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.

About this Item

Title
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.
Author
Mayer, John, 1583-1664.
Publication
London :: printed by Robert and William Leybourn, and are to be sold at most Book-sellers shops,
M DC LIII. [1653]
Rights/Permissions

To the extent possible under law, the Text Creation Partnership has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above, according to the terms of the CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/). This waiver does not extend to any page images or other supplementary files associated with this work, which may be protected by copyright or other license restrictions. Please go to http://www.textcreationpartnership.org/ for more information.

Link to this Item
http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A88989.0001.001
Cite this Item
"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." In the digital collection Early English Books Online 2. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A88989.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 15, 2024.

Pages

CHAP. XXI.

MAnasseh was 12 years old when he began to reign, and reigned 55. years, his mothers name was Hephsibah.] Numa saith S. Augustine, reigned at the same * 1.1 time over Rome, who encreased so the number of the gods by making more, that he left no room for himself to be placed amongst them, and Baladan the king of Babylon was also idolatrous, the Samian Sybilla was also of these times. The world then, as we may gather, was full of superstition, and the Princes of Judah being alwayes prone to the same, most probably wrought upon the youth of their king to favour this way, and the rather, for the league made by his father with the king of Babylon, whereby he became most wicked, as is hereafter shewed. Touch∣ing his mother, some Rabbins say, that she was the daughter of the prophet Esay, as Wolphius hath it; but because he was so bad, she that bare such a sonne is not set forth by the name of her father; to leave which to the inventers, Hephsibah signi∣fieth, * 1.2

Page 298

which pleaseth me or is acceptable to me; whereby is intimated, that of what parentage soever she came, she was a good wife, and according to Hezekiah his heart, seeing names are not thus singularly commemorated in holy Scriptures, but because they, that bear them, are really such. Wherefore most probably, as Ma∣nasseh came of a good father, so likewise of a good mother, yet he degenerated, to shew, that vertue is not hereditary. Notwithstanding he lived long, and reigned longer then any of the kings of Judah before him, amongst whom none but Aza∣riah [Note.] attained to 52. but he to 55. but he spent a great part of his time in much mi∣sery * 1.3 for his abominable wickedness, wherein he equalled the most idolatrous hea∣thens. And in that which is said touching this, first it is to be noted, that he was most contrary to his godly father, 2. The main parts of his wickedness are to be considered. For the first, whereas his father in the very beginning of his reign en∣deavoured by all means to set up the true worship of God, he contrariwise put that down; his father set the Priests and Levites in their order about the temple, he drave them from the temple, setting idols priests in their room; his father brought even some heathens by his piety to the true faith; he by his impiety cor∣rupted many of the faithful; his father honoured much the Prophet Isaiah, he, as history saith, sawed him asunder, having first dishonoured his venerable age by scourges, although he were his neer kinsman; his father consulted with God by his Prophets, but he with the devil by witchcraft; his father had the sunne and starrs obedient unto him, he worshipped most basely the sunne, moon, and stars; his father by praying, and piety prevailed to keep away judgements from his peo∣ple, he by his impiety brought judgements upon himself and them; wherefore his father obtained a glorious victory over his enemies to the encrease of his ho∣nour, no labour or pains in fighting being taken therefore, but he to his great in∣famy was overcome by his enemy and bound like a slave in chaines was carryed into Babylon. Somewhat to this effect also hath Josephus. For the second, his wic∣edness consisted of three parts; Idolatry, Homicide, and Magick.

