Annotations on the Pentateuch, Psalms, Song of Songs, Biblical commentary 5 · Chapter 2
CHAP. II.
1. The storie is continued, that the Israelites were not suffered to meddle with the Edomites, 9. nor with the Moabites. 19. nor with the Ammonites; 24. but with Sihon the Amorite; who refusing peace, and opposing himselfe, 33. was subdued by them.
AND wee turned and tooke our journey into the wildernesse, by the way of the Red sea, as Iehovah had spoken vntounto me: and we compassed mount Seir, many daies. And Iehovah spake unto me, saying, Yee have compassed this mountain, long enough: turne you northward. And command thou the people, saying, Yee are to passe thorow the coast of your brethren, the sonnes of Esau, which dwell in Seir: and they shall be afraid of you; and take ye great heed unto your selves. Meddle not with them, for I will not give you of their land, even to the treading of the sole of the foot, because I have given mount Seir, for a possession unto Esau. Yee shall buy meat of them for money, that yee may eat: and yee shall also buy water of them for money, that yee may drink. For Iehovah thy God hath blessed thee in every worke of thy hand; hee knoweth thy walking thorow this great wildernesse: these forty yeers Iehovah thy God hath beene with thee, thou hast not lacked any thing. And wee passed by from our brethren the sonnes of Esau, that dwelt in Seir, thorow the way of the plaine, from Elath, and from Ezion-Gaber: And we turned and passed by, by the way of the wildernesse of Moab. And Iehovah said unto me, Distresse not Moab, neither meddle thou with them in battell: for I will not give thee of his land, for a possession; because I have given Ar unto the sons of Lot for a possession. The Emins before time dwelt therein, a people great & many, & tall as the Anakims. They also were accounted Giants, as the Anakims: and the Moabites call them Emims. And in Seir the Horims dwelt, before time; and the sonnes of Esau possessed them, and destroyed them from before them, and dwelt in their stead, as Israel did, unto the land of his possession, which Iehovah gave unto them. Now rise up, and passe you over the brooke Zered: and wee passed over the brooke Zered. And the daies, in which wee came from Kadesh-Barnea, untill we passed over the brooke Zered, were thirtie and eight yeares, untill all the generation of the men of war were wasted out from among the campe, as Iehovah sware unto them. And indeed, the hand of Iehovah was against them, to destroy them from among the Campe, untill they were consumed. And it was, when all the men of war were consumed, and dead, from among the people; Then Iehovah spake vntounto mee, saying, Thou art to passe over this day, thorow At, the coast of Moab. And thou shalt come nigh, over against the sonnes of Ammon; distresse them not, neither meddle with them: for I will not give thee of the land of the sonnes of Ammon any possession, because I have given it for a possession to the sonnes of Lot. That also was accounted a land of Giants: Giants dwelt therein before time; and the Ammonites call them Zamzummims. A people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakims: and Iehovah destroyed them from before them; and they possessed them, and dwelt in their stead. As hee did to the sonnes of Esau, which dwelt in Seir, when he destroyed the Horims from before them; and they possessed them, and have dwelt in their stead unto this day. And the Avims, which dwelt in Hazerim, even to Gaza: the Caphtorims, which came forth out of Caphtor, destroyed them, and dwelt in their stead. Rise ye-up, take your journey, and passe over the brooke Arnon: see, I have given into thy hand, Sihon king of Heshbon, the Amorite, and his land; begin, possesse it, and meddle with him in battell. This day will I begin to give the dread of thee, and the feare of thee upon the peoples under all the heavens, who shall heare report of thee, and shall tremble and bee in anguish because of thee. And I sent messengers out of the wildernesse of Kedemoth, unto Sihon, king of Heshbon, with words of peace, saying, Let me passe thorow thy land; by the way, by the way will I goe; I will not turne aside, to the right hand or to the left. Thou shalt sell me meat for money, that I may eat; and give me water for money, that I may drinke: only, I will passe thorow on my feet. As did unto me the sons of Esau that dwell in Seir, and the Moabites that dwell in Ar: untill I shall passe over Iordan, into the land which Iehovah our God giveth us. But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us passe thorow him; for Iehovah thy God hardened his spirit, and made his heart obstinate, that he might give him into thy hand, as this day. And Iehovah said unto me, Behold, I have begun to give before thee, Sihon & his land; begin, possesse it, that thou maiest possesse his land. And Sihon came out against us, hee and all his people to battell, at Iahaz. And Iehovah our God delivered him before us: and wee smote him, and his sonnes, and all his people. And wee tooke all his cities at that time; and utterly destroyed of everie citie the men, and the women, and the little ones; wee left none to remaine. OnelyOnly the cattell wee tooke for a prey unto our selves, and the spoile of the Cities which wee tooke.
