Exposition of Ezekiel 14-19, Title page – Dedication
AN EXPOSITION CONTINUED UPON the fourteenth, fifteenth, ſixteenth, ſeventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth Chapters of the PROPHET EZEKIEL, With many USEFUL OBSERVATIONS THEREUPON.
Delivered at ſeverall LECTURES in London. By WILLIAM GREENHILL.
LUKE 16.29.31.
They have Moſes and the Prophets, let them heare them.
If they heare not Moſes and the Prophets, neither will they be perſwaded though one roſe from the dead.
ROM. 15.4.
Whatſoever things were written aforetime, were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.
LONDON, Printed by M. S. for Livewell Chapman at the Crown in Popes-head-Alley, 1651.
TO The Undertakers for, and Hearers of the Expoſitory Lectures in the City of London, and all who deſire underſtanding in the word of God.
WHEN I was expounding the 17. and 19. Chapters of this Propheſie of Ezekiel, and ſaw an end put to Kingly government in Judah, (for after Zedekiah there was no ſtrong rod to be a Scepter to rule) my thoughts ran much upon that antient Propheſie, Gen. 49.10. The Scepter ſhall not depart from Judah, nor a Law-giver from between his feete, untill Shilo come. Concerning which, though ſome-what were then ſaid, yet I ſhall now endeavour to ſatisfie both you and my ſelfe more fully. The words ſeeme to imply a preſence of the Scepter in the hand of Judah when they were given forth; becauſe a thing cannot be ſaid to depart from any hath it not: but it was long after ere the Tribe of Judah had any Scepter. Jacob's meaning was, that the Scepter ſhould come in time to that Tribe, and when it came, it ſhould not depart; for Jacob propheſies of things to come. They were at that time in Aegypt few, poore, and low; and when they were encreaſed, they had no Scepter amongſt them, they were under the Aegyptian Scepter, and had Aegyptian Task-maſters over them. After the LORD had brought them out of Aegypt by a ſtrong hand, there was a Scepter and Law-giver amongſt them; but it was Moſes who was of the Tribe of Levi, Exod. 21.10. And after him Joſhuah who was of the Tribe of Ephraim, Numb. 13.8.16. All that Judah had was a little priority in pitching his Standard and Camp firſt, Numb. 2.3. in ſending the firſt Prince to offer at the Dedication of the Tabernacle, Num. 7.12. In marching firſt from Sinai to Paran, Num. 10.14. In having the firſt lot when the Land of Canaan was divided, Joſh. 15. and in going up firſt to fight againſt the Canaanites, Judg. 1.2. And when account was taken of the Genealogies, Judah carried the preheminencie, being firſt numbred, 1 Chr. 2.3. Afterwards in the days of the Judges, who bare the Scepter 339. or 362. or 370. years as the accounts of Chronologers are, or about 450. as the Apoſtles account is, Act. 13.20. There were but two of the Tribe of Judah. Othniel, Judg. 3.9. who was of that Tribe, as appears, Joſh. 15.17.20. 2 Chron. 4.1.13. and Ibzan who was of Bethlehem, Judg. 12.8. The following Judges were of other Tribes: and when it came to Kingly power, the firſt ſet up was Saul, who was a Benjamite, 1 Sam. 9.1, 2. The next was David of Jeſſe, the Bethlehemite, 1 Sam. 16.1. It was now between 6. Helvicus.and 700. yeares from the time of Jacob's giving out this Prophecy, all which time it lay as dead and deſtitute of Regall power; which now being ſetled in this Tribe, continued but to the Captivity of Zedekiah, 468. as ſome do chronologize 473. years, as others. The firſt King the Jewes had, God gave them in his wrath, 1 Sam. 8. and the laſt hee tooke away in his fury. Judah that had been his pleaſant plant, was pluckt up in fury, Ezek. 19.12. and all the branches of that Vine pluckt off, and not one left to hold the Scepter, Jer. 22.30. Therefore ſome Jewes and others deriving the word Shiloh from Shalach, Galatinus, l. 4. c. 4. cited by Amama. Lyra in locum.render the words donec veniat mittendus, and ſo interpret this Propheſie of Nebuchadnezar, who was ſent of God to deſtroy Judaea, and ſo the Scepter departed from Judah. But the next words in the Propheſie confute this interpretation, and unto him ſhall the gathering of the people be. Shiloh was he that the Nations ſhould deſire, and unto whom the people ſhould be gathered, which never was verified in Nebuchadnezar. Vatabl. in loc. Martinij lexicon in verbo Silo. Manaſſeh, Ben. Iſrael, q. 65. in Geneſim.The Chaldie paraphraſe hath it, donec veniat Chriſtus, till Chriſt come: and the Targum hath it, untill the time wherein Meſſiah the King ſhall come. Rabbi Moſes Gerundenſis ſaith, donec veniat filius ejus qui eſt Meſſias, till his ſonne come who is the Meſſiah.