First, he turned and built the high places, which Hezekiah his father had pulled down, and set up altars in the house of the Lord, as Ahaz his grandfather had done.] * 1.4 For by means of evil counsellours about him, who swayed him in his childhood, he was perswaded, that his grandfather was wiser then his father, and therefore preferred rather to follow the house of Ahab, of whom he was descended by the mothers side: for Ahaz was the son of Jotham, the son of Ʋzziah, the sonne of Amasiah, the son of Joash, the son of Ahaziah, whose mother was Athaliah the daughter of Amri, Ahabs father, who was the setter up of more idolatry in Israel, then any of his predecessours. Wherefore it being now a long time, since this su∣perstition came up and was practised even in Judah, the young king might easily be made believe, that it was the old religion, and that of Hezekiah new, and so to stand for it, this being put down: for so was Joas by the flattery of his courtiers * 1.5 carryed away after the death of Jehoiadah. But hereby the great men of Judah shewed, how hollow hearted they were, when as under Hezekiah they had shewed all for wardness against idolatry and for Gods pure worship; but now immediat∣ly after his death having an opportunity, they soon discovered, that their hearts were all this while towards idols.

And he set up altars in the two courts to all the host of heaven] That is according * 1.6 to Vatablus, in the inner court of the Levites, and the outer of the Israelites; thus defiling all holy places, both temple and courts, in the temple the altar set up most probably was such an other as Ahaz had set up there before to the idol of Da∣mascus, these in the courts were to the Planets, Saturne, Jupiter, Mars, Sol. &c. having several images with inscriptions to make them known: and as Wolphius hath it, not to the Planets onely, but also to the fixed starres, and the spirits in the aire.

And he made his son to pass thorow the fire.] Which he could not do at the first, because being but twelve years old he had none, but having begun betimes * 1.7 in his idolatrous course, as he grew into more years, he grew still worse and worse. Of this horible and most unnatural practice of idolaters to their dear chil∣dren,

Page 299

see before upon chap. 16. 3. Yea he did not onely make groves, and set up the idol Baal, as is said here, v. 3. but he brought in time that idol into the temple, waxing more audacious against God, who had given a streight charge about put∣ting his name there so, promising, that Israel should never be moved out of his * 1.8 place. But he nothing regarding this, together with his princes committed this abomination to remove the Lord, as it were, and to set up Baal there. In the text it is called the image of the grove, whereupon Vatablus saith, that it was an image of a grove, which he had planted, artificially carved; but Dionysius better, the image which he had placed in a grove, which he would have worshipped above all others, that is, the image of Baal. And it is said, that the people being decei∣red * 1.9 by him did worse then the Gentiles expelled out of that land before them. He forced them not at the first then, but sought to allure them to his idolatry by setting up glorious images, and planting pleasant groves, in which they might walke and delight themselves, and when by this meanes he saw them come to a liking of this, he ascended this height of impiety to pollute the temple it selfe. Neither is * 1.10 this all that is said, to aggravate his wickednesse, but both he and they being admo∣nished by prophets, they contemned it, and all the terrible threatenings, which * 1.11 they added against him and them. And hitherto the first part of his wickednesse, the second was his Magick inserted, vers. 6. He became a sonthsayer, and set up * 1.12 such as had familiar spirits, and multiplied wizzards to provoke the Lord.] Be∣cause his law was thus manifestly transgressed, as also by causing his children to passe thorow the fire, which two are censured together, Levit. 20. 1, 2, 6, &c. But of these devillish practises see before upon Levit. 19. 31. There were two wayes * 1.13 of the wizzards divining, the one called auspicium, the other augurium: 1. By beholding their flying. 2. By hearing their singing, unto which they added a third, viz. aruspicium, by looking into the entrailes. So Wolphius who entreateth at large of all sorts of heathen superstitions.

