Miscellanies Christian and Judaical, Chapter 53 – Chapter 59
CAP. LIII. Israels Campe: according to the Chaldee Paraphrast his description: Num. 2.
THe Chaldee is precise about pitching Israels Campe: I hauehave not thought much to translate a whole chapter out of him, that the Reader may see (at the least) his will, if not his truth.
Numb. 11.1. And the Lord spake to Moses and to Aaron saying.
2. EueryEvery one of the children of Israel shall pitch by his standerd, by the ensignes whereto they are appointed, by the standerds of their fathers shall they pitch ouer against the Tabernacle of the Congregation *Chald. Round. Round.round about.
3. The Camp of Israel was twelue miles long, and twelue miles broad, and they that pitched Eastward toward the Sun-rising, the standard of the Campe of Iudah foure miles square, and his ensigne was of three party colours like the three pearles that were in the brestplate (or rationall) the rubies, topaz, and carbuncle, and in it was deciphered and expressed the names of three Tribes, Iudah, Issachar, Zebulon, and in the middle was written foreign foreign Arise O Lord, and let thine enemies be scattered, and let them that hate thee flie before thee. And in it was drawne the picture of a Lions whelpe, for the Prince of the children of Iudah, Nahshon the sonne of Aminadab.
4. And his hoast and the number of them, seuenty foure thousand and sixe hundred.
5. And they that pitched next him, the Tribe of Issachar, and the Prince that was ouer the Armie of the Tribe of the sonnes of Issachar, Nethaneel the sonne of Tsuar.
6. And his Army and the number of (his) Tribes, 54400.
7. The Tribe of Zebulon, and the Prince that was set ouer the Army of the Tribe of the sonnes of Zebulon, Eliab the sonne of Hhelon.
8. And the Army and their number of his Tribe, 57400.
9. All the number of the hoast of Indah were *The Chald. numbers otherwise but it is misprinting: therfore I take the Hebrew.186400. by their Armies they went first.
10. The standard of the hoast of Reuben shall pitch Southward, by their Armies foure miles square, and his ensigne was of three party colors, like the three stones in the brestplate, the Emeraud Saphire and Diamond, and in it was deciphered and expressed the names of three Tribes, Reuben, Simeon, Gad, and in the middle was written thus: foreign Heare O Israel the Lord our God is one Lord. And in it was drawne the picture of a yong Hart: but there should hauehave beene drawne in it a Bullocke, but Moses the Prophet changed it, because hee would not put them in mind of their sinne about the calfe: And the Prince that was set ouer the hoast of the Tribe of Reuben, was Elitzur the sonne of Shedeur.
The Chaldee misseth the 11. & 12. verses.12. And his hoast and the number of his Tribe, 59300.
13. And the Tribe of Gad and the Prince that was set ouer the hoast of the Tribe of Gad, Eliasaph the sonne of Deuel.
15. And his hoast and the number of his Tribe *The Chaldee commeth so short of the right number.45600.
16. All the number of the hoast of Reuben, 151450. by their Armies: they went second.
17. Then went the Tabernacle of the Congregation, and the hoast of the Leuites in the Camps, and their Campe was foure mile square, they went in the middle, as they pitched, so they went, eueryevery one in his ranke, according …o his standard.
18. The standard of the Campe of Ephraim by their hoasts, pitched Westward, and their Campe was foure mile square, and his ensigne was of three party colours, like the three stones in the brestplate, a Turkie, an Achat, and an Hamatite, and in it was deciphered and expressed the names of three Tribes, Ephraim, Manasseh, and Beniamin, and in the middle was written: foreign &c. foreign And the cloud of the Lord was vponupon them by day, when they went out of the Campe, and in it was drawen the picture of a child. And the Prince that was set ouer the Army of the Children of Ephraim, was Elishama the sonne of Ammihud.
19. And his hoast and the number of his Tribe, 40500.
20. And next him the Tribe of Manasses, and the Prince which was set ouer the hoast of the Tribe of the children of Manasses, Gamliel the sonne of Pedah tzur.
21. And his hoast and their number of his Tribe, 32200.
22. And the Tribe of Beniamin and the Prince that was set ouer the hoast of the Tribe of the children of Beniamin, Abidan, the sonne of Gideoni.
