by the spirit, as that he could not be found.

After these things it happened, that the womans sonne fell sick, and his sicknesse * 1.29 was so sore, that no breath was left in him, &c.] That is, whilest Elijah yet sojour∣ned with her, the Lord did thus exercise and further confirm her faith. She seeing her sonne dead, expostulateth with the prophet, as calling her sinne to remem∣brance before God, for which she thought that her sonne was thus taken away from her. Therefore he carieth the childe into his chamber and prayeth again, and again, and stretcheth himself upon him three times, and he was restored to life a∣gain, and she was more confirmed in her faith. The meaning of her expostula∣tion was, as if she had said, what have I offended against thee that I am now thus

punished? and if not, this is come upon me for my former sins and present impu∣rity, which appears to be the more foul, now that I have so holy a man with me. Thus P. Martyr and Pellican, But Lyra rejecteth it in the last part, which is the exposition of the Hebrews, because none fare the worse for their sinnes, for ha∣ving such as are more holy with them, but rather the better for their sakes, where∣fore he confirmeth the former, she seeing him to be a man zealous against sinne in Ahab, thought that he had also called for this judgement against her for her sinnes, of which being a godly woman she could not but be most sensible, and this I take to be the true meaning. She out of her grieved and troubled minde spake so unto him, as if he were the cause. But to clear himself, he took her sonne to him and prayed, &c.

For Elijah his strange gesture in stretching himself upon the body of the childe three times, which the Chaldee rendreth he streightned himself, the Septuagint he breathed upon him, he did this as an instrument of God, and so did Elishah in * 1.30 imitation of him, thus helping by the spirit, that was extraordinarily in him, the body to wax warm, and so to be the more fit to be again enlived by the souls retur∣ning, as God at the first breathed into Adam the breath of life and he became a li∣ving soul, and he did thus and prayed thrice, to intimate his praying to the bles∣sed Trinity, and not, because God could not have raised him without such means, but God directed him so to do, in a mysterie, according to Lyra, Christs coarcting or streightning of himself upon a humane body b••ing set forth hereby, when he * 1.31 took flesh upon him in the womb of the Virgin Mary, and again when he lay in the manger, and lastly, when he hung upon the crosse, whereby man dead in sinnes and trespasses is quickened, coming once by faith to be united unto him. And such meanes were also used then, to shew the imperfection of the law in comparison of the Gospel, when with lesse ado Christ and his Apostles raised some from the dead. But as Martyr noteth, this is the first, amongst those that were raised up * 1.32 from the dead since the creation of the world, but after two were raised from the dead by Elishah, three by Christ, one by Peter, and one by Paul, to say nothing of those, that rose out of their graves at the time of Christs resurrection, and this is held rightly to be the greatest of all miracles, and therefore▪ this widow, who had seene the great miracle of the meale and oyle before, said, Now I know that thou art a man of God, &c. That is, I am more confirmed in it, which I in∣deed beleeved before, as the Samaritans, to her that told them of Christ, * 1.33 Now we beleeve, not because of thy saying, but we have heard him our selves, and know, &c. Touching him that was raised, some, whom Ierom follow∣eth, hold, that it was Ionah, who is therefore called the son of Amittai, that is, of truth in alluding to the saying of his mother, I know that the word of God in thy mouth is true. Hebr. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Amith. But this may well be passed over as a Rabi∣nicall invention. For Ionah was of Gath Hepher a citie in Zebulun, Iosh. 19. 14▪ 1 King. 14. 25. and not of Sareptah, and his fathers name was Amittai, neither he so called, because of the word used by his mother upon this miracle. And the time doth not well agree, seeing more then 59. years passed from this time to the beginning of the reign of Ieroboam the second, two in the time of Ahaziah the son of Ahab, twelve of Ioram, 28. of Iehu, and 17. of his son, after which Ieroboam reigneth and corrupteth all things, and yet by Ionah a prophesie is uttered, that then much, which had been lost from the kingdome of Israel, should be recovered out of a commiseration, which God had of their long continued affliction. But al∣though the times may agree to this childe, yet for the reasons before going, he cannot be that Ionah.

Notes

• * 1.1

  V. 1.
• * 1.2

  Lyra. P. Martyr. Pellican.
• * 1.3

  J••m. 5. 18.
• * 1.4

  Iosephus.
• * 1.5

  V. 3.
• * 1.6

  Hieronym. Adricom.
• * 1.7

  Chap. 18.
• * 1.8

  P. Martyr.
• * 1.9

  V. 4.
• * 1.10

  Luk. 3. 12.
• * 1.11

  P. Martyr.
• * 1.12

  Matth. 12.
• * 1.13

  Levit. 11.
• * 1.14

  The Allegory.
• * 1.15

  Joh. 4.
• * 1.16

  V. 7.
• * 1.17

  Solem. Lyra.
• * 1.18

  Kings 14.
• * 1.19

  H. B. P••t. trav.
• * 1.20

  Matth. 4.
• * 1.21

  Iam. 2. 5.
• * 1.22

  ••. Martyr.
• * 1.23

  1 Tim. 5.
• * 1.24

  Matth. 15.
• * 1.25

  V. 15, 16.
• * 1.26

  Tostatus.
• * 1.27

  Menander. l. 8. c. 7.
• * 1.28

  Tostatus.
• * 1.29

  V. 17.
• * 1.30

  2 Kings 4. 35.
• * 1.31

  Lyra.
• * 1.32

  P. Martyr.
• * 1.33

  Jo••. 4.