The third part of his wickednesse was his homicide, he shed so much innocent * 1.14 bloud, that he filled Ierusalem therewith up to the brim. So that although at the first he drew men on by fair deceitfull means, yet afterwards it seemeth that he persecuted, and tyrannically murthered such prophets and other godly persons, as opposed and would not consent to his idolatries, and other abhominatious: because after the relation of Gods threatning against him by his prophet, made v. 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15. this followeth immediately of his rage and bloudshed. Who they were that suffered under this tyrant, by name is not recorded, onely forsomuch as he is said to have filled Ierusalem with innocent bloud, alluding unto a floud filling all places where it cometh; we may gather, that many of the common people also were murthered, insomuch, as that through the great numbers who were slain, there was as it were a sea of bloud in the city; and it is generally held, according to Epiphanius, that the Prophet Esay was one of them that suffered by being sawn * 1.15 a under, and then buried under the oak Ragel. But the Rabbins more circumstan∣tially say, that because he called the princes, Princes of Sodome, ch. 1. and said that he saw God, ch. 2. which it is said no man shall do and live, Manasseh sought to slay him, but a great cedar opening it self, he went in and was closed there, then the tyrant commanded the tree, with him in the midst of it, to be sawn asunder, to the sawing of him it is pointed Heb. 11. 37. Lyra saith, that this history is set forth in a * 1.16 book called Iehamoth, thus; Because Esay was uncle to Manasseh by the mothers side, he durst not deal with him as with other martyrs, but sought occasion against him from his writings, Esa. 6. as hath been said before, hereupon he was con∣demned to dye; then he prayed unto the Lord, and he caused a cedar to open unto him to hide him therein, but he not terrified with the miracle, caused him to be sawn asunder with an iron saw; according to some, with a woodden saw, to en∣crease his pain, and when he being thus cormented desired drink, they would give him none, but God sent some down miraculously into his mouth. But it is more probable, that Esay was slain for his bold enveighing against the sinnes of the king and his people, Esa. 57. 3. where he calleth them witches children, and children of the adulterer and the whore, and Esa. 1. 10, &c. And hitherto of the great wic∣kednesse

Page 300

of Manasseh, unto which in the Kings nothing is added more, but briefly * 1.17 having referred us to the history of the Kings of Iudah, his death immediately fol∣loweth.

Wherefore 2 Chron. 33. 11. it is said, The Lord brought against them the princes * 1.18 of the Army of the king of Assyria, who took him in the thornes, and bound him with two iron chaines, and carried him into Babylon, where being in great affliction, he prayed unto the Lord, &c.] Iosephus, for the Princes of the king of Assyria, hath, the * 1.19 king of Babylon. But herein, saith Lyra, there is no difference; because the King of Babylon, that now was, had been a subject of the king of Assyria, together with the princes there, but now they were revolted, & Babylon was an absolute kingdom of it self, as hath been shewed before. When he together with his princes, then are called princes of the king of Assyria, it is onely spoken as they were in times past, for that the princes of Babylon are meant, appeareth, because he is said to have been carried into Babylon, and these princes are not here simply said in Hebrew, to be the princes of the Assyrian king, but the princes of the army which was his, viz. when he came against Ierusalem, for although they who were of the kingdome of Assyria were ••••••troyed, yet these most probably escaped away alive, and now did no longer live under that kings obedience. The place where he was taken, was in a queachy place full of thorns and briars, to which Iunius saith, he fled to hide * 1.20 himself; for so did many of Israel in the dayes of Saul, for fear of the Philistims. For the great misery endured by Manasseh in Babylon, Jerom saith, that he was put into a brazen vessell full of holes, and therein tormented by fire put about it, wherefore he prayed earnestly to all the gods, whom he had formerly served, but having no help, he remembred what he had heard his father say of the God of Israel, that he onely was able to help in distresse, and would save all those that called upon him, and therefore he sought most earnestly by praier unto him, and was delivered. But this is generally sleighted as a Rabinicall invention, because it hath no ground in holy Scripture, and it is improbable, that being brought into this misery, whilest he was so zealous for his idols, who (it appeared now) could do him no good be∣ing in his own land, that he would seek unto them in a strange land, to which they had suffered him their servitour to be carried away. Moreover, for the affliction endured by him in particular, Chrysostome saith, that he was fed but with so much * 1.21 barley bread in a day, and so much water mingled with vineger, as might keep him alive, being all the while bound with chains in the prison house. Which sheweth, that the particular relations of his miseries are but conjecturall, none being able to tell, what they were besides imprisonment and bands, and this was misery enough for a king to endure. If it be demanded, what quarrell had the king of Babylon or his princes against him, that they should come thus against him, and use him so indignly? It is answered, that most probably he being waxed great, as the kings of Assyria had formerly been, was moved out of the ambition of his minde, when Hezekiah was dead, with whom he had contracted friendship, to think of subduing the land of Iudah, and getting that wonderfull great treasure, which he heard by his embassadours was at Ierusalem, and so sent out some to take the king, which he thought they might easily do being young and improvident, and then he might propound his own conditions, before he were again restored, to pay him such a summe of money down, and to be his tributary under a tribute of so much per annum; thus he. But God, who moderateth in all things, had another end in the coming of these men against him, viz. to punish him with grievous affliction, according to the grievousnesse of his sinnes. But it is strange, and different from all other histories, which is here related, in that it is neither said with what forces this expedition was made, nor how he was taken, nor whether being alone, or ha∣ving any of his princes in his company, he were carried away. Wherefore the sa∣cred historian was only intent to the shewing of his punishment, as being the main thing to be lookt at for use, together with his repentance and deliverance, not re∣garding to speak of other things concomitating the same. It is probable therefore, that all which was here done was extraordinary, and not like to any other invasion or deliverance, any where recorded in holy Scripture. The King Manasseh haply