If we take the word Scepter for Kingly power,Iulian the Apoſtat ſaid, this propheſie belonged not unto Chriſt, becauſe the kingdom faild in Zedekiah. which it certainly notes, as Pſal. 45.6. Zach. 10.11. It may be granted that now the Scepter departed from Judah; for it's ſaid Ezek. 20.27. It ſhall be no more untill he come, whoſe right it is, and I will give it him, and that was Chriſt: from the putting down of Zedekiah and the death of his ſons, none had right to Kingly power till Chriſt came. Now the Crown was laid aſide, and laid up for his head alone, and no others. But if we take Shebet, or Shevet for a Tribe as it is Joſh. 3.12: 7.14. Pſal. 122.4. Jacob's ſenſe in the Propheſie is, that the Tribe of Judah ſhould not ceaſe, however it fared with other Tribes, till Shiloh or Chriſt came. Tenne of the other Tribes were carryed away Captive by Senacherib, and never returned more; but as for that of Judah, though it were carryed into Babylon, yet it was preſerved there, and return'd againe to it's owne Land, with few of any other Tribe. It was that Tribe chiefly which made up the Eſtate and Church, and continued till Chriſts comming.
This ſenſe is true, but reaches not fully the ſcope of Jacob in this Propheſie; which is not ſimply to ſhew the duration of the Tribes, but the peculiar Benedictions they ſhould have: and Judah's was the Scepter, which doth not only note royall power, but any rule, dominion, or authority, as Iſa. 14.5. Ezek. 19.11. And ſo that Tribe ſhould have power, more or leſſe till Shiloh came; if not Kings, yet Law-givers; if not ſupream, yet ſubordinate power. Ʋpon the captivity of the tenne Tribes, Kingly power was onelyonly and eminently in it for 130. yeares and upwards: and after Zedekiah's down-fall (although it loſt royall dignity,In captivate babylonica ſemper capita & principes ſuos habuit ex ſemine. Davidis in Gen. q. 65. which was for a lamentation to the Prophet, Ezek. 19.14.) yet it had other Sceptricall power in it. Manaſſeh, Ben. Iſrael ſaith, that in Babylon it had its Heads and Rulers alwayes of the ſeed of David.
When they returned from Babylon, Zorobabel was Governour of Judah, Hag. 1.1. & ab illo uſ que ad Machaboeos nunquam defuerunt duces de Tribu Judae, quanquam regio diadenrate propter perſas nunquam uterentur: Suarez, Tom. 1. Diſput. 1. contra Judaeos. Pa…eus in Gen. Rivet, ibid.From him to the days of the Machabees, or Aſſamonaeans, they had rulers & Governors of that Tribe, which was 270. years, as Paraeus obſerves; but Rivet makes the time ſhorter, affirming that the government was poenes ſacerdotes levitici generis. When Alexander the great came into Judea, which he reckons to be but 53. yeares from the time of Zorobabel, Chronologers make it much more, at that time Joſephus informs us, Jaddus was High Prieſt, who being then the principall Ruler,Joſeph Antiq. l. 11. c. ult. came out to meete Alexander, conducting him into the Citie and Temple. Now the High Prieſts were not of the Tribe of Judith, Heb. 7.13, 14. but of Levi, and ſo were the Aſſamonaeans or Maccabees,Joſeph. Antiq. l. 12. c. 8. 1 Mac. 2.1.4. 1 Chron. 24.7. Among whom continued the chiefe government till Herods dayes, diverſe of them aſſuming Kingly power to themſelves, as Ariſtobulus, Alexander, Hyrcanus, and Antigonus. Mountague obſerves, that after the Captivity they were under the Perſians, Alexander, Acts & monuments of the Church.the Macedonian Princes of the Lagidan and Seleujedan lynes, till the Maccabees freed them for a time, and laſt of all they were under the Romanes: Yet during theſe troubleſome times, they were governed by their owne Lawes and Countrey cuſtomes. They had their Ethnarchs, Toparohs, High Prieſts, Rulers, Princes, & ſometimes Kings of their owne; Jewes and Iſraelites, though not of David, nor of Judah. To help in this ſtreight, it's affirmed that the Aſſamonaeans were by the mothers ſide of Judah, and ſo therein the dignity of the Tribe was preſerved: But it doth not appeare by Scriptures, that the Females were of that Tribe, neither were they to marry out of their Tribes, eſpecially women inheritrices to their Parents,Materna ſtirps non venit in cenſum ſceptri. they were tyed to marry in their own Tribe, ne confunderentur haereditates. And ordinary women might not bare rule among the Jews, though Deborah a Propheteſſe once did; beſides, the mothers lyne amongſt them was not reckoned: and the Talmud ſaith,Rivet in Gen. he is the end of the Familie, who hath no maſculine iſſue. We cannot then make it out this way, that the Scepter departed not from Judah, nor a Law-giver from between his feete till Shiloh came.