From Aroer, which is by the brinke of the brooke Arnon, and the citie which is by the brooke, even unto Gilead, there was not a citie that exalted it selfe above us; Iehovah our God delivered all before us. OnelyOnly unto the land of the sonnes of Ammon, thou approachedst not, nor unto any place of the brooke Iabbok, or the cities of the mountaine, or whatsoever Iehovah our God commanded us.
Annotations.
HAD spoken] as is before mentioned, Deut. 1. 40. which then the people were unwilling to doe, but would needs goe fight, till they had learned by their discomfiture, what it was to disobey, and were enforced to yeeld unto the word of God. mount Seir] the mountainy countrey of Seir, which was Edoms Land, Gen. 36. 8, 9, 20. but they went in the wildernesse, and were sore cumbred in the way: see Num. 21. 4.
Verse 3. Long enough] a like speech God used before, Deut. 1. 6. so here is mentioned a second calling of Israel, from the desarts of Seir, to goe northward againe towards Canaan, after they had wandred almost thirty eight yeares in Kadesh wildernesse, about mount Seir, vers. 14. by which travell, God taught them to mortifie their unruly affections, and by the death of so many thousands there, ledde them to seeke life (by repentance and faith) in the heavenly Canaan, seeing they could not come into the earthly. In the meane while, the Amorites, Canaanites, &c. (unto whom God gave this long time of repentance) were hardened in their sinnes, and took occasion to insult over Gods people, beholding their afflictions: but the posterity of Israel were humbled and prepared for to receive the land promised. Northward] towards Canaan; Not the way they went before by Kadesh Barnea, but betweene the coasts of Edom on the one hand, and of Moab and Ammon on the other; so to enter into Canaan, thorow Sihon the Amorites land. Thus Gods word was their director, unto all places, and in all actions: in which respect these histories of holy Scripture excell all humane histories in the world.
Verse 4. afraid] as was prophesied of them and others, in Exod. 15. 15. &c. yet Edom was a mightie people, setled in their mountaine, and fortified. See also Num. 22. 3. great] or vehement heed; meaning, that they offred Edom no wrong, neither suffred themselves to bee overcome by them: Walke wisely towards them that are without, Col. 4. 5.
Verse 5. Meddle not] or, contend not with them, to wit, in battell, as is explained in vers. 9. and so the Greeke here saith, Make not warre with them. As all warres should be made by wise counsels, Pro. 24. 6. so chiefly by the mouth of God, who teacheth mans hands to war, Psal. 144. 1. who hath willed us, If it be possible, as much as lyeth in you, bee at peace with all men, Rom. 12. 18. In speciall it was commanded, Thou shalt not abhorre an Edomite, for hee is thy brother, Deut. 23. 7. to the treading, &c.] that is, not a foot bredth; the Greeke translateth it, not the step (or bredth) of a foot: which phrase Luke useth, in Act. 7. 5. concerning Abraham in Canaan. Though the Edomites were wicked, yet God continued their state for a time; during which no man might lawfully disturbe them. By this God teacheth also the difference betweene Esaus portion and Iakobs: see Rom. 9. 11. 12. &c. Col. 1. 12. See the notes on Gen. 36. 43. a possession] or, an inheritance to Esau; that is (as the Greeke translateth) to the sonnes of Esau. The most high divided to the Nations their inheritance, Deut. 32. 8. and Esau had their portion and state long before Israel, Gen. 36. 8. 31. 43. Ios. 24. 4. with such wordly baits Gods people should not be allured.
Vers. 6. buy] Hebr. breake: which both Greeke and Chaldee translate, buy: see Gen. 41. 56. in the Annotations. In the strangers land nothing was to be had freely, but with money, figuring the estate of those under the Law: in Canaan they had all things freely; signifying the free grace in Christ, Deut. 11. 9, 10, &c. Esa. 55. 1. Rev. 21. 6. money] Hebr. silver. buy] Hebr. dig; which the Chaldee translateth, buy; the Greeke, receive by measure. It may be meant of buying wells digged out of Edoms ground; for so they were wont; see Gen. 26. 18. &c. Num. 21. 18. or, after the Arabick manner, which useth this word for buying.
Vers. 7. he knoweth] this is meant of carefull regarding their estate, wants, &c. wherfore the Chaldee paraphraseth, Hee hath sufficiently given thee things necessarie when thou walkest. Iehovah] in Chaldee, the word of the LORD.
Vers. 8. wee passed by] though the Edomites shewed great unkindnesse, that would not suffer Israel to passe thorow their countrey quietly, Num. 20. 14. 18. &c. yet upon warning and charge given from God, his people turned away from fight, and contented themselves in their tentations, with the promises of God. See Num. 20. 21. Iudg. 11. 17. Afterward this favour of Israel, and the ill reward of Edom, Moab, and Ammon, is remembred in the prayer of King Iehosaphat, 2 Chron. 20. 10, 11, 12. Ezion-gaber] these were port towns, by the brink of the Red sea, in the land of Edom, 1 King. 9. 26.
