Annotations Upon the Historical Books Part 2, Judges · Chapter 1
CHAP. I.
NOw after the death of Joſhua, &c.] In this book the hiſtory of the Commonwealth of Iſrael is continued from the death of Joſhua to the dayes of Eli, all which time, at leaſt the moſt of which time, they lived under the command and government of certain Judges whom God ſucceſſively raiſed up to rule over them, as his deputies and vicegerents; and therefore is this book called the book of Judges: for though Eli and Samuel may well be numbred amongſt the Judges of Iſrael, becauſe they commanded in chief after the ſame way of government as theſe did, whoſe hiſtory is recorded in this book; yet becauſe the change of the government from that of Judges to that of Kings, happened in the daies of Samuel, and the ſtory of Samuel muſt needs be begun from the dayes of Eli; therefore the acts of their times are not recorded here, but are reſerved to another book. Who wrote this book is no where expreſſed; it ſufficeth us to know that it hath alwaies been kept in the Church amongſt thoſe Oracles of God, whoſe penmen were guided by the infallible inſpiration of his Spirit, and indeed one paſſage of this book, to wit, that concerning Sampſon, chap. 13.7. the child ſhall be a Nazarite to God, is, by the judgement of many learned Expoſitours, principally intended by the Evangeliſt S. Matthew, where he undertakes to alledge a teſtimony out of the writings of Gods Prophets, Matt. 2.23. And he came and dwelt in a citie called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet, He ſhall be called a Nazarene.
The children of Iſrael asked the Lord, ſaying, Who ſhall go up for us againſt the Canaanites firſt to fight with them?] In the laſt years of Joſhua his government the Iſraelites had lived in peace, Joſh. 21.44. And the Lord gave them rest round about, according to all that he ſware unto their fathers, and there ſtood not a man of all their enemies before them: the Lord delivered all their enemies into their hand, the Canaanites not daring to provoke them, and the Iſraelites not yet attempting any further upon the Canaanites, partly becauſe the land they had already vanquiſhed was as much as they could well people; partly, perhaps out of an over-eager deſire to, and love of the reſt they now enjoyed: and indeed they knew it was agreeable to the will of God, that they ſhould not drive out all the inhabitants at once, but by degrees, Deut. 7.22. And the Lord thy God will put out theſe nations from before thee by little and little; Thou maiſt not conſume them at once, leſt the beaſts of the field encreaſe upon thee. But now Joſhua being dead, who a little before his death had encouraged them to go forward in expelling the Canaanites, though they had no man choſen of God, to command over them in chief, as Moſes and Joſhua did; yet finding that indeed it was now fit they ſhould proceed on in the warre, they aſſembled themſelves together (as it ſeems at Shiloh) and there reſolved to renew their battels againſt the inhabitants of the land; onelyonly, becauſe the ſucceſſe of their firſt attempts would be a matter of great conſequence, either for the encouragement or diſheartning the people, therefore they would firſt enquire of the Lord, which accordingly they did: they asked the Lord, as it is here ſaid, to wit, by Phinehas the high prieſt (or Eleazar if he were yet living, which is doubtfull, becauſe he died immediatly after the death of Joſhua, Joſh. 24.33.) before the propitiatory or mercy-ſeat, who ſhall go up for us againſt the Canaanites firſt to fight againſt them? that is, which of our tribes ſhall firſt begin and ſet upon the inhabitants that ſtill abide in their lot? for this is doubtleſſe the meaning of this queſtion they asked.
Verſ. 2. And the Lord ſaid, Judah ſhall go up, &c.] That is, the tribe of Judah; becauſe that was the moſt populous and the ſtrongeſt of the tribes, and had their portion in the chief of the land, which it was therefore fit ſhould be firſt cleared of the enemie, therefore they were appointed firſt to begin the warre: and beſides, thus was that ſtill accompliſhed which Jacob prophecied concerning the preheminence this tribe ſhould have above the reſt, Gen. 49.8. Judah thou art he whom thy brethren ſhall praiſe: thy hand ſhall be in the neck of thine enemies, thy fathers children ſhall bow down before thee.