23. And his hoast and their number of his Tribe, 35400.
24. All the number of the Campe of Ephraim, 180100. by their Armies, and they went in the third place.
25. The standard of the Campe of Dan Northward, and their Campe foure miles square; and his ensigne was of three partie colours according to the three stones in the brestplate, a Chrysolite, Onyx, and Iasper, and in it were deciphered & expressed the names of three Tribes, Dan, Naphtali, Asher, and in the middest was written and expressed foreign And when it rested, he said, returne O Lord to the 10000. of Israel, and in it was drawne the figure of a serpent, or arrow-snake, and the Prince that was set ouer the hoast of the children of Dan, Ahiezer the sonne of Ammishaddai. From thence to the end of the chapter, he goes on iust with the Hebrew text, so that I wil spare further labour about translating: onelyonly I must tell the Reader thus much, that the Pearles he speaks of, I hauehave not punctually followed the Chaldee in rendring their names, but hauehave followed the Geneua Bible, which was at that instant the onelyonly English Bible about me. As also for perfect and future tense, I finde the Chaldee confused, and for this I hauehave beene the lesse curious.
CAP. LIIII. Of Iob.
ABout Israels being in Egypt, Iob liues in Arabia: a heathen man and yet so good: and so Saint Gregory saith, his Countrey is purposely named, that the goodnesse of the man may be the more illustrated. His times may be picked by the genealogie of himselfe, and his friends that come to see him. And God in the first and second chapters saith, that there was not a man on earth like him for goodnes: which is a signe that Abraham Isaac and Iacob and Ioseph were not aliue, nor Moses: but in the times twixt Ioseph and Moses, Israel corrupt themselues with Egyptians idols, and in Israel (the likeliest place to finde a good man in) is not one to be found like Iob. Thus when Israel idolizes, and the Church, begins to faile in Iacob, God hath one in Arabia that hath a little Church in his house. It is not amisse for eueryevery one for his more watchfulnesse to marke, that Satan knowes Iob as soone as euer God speakes of him.
| When ye Angels appeare before God, Satan the Deuill is among them. | So | When the Disciples are with Christ, Iudas a Deuill is among them. |
| Pharoah in Egypt is afflicted by God. | Iob in Arabia is afflicted by the Deuill. |
| His afflictions harden him against God. | His afflictiōs harden him against the Deuill. |
| Iobs children feasting ouerwhelmed by an house. | The Philistins sporting, ouerwhelmed by an house, Iudg. 16. |
Iob is afflicted as the souldiers, 2. King. 1. by fire.
As the Ziklagites, 1. Sam. 30. by captiuity
As the Egyptians with losse of children, Exod. 12.
And as the Egyptians with boiles, Exod 9.
And which was not his least crosse, like Adam, with an ill counselling wife.
| Iob hath 3. with him when hee is changed by affliction. | So | Christ hath three with him when he is changed in his transfiguration: which three as they were by Christ when Moses and Elias, Law and Prophecie told him in the mount of his departing which hee should accomplish at Ierusalem, Luk. 9.31. So these three were with him when hee began to accomplish these things, Mat. 26.37. |
CAP. LV. Egyptians Deities, ex Athenae. Deipn. Lib. 7.
A Naxandrides in his booke of Cities, turning his speech to the Egyptians, saith thus:
foreign
foreign
foreign.
foreign.
foreign.
foreign.
foreign
foreign
foreign.
foreign
foreign.
foreign
foreign.
foreign.
Thus does one Heathen Idolater deride another, because hee worships▪ (as the other thinks) the more ridiculous Deities. The very Heathen could deride and scoffe at their vaine gods. Dionysius was most notorious this way: and knauish in this kinde was the Painter, who when hee should hauehave drawne the picture of such a goddesse for a Grecian City to worship, hee drew the portraicture of his owne sweet-heart, and so made her to bee adored: And indeed what man could hauehave held laughing, to hauehave seene (as my Poet saith here) an Egyptian on his maribones adoring a dog, or praying to an oxe, or especially to see him mourning and howling ouer a sicke cat: fearing least his scratching God should die?
CAP. LVI. Of the Law broken by Adam.
THe Law was Adams lease when God made him tenent of Eden: The conditions of which bond when he kept not, he forfeited himselfe and all vsus. God read a lecture of the Law to him before hee fell, to be *The Iewes in their writings vse this phrase frequētly for the Law, as in Pirk… Abboth.a hedge to him to keepe him in Paradise, but when Adam would not keepe within compasse, this Law is now become as the flaming sword at Eden gate to keepe him and his posteritie out: Adam heard as much in the garden, as Israel did at Sinai, but onelyonly in fewer words and without thunder. The L…w came more gently to him before his fall, but after his fall, comes the thunder with it.
Adam at one clap breakes both the tables and all the commandements.
1. He chose him another god when he followed the Deuill.
2. He idolized and deified his own belly, as the Apostles phrase is, his belly he made his god.
3. Hee tooke the name of God in vaine, when he beleeued him not.
4. Hee kept not the rest and estate wherein God had set him.
5. He dishonoured his father which was in heauen, therefore his dayes were not long in that land which the Lord his God had giuen him.
