A Pisgah-Sight of Palestine, Book 5 · Part 1 · Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII. Objections against Benjamin answered.
Philol.
VVHy make you Nob a Levite City in Benjamin, within the suburbs of Anathoth? Seeing Nob is neither named amongst the four Cities bestowed on the Levites in this Tribe, Iosh. 21. 17. nor is it any of the eight and forty belonging unto them throughout the whole Countrey of Canaan.
Aleth.
That Nob was in this Tribe, appears by that ca…alogue of Cities presented us inaNeh. 11. 31. Nehemiah, which the Benjamites repossessed after their return from Babylon. That it was a Levites, yea a Priests City, appears (too plainly) by theb1 Sam. 22. 19. Massacre therein on them committed. We confess it none of the eight and forty originally assigned to the Levites. Yet how they in after-ages, were capable of supernumerary Cities more then in their first Charter, and how the Mort…main of the Levites (as I may term it) was enlarged with new foundations, we have lately answered in the objections of Ephraim *Concerning …., whither we refer you for further satisfaction.
Philol.
You make the sons of Saul executed on an hill nigh Gibeah of Saul, which your judiciouscM. …ight soot in th… T…mpl▪ pag. 264. friend will have hung up before the Tabernacle in Gibeon, observing therein an exemplary piece of divine justice, that, whereas Saul had ruined the Tabernacle at Nob, his sons were hung up before the same in Gibeon.
Aleth.
Not to be a Plaintise against him, but a Defendant of my self▪ I conceive him mistaken in confounding Gibeah of Saul with Gibeon, distinct Cities, as may appear by their severall owners, and actions therein performed.
| GIBEON. | GIBEAH. |
| An ancient City of the Hivites, whoseJosh. 9. 3. &c. inhabitants deceived the Israelites, Josh. 21. 17. given to the Levites, in the Tribe of Benjamin, where the Tabernacle was set up in the time of Solomon. | A City in Benjamin, hard by I…rusalem, distinct from theCompare Josh. 18. v. 25. with …. 28. former, whose inhabitants were meer Benjamites, and by their lust abused the Judg 29. 16. Levites Concubine to death, for which their Tribe was almost extirpated: it was afterwards called Gibeah of Saul from his birth and frequent residence therein. |
Now the text expresly saith, that the Gibeonites did hang them up unto the Lord in Gibeah h2 Sam. 21. 6.of Saul, that is, in Sauls native place, and Court, where he had issued out his cruell edicts for the slaughter of the Gibeonites.
Philol.
But that expression they hanged them in the hill iIbid. …. 9.before the Lord, imports the same performed in some religious place, probably in the prospect or view of the Tabernacle.
Aleth.
Before the Lord implies no more, then what in the foregoing verse was termedkIbid. v…. 6. unto the Lord, that is, in a sacred manner, not out of private revenge, but in an holy zeal, tendering the parties executed an oblation to divine justice, and so is interpreted by the Expositors thereon.
Philol.
In your particular Map of Benjamin, Iordan runs almost directly south, the whole course of whose channell visibly bendeth eastward in your Map generall of Palestine.
Aleth.
That generall Map, (though first placed) was last perfected, wherein we have amended three mistakes, as escaped in our particular descriptions. One that wherein you instance, another … Re…en (formerly forgott…n to be confessed) making that Tribe a little longer from north to south, then it is represented in our particular description thereof. My care shall be, God willing, in the second edition, to conforme those particular Maps, according to these rectisi…ations in the generall description.