Verſ. 3. And Judah ſaid unto Simeon his brother, Come up with me, &c.] The Simeonites were brethren to thoſe of Judah both by father and mother; but beſides, their cohabitation was another tie betwixt them, in regard whereof they lived in the ſame lot, as brethren in one and the ſame houſe, and in this reſpect chiefly, is Simeon called Judahs brother.
Verſ. 4. And Judah went up, and the Lord delivered the Canaanites, &c.] That is, one particular people of this countrey ſo called.
And they ſlew of them in Bezek ten thouſand men.] That is, in and about Bezek, to wit, in taking the town, or after they had taken it, when the king fled thence to ſave his life, as is more particularly after related.
Verſ. 6. But Adoni-Bezek fled, and they purſued after him and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his great toes.] And thus as he had done to many other kings, as himſelf confeſſeth in the following verſe, to wit, either out of a kind of barbarous ſporting crueltie, or elſe to render them thereby unfit for warre ever after, that by the al-ruling providence of God is now done to him by the Iſraelites that had now taken him priſoner. Indeed we reade not that Gods people were wont to inflict any ſuch ſtrange kind of puniſhment upon thoſe that were vanquiſhed by them, nor doth it ſtand with piety thus to torture and afflict thoſe that are taken in warre, with ſuch ſtudied and uncoucht wayes of puniſhment; and beſides, the Iſraelites had an expreſſe command not to ſpare the lives of any of theſe nations, but preſently to cut them off; and therefore as it is likely that ſome ſpeciall reaſon moved the Iſraelites to inflict this unuſuall puniſhment upon him, ſo I conceive it moſt probable, that either when they took the city they found ſome of theſe poore captive kings that had been thus inhumanely uſed by him, a ſpectacle that might well ſtirre their ſpirits againſt him; or at leaſt that they might receive information from others herein, and ſo might be moved thereby to deal with him as he had dealt with others, as judging it conſonant to that Law of retaliation which God eſtabliſhed amongſt his people, Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, Exod. 21.24. Some Expoſitours indeed conceive that the Iſraelites knew not of this particular cruelty that he had uſed to others, till himſelf acknowledged the juſt hand of God upon him herein, verſe 7. Threeſcore and ten kings having their thumbs and their great toes cut off, gathered their meat under my table; and ſo they aſcribe this which the Iſraelites did wholly to the ſecret providence of God, who moved them thus to return his cruelty upon himſelf, they not knowing why they did it. But no ſuch thing can be neceſſarily inferred from his acknowledgement of that which he had done to the kings that he had conquered; for either to confeſſe how many kings he had uſed ſo, or out of remorſe of conſcience being as it were conſtrained to confeſſe that it was the juſt vengeance of God upon him, he might well ſay what he did, though he knew the Iſraelites had purpoſely done thus to him becauſe he had formerly done ſo to others.
Verſ. 7. Threeſcore and ten kings, having their thumbs and great toes cut off, gathered their meat under my table, &c.] This need not ſeem ſtrange to us if we conſider, firſt, what petty kings there were in thoſe times; and ſecondly, that this may be underſtood of ſo many kings who at ſeverall times had been thus uſed, not that there were ſeventy all at one time thus waiting upon him: though even that is not ſo incredible, conſidering that in thoſe dayes every city almoſt had a ſeverall king. And as for their gathering or gleaning their meat under his table, the meaning is not that they lay like dogs under the table, but that they were kept as ſlaves in ſuch a manner, that for hunger they were glad to gather up the crumbs and ſcraps that fell under the kings table, as having nothing allowed them to eat but that; and happely the king to pleaſe himſelf with this cruell ſpectacle, did ſometimes cauſe them to be fetched in, when he was in his cups feaſting himſelf, that he might ſee them in this piteous plight whereunto he had brought them, and inſult over them.