Page 301

being so horrible a sinner and bloudshedder, was stricken with inward terrour, as Cain had sometime been, which made him to flee out of the city, there being no apparant cause, and to seek to hide himself amongst thorns, and these princes at the same time being extraordinarily stirred up, came into the land of Iudah to get some rich prey, being drawn by the fame of the great wealth which was there, and ha∣ving accidentally lighted upon Manasseh, they thinking him prey enough for that time, made him fast with chaines, and so carried him into Babylon, without any other in his company, except Shebnah, who might also then be taken and carried away likewise, as is prophesied Esa. 22. 17. according to Cyril. Gretserus and some * 1.22 others, because we never read of any king so carried away, will needs have some of the princes also to have been carried away with him, because also the Lord is said to have brought these princes against them, in the plurall number, & not against him in the singular, and good reason, that they who did partake with him in his sinne, should likewise partake with him in his punishment; especially, seeing they most probably were the instigators of him to these evils, he being too young to set to such works of himself. But because the taking and carrying away of none but of him is spoken of, it is rather to be held, that he was alone, or at the least without any con∣siderable company, haply having but one or two with him, being for their paucity omitted without speaking of them. Whereas some conjecture, that the city of Ie∣rusalem was now also taken, it is yet further from the truth, neither doth Iosephus * 1.23 make mention of any such thing, but saith, that Manasseh was taken by deceit, haply riding out for his recreation with few attendants, but when he saw the As∣syrian princes, and the danger, wherein he was, he fled into a bushy place, and lurk∣ing there for fear, was taken.

The Lord being prayed unto was entreated, and brought him back againe to his * 1.24 owne kingdome, &c.] As the hand of God was evidently in his carrying away so extraordinarily, so it was in his bringing back againe; for how or by what meanes this was done it is not said: whereupon some conjecture, that it was miracu∣lously. Ierom. in the Hebr. tradit. That it was by taking him up as Habbacuk Dan. * 1.25 adject. c. 14. 35. by the haire of his head, and carrying him from Ierusalem to Baby∣lon and thence back againe to his owne place. Chrysost. op. imperf. That a fire be∣ing * 1.26 sent by the Lord dissolved his chaines and so he was delivered. But because God hath many wayes to deliver such as call upon him in distresse, which are unknown to us, the safest is to passe this over undetermined, onely we may be sure, that he was extraordinarily delivered: and not as Benhadad sometime had beene out of the hands of Ahab by humbling himselfe to him and entering into covenants, for then it could not so properly have been said, That the Lord brought him back. Most probably as he was carried away without battell first fought, the kingdome not being indammaged much hereby, so without ransome or covenant for tribute he was returned against the will of the king of Babylon and his princes, most probably his chaines being losened, and the prison doore being opened in the night, as to Peter afterwards, Act. 12. and so he departing unseene. In what yeare of his reign this was done is uncertaine, but the Hebrew Chronicle saith, that anno 22. * 1.27 some others anno 7. but that is more unprobable, seeing he was not by this account come to mans estate, when he was carried away, and all the evils that he did, and gods patience and sending to admonish and threaten him imply a far longer time. Then he knew that the Lord was God] That is, experimentally by this judgement brought extraordinarily upon him, and by his extraordinary deliverance. He was not certainly ignorant of it before, but whilest he lived in idolatry he was not re∣puted one that knew God, but now he reforming both knew and acknowledged him indeed. In Manasseh see the unspeakable mercy of God towards man most [Note.] sinfull repenting, in that he having been so foule a sinner, as that none was ever like him to the destruction of many in body by bloudy persecution, and of many more doubtlesse in soule by deceiving them, yet he was received to mercy, when he was greatly humbled, and servently sought to the Lord by prayer, for the comfort of all distressed sinners, but not of audacious ones, who are bold presuming upon mercy to run into and continue in any wickednesse. What words he used in praying is