Some therefore which is the better way, referre it to the Sanedrim, which was quaſi ſupremus ſenatus, as the higheſt judicatorie and royall councill. This Sannedrim remained in the captivity,Suarez, Tom. 1. Diſp. 1. contra Judaeos, Sect. 1. p. 6. and continued to the dayes of Chriſt, & was either taken from them by Herod, or at leaſt the power of judging and ſentencing to death was taken out of it by him. Therefore ſaid the Jewes, Joh. 18.31. It is not lawfull for us to put any man to death. In former times they might, but now they were deprived of that power. The difficulty here is to make it out, that thoſe made up the Sanhedrim were of the Tribe of Judah. It's not neceſſary that all ſhould be of it; if the major part were, that ſufficeth to preheminence the Tribe.
At firſt the men of the Sanhedrim were choſen out of all the Tribes; but when ten Tribes fell off, it could not be, they being under Jeroboam and other King's who were againſt Judah; & much leſſe could it be, when thoſe 10. Tribes were carryed away, and returned no more. The Babyloniſh captivity therefore being ended when the Common-wealth of the Jewes was reſtored, and conſiſted moſt of the Tribe of Judah; It's more then probable, that the Sanhedrim was moſt of that Tribe, which in Scripture account was but one before; for the Lord told Solomon he would give one Tribe to his ſonne, 1 K. 11.13. & Ch. 12. 20. There was none that followed the houſe of David, but the Tribe of Judah only: and 2 K. 17.18. The Lord was very angry with Iſrael, and removed them out of his ſight, there was none left but the Tribe of Judah only. Benjamine did follow Rhehoboam; but ther is little or no mention made of it,Suarez ubi ante. quia non fuit integra ſicut tribus Judae. It was not intire as the Tribe of Judah, whoſe dignity and excellency was ſuch as made that inconſiderable. The Levites alſo ſay, the Annotations upon 1 King. 11. were no diſtinct Tribe; when they were caſt out by Jeroboam, they left their Suburbs and poſſeſſions, and came to Judah & Jeruſalem, 2 Chr. 11. 13, 14. When therefore the return came from captivity, it was Judah the Lord look'd chiefly upon; the reſt were either reduced to that Tribe, or as inconſiderable then as before the captivity. Judah made up the bulke and body of their Common-wealth, & the governing power if not altogether, yet muſt needs be moſtly in it. Manaſſeh Ben. Iſrael ſaith, that in the times of the Aſſamonaeans, Princeps Jehudae erat caput ſenatus Iſraelitici nuncupati Sanhedrin. A Prince of Judah was chiefe in the great Councel cal'd the Sanhedrin, which continued till Herods dayes, and ſuch was the power of it, that Herod himſelf was cald before it; for which, when he obtained the Kingdom, he put them all to death, except one Sameas, as Joſephus reports in his 14. Booke of the Antiquities of the Jewes, Ch. 17. In this ſenſe not only were there Rulers and Governors of the Jewiſh nation till Chriſt came, as ſome do cary it, but even of the Tribe of Judah. For now in Herods dayes did Shilo come, Chriſt was born, Mat. 2.1. The Scepter was departing when Pompey brought Judea under the Romans, and the power of it more weakned when it was made a Province afterward, but it fully departed not, till Titus overthrew the Citie, and ruin'd the whole Common-wealth of the Jewes, before which time Chriſt was to come and enter into his Kingdom, taking the Crown to himſelfe, being his right (which he did, and changed it into a ſpiritual Kingdom, ſo raiſing up the Tabernacle of David which was fallen) and then ſhortly after was the Tribe of Judah and Jewiſh State utterly ruined.
In this Propheſie you ſee the faithfulnes of the Lord making good his truths notwithſtanding all dark & contradictory appearances, his power alſo in raiſing up Kingdoms, and pulling them down again, in changing forms of government at his pleaſure, and bringing them to nothing: You may alſo ſee how blind the Jews are, who have many ſhifts to put off this propheſie from Chriſt; or being conv…nced that it is a clear propheſie of the Meſſiah, affirm it's not yet fulfil'd, ſaying, there be Rulers of the Tribe of Iudah to this day about Babylon and that a Prince was ſeen at Bagdet, riding in a Chariot, where were a multitude of Jews crying facite locum filio Davidis make way for the ſonne of David. Manaſſeh Ben Iſrael. Tom. 1. Diſp. 1It's true, there be Jews in the world, but they have no Scepter, no Kingdom, there is no mention or veſtigium of any ſuch thing in the world ſaith Suarez. Suppoſe it were ſo, that in Aſia the greater, or beyond the mountains of Cordilliere in America they had a Kingdom & Scepter, yet this was nothing to Jacob's propheſie, which ſpeaks of Canaan, where Judah ſhould have rule and power till Shiloh came. Let thoſe therefore who have ſeen this Propheſie fulfil'd, felt the power, and enjoyed the bleſſings of the Meſſiah, pray that the face of the covering caſt over all people, and the vaile ſpread over all nations may be deſtroyed, that ſo Jewes and Gentiles may behold him who is the deſire of Nations, that unto him may be the gathering of the people, and that all Saints, eſpecially themſelves, may be enabled through his grace to improve all mercies and the enſuing truths to his glory, which is the earneſt deſire of him who is
Yours in the work of the Lord, W. G. The 11. month, the 27. day, 1650.