And they brought him to Jeruſalem and there he died.] To Jeruſalem I conceive they brought him as a ſpectacle worthy to be beheld, that men might learn by him, how juſt God is in puniſhing men according to the nature of their wickedneſſe; and therefore it is moſt likely alſo that he dyed there preſently of the wounds he had received in the warre, in that ſevere puniſhment that was inflicted on him: or elſe, that he was kept there upon this extraordinary occaſion, purpoſely that men might ſee in him how God abhorres ſuch cruelty as his was, he being otherwiſe one of thoſe accurſed nations that might not be ſpared.
Verſ. 8. Now the children of Judah had fought against Jeruſalem, and had taken it, &c.] That is, before Joſhuas death: for this is added, to ſhew the reaſon why they carryed him to Jeruſalem, to wit, becauſe Jeruſalem, that is, that part of Jeruſalem that was in Judahs lot, was now in their poſſeſſion, though not the fort. So that moſt Expoſitours hold, that both this and the following verſes unto verſe 17. are a repetition of the memorable acts done by the tribe of Judah whileſt Joſhua was now living: Indeed before the land was divided, all Iſrael fought as in one army againſt the Canaanites; but after the tribes were ſeated in their ſeverall portions, each tribe made warre againſt the inhabitants in their ſeverall lots; and thus the men of Judah are here ſaid to have done theſe things here related; for it is not neceſſary to hold that Jeruſalem was taken when the king thereof was ſlain, Joſh. 10.23. See the note, Joſh. 15.63.
Verſ. 9. And afterwards the children of Judah went down to fight againſt the Canaanites that dwelt in the mountain, &c.] That is, from Jeruſalem, which ſtood in a mountainous countrey, Pſalme 125.2. As the mountains are round about Jeruſalem, ſo the Lord is round about his people.
Verſ. 10. And Judah went againſt the Canaanites that dwelt in Hebron, &c.] That is, againſt the Canaanites that dwelt in the mountains about Hebron, which they did in the dayes of Joſhua, and under the conduct of Caleb, who then commanded in chief. It is evident that Hebron was taken by Joſhua, concerning which ſee the note, Joſhua 10.37. and that afterwards Caleb drove out the giants that had poſſeſſed themſelves of the ſtrong holds in and about Hebron, Ioſhua 15.13, 14. Concerning which ſee the note, Ioſhua 11.21. But becauſe the Authour of this hiſtory was here to relate the memorable exploits that were done by the men of Iudah, therefore together with thoſe noble acts which they did after the death of Ioſhua, he repeats alſo thoſe that were done by them whileſt Ioſhua was yet living, under the command of Caleb, both againſt Hebron, and againſt Debir in the following verſes, ſo to ſet forth the glory of this tribe the more fully.
Verſ. 11. And from thence he went against the inhabitants of Debir, &c.] See the notes that concern theſe following verſes, Ioſhua 15.15, 16, &c.
Verſ. 16. And the children of the Kenite, Moſes father in Law, went up out of the city of palm-trees, &c.] That is, out of Jericho, Deut. 34.3. the plain of the valley of Jericho, the city of palm-trees. Concerning theſe Kenites, ſee the note upon Numb. 10.31. in tents they alwayes dwelt, chap. 4.17. Howbeit Siſera fled away on his feet, to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite: it ſeems therefore that being appointed to have their lot with Judah, having formerly dwelt in their tents in the countrey about Jericho (for Jericho it ſelf was many years ago deſtroyed, Joſh. 6.24.) after Judahs portion was cleared, they removed with them to the wilderneſſe of Judah, there to dwell with the men of Judah, as Moſes had promiſed to Hobab the Kenite, Num. 10.32. And it ſhall be if thou go with us, yea, it ſhall be, that what goodneſſe the Lord ſhall do unto us, the ſame will we do unto thee.
Verſ. 17. And Judah went with Simeon his brother.] To wit, to help Simeon in the clearing his lot, as before Simeon had helped Judah, verſ. 3.