Vers. 9. Moab] that is, the Moabites, as the next words manifest. So the Greeke, deale not enemiously with the Moabites. They were the posterity of Lot, Gen. 19. 37. which dealt unkindly with Israel, as Edom had done, Iudg. 11. 17. and were (for their neglect of duty) not to enter into the congregation of the Lord, Deut. 23. 3, 4. They were also become Idolaters, Num. 25. 1, 2. and 21. 29. yet God suffered not Israel to hurt them, for the reasons before alleaged. meddle] or, contend, as before in vers. 5. Ar] a chiefe mountaine, and citie thereon, Num. 21. 15. 28. put here for the whole countrey. The Greeke for Ar here hath Aroer, whereof see vers. 36. so in v. 18, 29.
Verse 10. Emims] in Greeke, Ommeins, by interpretation, terrible ones, and so the Chaldee translateth: see Gen. 14. 5. Anakims] in the Chaldee, Giants: see Num. 13. 29.
Vers. 11. Giants] in Hebrew, Rephaim, which the Greeke keepeth as a proper name Raphaein, of one Rapha, who was a Giant; whereupon it is a name for all Giants: see the notes on Ger. 14. 5. so after in Deut. 3. 11.
Vers. 12. Horims] or, Chorites; in Greek, Chorraeans: see Gen. 14. 6. and 36. 20. possessed] or, disinherited, and so succeeded in their inheritance: the Greeke translateth, destroyed them. as Israel did] to wit, afterward, in the daies of Iosua: thus it is spoken by way of prophesie; or, it may have reference to that part of Israels inheritance which they had now conquered on the out side of Iordan. By this and the like, in vers. 22, 23. God would teach Israel not to insult upon their outward conquests (such as he had given to other nations before them) but to seeke for an heavenly countrey. This he remembred to them by the Prophet, Amos 9. 7. Are ye not as the sonnes of Ethiopians unto me, O sons of Israel, &c.
Verse 13. brooke] or bourne: a valley and river running therein. So the Greeke saith, the valley Zareth. Of it see Num. 21. 12.
Verse 14. from Kadesh barnea] to wit, from the time that they came to Kadesh barnea (where they abode in the wildernesse of Kadesh many daies, Deut. 1. 46.) and after till they passed over Zared. sware] or, had sworne: see Numb. 14. 21, 22, 23.
Verse 15. the hand] the Chaldee expounds it, A plague from before the Lord. This is after mentioned, how God consumed their daies in vanitie, and their yeares in hastie terrour, Psal. 78. 33. and upon occasion of this mortality, Moses made the 90. Psalme. to destroy] with trouble and tumult: for the word elsewhere signifieth, to trouble, Exod. 14. 24. so in Deut. 7. 23.
Verse 19. sonnes of Ammon] the Ammenites, the posteritie of Ben-ammi the sonne of Lot, Gen. 19. 38. so in vers. 37.
Verse 20. Giants] or Rephaims, as vers. 11. Zamzummims] that is, presumptuous wicked ones; in Greeke Zommein. These are thought to bee those that were of old called Zuzims, Gen. 14. 5. The Chaldee calleth them Chushbanin.
Verse 22. Horims] or Horites; Hebr. the Chorite; in Greeke, the Chorraean: see Gen. 14. 6.
Verse 23. Avims] or Avites; in Greeke, Evites: these were the ancient inhabitants of the Philistians countrey, Ios. 13. 3. Caphthorims] the Philistians: see Gen. 10. 14. Though Israel fought the battels of the Lord, and had their limits and territories in speciall manner appointed by his Word, Num. 34. yet other nations also had by his secret providence, their times appointed, and the bounds of their habitation, Act. 17. 26. Hee increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them; Hee enlargeth the nations, and straitneth them, Iob. 12. 23. Wherefore he saith by the Prophet, Have not I brought up Israel out of the land of Egypt? And the Philistines from Caphtor, and the Syrians from Kir? Amos 9. 7.
Vers. 24. brooke] or, as the Greeke translateth, the valley Arnon: as vers. 13. see Num. 21. 13. Sihon] in Greeke, Seonking of Esebon. Hee had afore time taken this Countrey from the Moabites, Num. 21. 26. which now God taketh againe from him, and giveth to the Israelites, who else might not have taken any of Moabs possession, vers. 9. meddle] or contend. Here after long travells in the wildernesse, God calleth his people unto warres (which their fathers before were afraid of:) and gave them his word to embolden them, as his truth was their shield and buckler.