Page 302

not recorded in the Hebrew text but onely in the Apocriphals in another language, but v. 19. it is said, that his prayer is in the words of Cozi, that is, some booke not now extant, but not canonicall Scripture: Of which it is to be held that nothing * 1.28 hath perished, or shall perish, whilest the world lasteth, because by Gods singular providence preserved; whose it is the Hebrew Chronicle makes mention of Ozai as a Prophet, saying, Vnder the reign of Amon Shellum prophesied, who was high Priest and Ozai. By Ozai then is not meant Esay, as some conjecture for he was dead long before Manasseh.

Afterwards Manasseh built the outward wall of the city of David, &c.] The * 1.29 Sacred Historian immediately after the returne of Manasseh from his captivity sheweth his providence to defend himselfe and his people against his enemies, out of whose hands he had escaped, and then his approving himselfe to be truly con∣verted in the care that he took about religion. Iosephus contrariwise saith, That he * 1.30 first reformed religion, and then went about those works of defence, neither doth the Sacred History plainly crosse this, but onely relateth the one before the other, and it may be, as in some other things, not regarding order, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the last first. For it is most probable, that Manasseh being brought home againe a convert, did without all delay prepare to offer unto God eucharisticall sacrifices, and that he might rightly doe this, first tooke away the altars set up to idols and then erected the altar of the Lord in the proper place, and as he had before drawne the people to idolatry, so now he sought by his godly exhortations to draw them to the Lord, be∣cause that therein stood their greatest safety, and this might soone be done; and then in due time the building of another wall for defence might the better be in∣tended. The city of David was Zion, the wall now built was first westward toward Gihon, a book of water in a valley there, then towards the fish-gate, which was east, all these parts being compassed with a strong wall round about, which lay lowest. And it is most likely, that whilest the Priests and Levites were busied with some workmen to help about the temple, others were employed about pre∣paring materials for the wall.

As in the dayes of other godly kings, who also maintained the true religion, so * 1.31 now yet the people persisted to sacrifice in the high places, but to the Lord onely. And of Manasseh no more is said, but references are made to other bookes and writings, and Amon his sonne succeeded him. But 2 King. 21. 18. he is said to * 1.32 have beene buried in the garden of his house, which was the garden of Ʋzzah, ap∣pointing it thus by his last will and testament, as Iunius conjectureth, as counting * 1.33 himselfe unworthy for his sinnes to be laid in the sepulchre of the kings of Iudah. Tostatus saith, that the people would not suffer him to be buried amongst the o∣ther kings for his great wickednesse past, and indeed although he humbled him∣selfe and prayed, and was to his kingdome restored, yet his wickednesse was still remembered and punished afterwards, 2 King. 23. 26. & 24. 3. It was forgiven to him, and no further punished in his person, but in his posterity, that renewed it, to deterre all men from such profligate wickednesse.

Who this Ʋzzah was from whom this garden is named, is not shewed by any that I have seene but for so much as inheritances passed not from one to another family, he was some man of the family of David, whose garden came to the king, for want of another heire, unlesse by Ʋzzah be meant Ʋzziah the king, who be∣cause he died a leper was buried in a field belonging to the kings, 2 Chron. 26. 23. being haply made a garden and for his being buryed there called by his name.