And they ſlew the Canaanites that inhabited Zephah, and utterly destroyed it (and the name of the citie was called Hormah)] That is, utter deſtruction; they were not wont thus utterly to deſtroy all the cities they took; it is therefore probable, that they did thus deſtroy this place becauſe of the vow which the Iſraelites had made long ſince, when Arad the king of the Canaanites made warre againſt them; ſee the note Numb. 21.3. and the mention of Arad in the foregoing verſe, makes this opinion the more probable.
Verſ. 18. Alſo Judah took Gaza with the coaſt thereof, &c.] Yet it ſeems ſoon after the Philiſtines recovered theſe cities with the coaſts thereof, and drave out the Iſraelites, ere they could well ſettle themſelves therein, to wit, becauſe they began preſently to provoke the Lord with their ſinnes. For it is evident that theſe cities were not long after this inhabited by the Philiſtines, chap. 3.1, 2, 3. Now theſe are …he nations which the Lord left to prove Iſrael by them, &c. Namely, five Lords of the Philiſtines, &c. and ſo again, 1. Sam. 6.17. Now theſe are the golden Emerods which the Philiſtines returned for a treſpaſſe-offering unto the Lord: For Aſhdod one, for Gaza one, for Askelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron one. As for Ekron one of the cities here mentioned, it was in Dans lot, Joſh. 19.43. therefore it ſeems that the tribe of Judah joyned with thoſe of Dan as well as with thoſe of Simeon for the clearing of their coaſts; the rather, becauſe they could not hold thoſe cities they had gotten from the Philiſtines, if they had let them alone in this neighbouring citie.
Verſ. 19. And the Lord was with Judah, and he drave out the inhabitants of the mountain.] This clauſe, and the Lord was with Judah, is added to ſhew of what difficulty their attempts were if the Lord had not been with them; and withall, to condemne their cowardiſe, that durſt not proceed in their conqueſts againſt the inhabitants of the valleys, having had ſuch incouraging experience of Gods aſſiſtance.
But could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, becauſe they had chariots of iron.] Their own fears diſabling them, and God for their ſinnes withdrawing himſelf from them. Concerning theſe chariots of iron, ſee the note Joſh. 17.16.
Verſ. 21. And the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebuſites that inhabited Jeruſalem, &c.] See Joſh. 15.63.
Verſ. 26. And the man went into the land of the Hittites, and built a city.] Whence it ſeems probable that the Iſraelites did not onelyonly ſpare his life and the life of his family, but alſo gave him a rich reward, to wit, for ſhewing them the way into Bethel, as is before ſaid.
Verſ. 27. Neither did Manaſſeh drive out the inhabitants of Bethſhean, &c.] See the note Joſh. 17.12. Thus in the dayes after the death of Joſhua, when it ſeems they had no one ſet over them in chief, but were onelyonly governed by the joynt-authority of the Elders in each tribe, they began to be remiſſe in endeavouring to drive out the remainder of the Canaanites that dwelt in the land, but were content to make peace with them; and this was the firſt ſtep of their defection from God, which did by degrees lead them into groſſer ſinnes, and greatly provoked the Lord to diſpleaſure againſt them.
Verſ. 35. Yet the hand of the houſe of Joſeph prevailed, ſo that they became tributaries.] That is, though the Danites were ſorely for a time oppreſſed by the Amorites as is expreſſed before, verſ. 34. And the Amorites forced the children of Dan into the mountain: for they would not ſuffer them to come down to the valley; yet afterward with the help of the ſonnes of Joſeph, who bordered upon Dans portion, and came up to aid them, they prevailed againſt them, ſo that they became tributaries.
Verſ. And the coaſt of the Amorites was from the going up to Akrabbim, from the rock and upward.] This is added, to ſhew how the Iſraelites through their own ſloth ſuffered themſelves to be hemmed in with theſe accurſed enemies.