Vers. 25. report] or fame; Hebr. hearing, which the Greeke translateth, name. See this promise fulfilled among the Canaanites, Ios. 2. 9, 10, 11. be in anguish] have paines as a woman in travell. A similitude often used to shew the terrours of conscience in the wicked, Psal. 48. 7. and the mighty power of God, who taketh away the heart of the chiefe of the people of the earth, Iob 12. 24.
Verse 26. Kedemoth] there was a City of that name in Sihons Countrey, which after was given to the tribe of Ruben, Ios. 13. 18. and by them given to the Levites, Ios. 21. 37. neare which there was a wildernesse where Israel now lay, when they sent this ambassage. of peace] according to the law alter given, Deut. 20. 10. which being refused, the war was now just before God and men.
Vers. 27. by the way by the way] that is, onelyonly by the way, and not turning aside into fields, or into vin… see Num. 21. 21, 22. where it is called, The …. So in Deut. 16. 20. Iustice justice, that is, onelyonly justice, and all manner justice.
Verse 28. sell] Hebr. breake, as in vers. 6.
Vers. 29. of Esau] the Edomites, who though … th…y denied Israel passage thorow their land, … 10. 18. &c. yet as they passed along their … they suffered them to buy necessaries. … &c.] It appeareth by this, that if Sihon had … them to passe thorow his land, they would … time have taken his countrey, but first … conquered the Canaanites beyond Iordan: … upon Sihons deniall they now set upon him. … God doth not impart all his counsell at once to the …ed; but they refusing to yeeld unto any thing, doe hasten their owne destruction. Com…. 3. 18. So the Gospell, the word of peace, is … unto all; which they that refuse, hasten … judgment.
Vers. 30. thorow him] that is, thorow his coun… … Num. 20. 18. hardened] as is spoken … Pharaoh also, and others; see Exod. 4. 21. in the …otations. The like is said of the Canaanites be…nd the river, Ios. 11. 20.
Verse 32. to battell] or, unto war; refusing peace, as they of whom David saith, When I speake (for peace) they are for war, Psal. 120. 7. Iahaz] in Greeke, Iassa: see Num. 21. 23.
Verse 33. smote him] with the edge of the sword, Num. 21. 24. his sonnes] or, his sonne: the Hebrew hath both readings, the one in the consonant letters, the other in the vowels: so in Deut. 33. 9. The Greeke and Chaldee translate, his sonnes: it may intend all and every of his sonnes, or all the sonnes hee had, which were but one. So Manasses caused his sonnes to passe thorow the fire, 2 Chron. 33. 6. which another Prophet writeth, his son, 2 King. 21. 6. See the notes on Gen. 46. 23.
Verse 34. of every citie] or, wee destroyed every citie, (consisting) of men, and women, and little ones: or, citie full of men, and women, &c. This was according to the law, Deut. 20. 14, 15, 16. and here is fulfilled upon the wicked, the judgment which is written, His roots shall bee dried up beneath, and above shall his branch bee cut off: his remembrance shall perish from the earth, Iob 18. 16, 17.
Verse 36. by the brooke] or, in the bourn (or valley) as the Greeke translateth it. This citie was Ar, Num. 21. 15. Gilead] the mount Galaad, as the Greeke saith. Of it see Gen. 31. 21. &c. exalted it selfe] that is, was too strong for us; or, as the Greeke expounds it, escaped us. before us] as the Greeke saith, into our hands. Here the whole victory is ascribed unto God, which removeth the mountaines, and they know not; which overturneth them in his anger; which shaketh the earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof tremble; Iob 9. 5, 6.
Verse 37. thou approachedst not] in Greeke, wee came not, meaning, to war against the Ammonites, or invade their possessions. any place] or, all the place; Hebr. all the land; in Greeke, all (places) pertaining to the brooke Iabok; to wit, on the out side thereof; for Sihon ruled from Aroer &c. unto the river Iabok, which was the border of the sonnes of Ammon, Ios. 12. 2. and all that the Israelites possessed: but the land of the Ammonites, which also reached unto Iabok, Num. 21. 24. they tooke not: so that Iephtah answered truly, Israel tooke not away the land of Moab, nor the land of the sonnes of Ammon, Iudg. 11. 15. of the mountaine] possessed also by the Ammonites, whose border was strong, Num. 21. 24. commanded us] or, charged us, namely, to abstaine from, that is, forbade us to meddle with. The word command is used also in things forbidden: see Deut. 4. 23. Now though the Moabites and Ammonites were thus spared by Israel, yet they ill rewarded them afterward, when they warred against Gods people, to cast them out of their possession, Iudg. 11. 4, 5, &c. 2 Chron. 20. 1, 10, 11. and ript up the women with child of Gilead, that they might enlarge their border, Amos. 1. 13. and dwelt in the cities of Gad, Ier. 49. 1. For which the Lord God of Israel plagued them, as also for their unkindnesse already past, a law is enacted against them, in Deut. 23. 3.—6.