6. Hee massacred himselfe and all his posteritie.
7. From Eue he was a Virgin, but in eyes and minde he committed spirituall fornication.
8. Hee stole that (like Achan) which God had set aside not to bee medled with, & this his stealth is that which troubles all Israel, the whole world.
9. Hee bare witnesse against God, when he beleeued the witnesse of the Deuill aboue him.
10. Hee coueted an ill coueteousnesse (like Amnon) which cost him his life and all his progeny.
What a nest of euills here were committed at one blow? The pride of heart and desire of more knowledge (like Hamans ambition) ouerthrew vsus. This sinne was hatched in heauen by the wicked Angels, but throwne out with them, and neuer will come in there againe. Hence is this sinne so lofty because it affects its first nest. It is not for nothing that Blessed are the poore in spirit, are the first words in Christs Sermon: Mat. 5.3. but because the proud in spirit were the first sinners.
CAP. LVII. Of the Law giuen at Sinai.
WHen Israel is got from the hard seruice of Egypt, God bindes them apprentise to a new Master, himselfe. Their Indentures he drawes vponupon mount Sinai: a place where Moses before had kept a flocke of sheepe, now he keepes a troupe of men. In the Deliuerie of the Law there, if you will stand with Israel in your place you may consider many passages.
CAP. LVIII. Why the Law was published then and not before.
AT Sinai was deliuered no new thing, the Law in some kinde was knowne before. Sacrifice was vsed by Adam in the garden, when ye body of the beasts went for an offering for his soule, and the skinnes for a couering for his body: Cain and Abel learne this part of worship from their father. The diuision of cleane and vncleane beasts is knowne to Noah, when they come to him for their liues as they had done to Adam for their names. Abraham when God made a *So sayes the Geneua Bible in marg. but Rab. Salomon long before saith thus It is the custome of those that make couenāts, to diuide beasts into two parts, and passe between the parts: as Ier. 24.18. And God passes betweene these in this smoking furnace and fire brand, for making couenāts in like kinds Homer speaks neere this.couenant with him, Genesis. 15. Diuides and diuides not his beasts and fowles, iust as God commands, Leu. 1.6.17. and so of the rest. Fathers could teach their children these things as they themselues had learned them of their fathers. But when men began to multiplie, and multitude to be more wicked, then would they not be so easily bridled by a Law, whose author they knew no more of, but their fathers: And when men liued but a short time in comparison of the first men, and so could not see the full setling of the Law in their houses: And when God had fetched him a people out of Egypt, and laid the foundation of a glorious Church, with signes and wonders, then hee thought it fit for their restriction, as also *Vid. Ia… chi on Ruth cap. 1.for their distinction from the Heathen, to giuegive the Law from his owne mouth, the more to procure reuerence to him: For heauen and earth must needs hearken when the Lord speaketh, Isa. 1.2. And thus did aNuma: Minos, &c.the Heathen faine they receiued their lawes from a Deity that was neuer seene, and yet their lawes were the better obserued for that reason.
CAP. LIX. Of the place where it was giuen, and manner.
GOD gaue the Law in Arabia: so wicked Mahomet gaue his law in Arabia; A worse and a better thing no one countrey euer affoorded. God gaue his Law in Sinai, a bushy place as it seemes by *Seneh signifies a bush, Exodus 3.the name, agreeable to the giuing of so perplexing a matter. Carry along with thee (gentle Reader) as thou readest the Scripture, thus much care (at my request) as to marke that the Law of Moses was giuen in two places, S…nai, and the Tabernacle, as also to consider that some part of this Law did onelyonly concerne the Iewes, and some part did also concerne all the world. The Ceremoniall Law that concerned onelyonly the Iewes, it was giuen to Moses in priuate in Leuit. 1.the Tabernacle, and fell with the Tabernacle when the vaile rent in twaine. The Morall Law concernes the whole world, and it was guien in sight of the whole world on the top of a mountaine, and must endure as long as any mountaine standeth. The Iudiciall Law (which is more indifferent, and may stand or fall, as seemes best for the good of a common wealth) was giuen neither to publike as the one, nor so priuate as the other, but in a meane betweene both.
The Law on Sinai was with fire and trumpets, so shall Christ come with fire and trumpet at the latter day, to take an account how men hauehave kept this fiery Law, as it is called, Deut. 33.2. Fiery, because giuen out of the fire, as the Ierusalem and Babilonian Targums hold: though I think there is more meant by the words then so: for it is Esh dath, which may bee rendred the fire of a Law.