Amon was twenty two yeares old when he began to reigne, &c. his mothers name was Meshullemeth, the daughter of Charutzi of Iotbah.] Of which Iotbah see * 1.34 Deut. 10. 7. It was, saith Ierom, an ancient towne of the tribe of Iudah, but whe∣ther she or her father were good or evill, it is not said, onely we may gather, that she was no stranger, but a Iew, and so he was no mungrell breed; and by his age it appeareth, that he was borne long after his fathers conversion and so educated in the worship of the true God all his dayes hitherto. Wherefore it is the more strange, which is there related of him: He did evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in all the wayes in which his father had walked, worshipping those gods, &c.

Page 303

2 Chron. 32. 23. He humbled not himselfe as his father did, but encreased the guilt. * 1.35 So Iunius translates it, the Vulgar Lat. He sinned much more: Hebrew it is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Hirbe Ashma, which may be indifferently rendered either way. He was therefore another Ioash, of whom see before, chap. 12. who notwithstan∣ding his good education under Iehoiadah turned wicked idolater, and therefore this king came also to the like end, was slaine by his servants, because haply by them and their flattery he had been drawn to idolatry, as Ioash also had been by his, who came and fell down before him and thus enclined his unsetled minde to their impious desires. And it was a judgement of God singularly to be marked, justly [Note.] coming upon him, that the same should be the instruments of his destruction, who were the instruments of his seduction. And although Manasseh his father re∣pented and rejected his idols, yet he was not altogether blamelesse of this wicked∣nesse of his sonne, because he burnt not his idols, but onely cast them out of the city where they remained to be a snare to Amon. Neither is he said to have done any * 1.36 thing for the reforming of other parts of his kingdome, but of Ierusalem onely, so that from the countrey, where his corruption remained still it might easily be de∣rived to the city: for a warning to all reformers, not to doe as Manasseh, but as Iehu, breake down the image and burne the house of Baal with fire, and so root [Note.] out idolatry from Israel forever. But how can it be said, that Amon sinned more, seeing he turned not wizard, nor shed innocent bloud, that we read of, but onely in idolatry followed his father? Chrysostome saith, that he sinned more, because he said, that he would thus doe now and by the example of his father repent, when he * 1.37 was old, and this is to sinne presumptuously. The Hebrew Chronicle, he sinned more, because he burnt the bookes of the law, which is the more probable, because a book of the law being found amongst the rubbish in the dayes of Iosiah was brought unto him, as most rare. This also made his sinne the greater because he was taught by his fathers example, but contemned or perverted it: lastly, whereas Manasseh repented, he did not, but died in his sinnes, as 2 Chron. 33. 23.

And the servants of Amon conspired against him, and slew him in his house, &c.] * 1.38 Thus through the just judgement of God, he was soon cut off, although the trai∣toors who did this execution are by no means to be justified, but condemned as most wicked bloud shedders, for that they not onely maliciously in way of revenge kill an ordinary man, but the King; whose person is so sacred, that although he be rejected of God for his wickednesse, yet every one of his subjects ought to be so farre from killing him, as that he should fear to cut off the lap of his garment, as David did by Saul. And therefore the people did well to slay those, that thus trea∣cherously had slain their king, as David had before done by him, that said, he had killed Saul.

Amon being dead, the people made Iosiah his sonne king; and buried him in * 1.39 the garden of Vzza, where it is said Manasseh was buried before. They neither put him into so honourable a sepulchre, as other kings that were godly, nor any lamentation for him, as they did afterwards for Iosiah when he was slain by Pharaoh Necho, Thus a difference shall be put after death bet wixt the wicked and the god∣ly, not so much in respect of the more or lesse honourably bestowing of their car∣kasses, [Note.] but of their souls; as of Dives and Lazarus.

Notes

Do you have questions about this content? Need to report a problem? Please contact us.