A Complete History and Mystery of the Old and New Testament, Biblical tract · Volume 2 · Commentary on the book of Judges · Chapter 21 – Chapter 2
CHAP. XXI. of Judges.
JƲdges the Twenty Firſt, which Relateth how the Tribe of Benjamin, (now almoſt extinct) came to be reſtored: In this Relation, or Narrative, the Cauſes thereof are declared, which be two.
Firſt, The Efficient Cauſe, namely, Iſrael's Repentance and deep Sorrow at thoſe ſad Iſſues, their Raſh and Uncharitable Oath diſturbs them on one hand, and their Pity and Compaſſion to their Brother Benjamin (whoſe utter extirpation they never deſigned, though it fell out very near it in the heat and fury of War beyond their expectation) this even diſtracted them on the other hand, therefore come they to Shilo not ſo much to praiſe God for their late woful Victory, but more eſpecially now to ſeek God's Direction, how they might extricate themſelves out of this preſent Labyrinth, to this end they ſpend a whole Day in Praying, Weeping, Sacrificing, and Deploring the deplorable caſe of their Brother Benjamin, ver. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. All theſe Actions were Signs of Iſrael's Sorrow.
The Second is, The Material Cauſe, or the Means by which the Tribe of Benjamin (now ſhrunk up into a ſmall Remnant) was reſtored, namely, by providing Wives for them, and theſe were of two ſorts.
1. Some were given to them freely, to wit, ſuch as were the Daughters of Jabeſh Gilead, whoſe Males, &c. Iſrael deſtroyed becauſe they aſſiſted not in the War againſt Benjamin, ver. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14. And
2. When ſtill Two Hundred of that Tribe could not be provided by this Gift, others muſt be ſtolen, and taken by force, (to ſave them from the Curſe they had Imprecated on themſelves in their Oath that they would not give them Wives of their own Daughters) therefore are they ordered to commit Two Hundred Rapes upon the Damoſels that came to Dance their Dances at the Feaſt in Shilo, &c. ver. 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22.
The Remarks upon the Firſt Part, are,
Firſt, Iſrael entring into a Solemn League and Aſſociation of Warring againſt wicked Benjamin, ſwore that they would not give any of their Daughters to them, but look on them as Gentiles, to have no commerce with them, eſpecially not in Marriage, ver. 1. which Oath preſuppoſes two things.
1. That ſome of the Benjamites might eſcape the Sword, and out-live the War. And
2. That ſuch might be the fury of War, as not to leave ſo many Females alive, that would ſerve for Wives to the Males that eſcaped. If ſo, the Benjamiees having made themſelves as bad, as the worſt of Heathens (with whom they were forbid to Marry) therefore they ſwore not to ſupply the Survivers with Wives: There be two Opinions concerning this Oath.
N. B. The Firſt is, Some ſay it was a Lawful Oath upon the Reaſon laſt rehearſed, that Benjamin by his Barbarous Villany, was now become as bad as the worſt of Pagans, ſo they might Swear to withdraw all Communion from them: Beſides, that probably Othniel was at this time the Chief Commander of this great Army againſt Benjamin; however 'tis certain Phinehas was preſent as High-Prieſt at this great Convention, Judg. 20.28. and was as Zealous in this Caſe of the Levite's Concubine, as he had been in one of a not much different Nature, Numb. 25.8. Pſal. 106.30. Now ſuppoſing theſe two great and good Men (Othniel and Phinehas) were preſent at this General Aſſembly when this Oath was Sworn, 'tis improbable ſuch Ignorance ſhould be found in thoſe two Men, and in the whole Body of Iſrael, as not to know the Unlawfulneſs of this Oath, and no endeavours be uſe by any of them to prevent ſuch a notorious ſnare as it proved afterwards, ver. 6.15, 18.
But the Second Opinion, and the moſt received is, that it was a raſh and an Inconſiderate Oath, backed with a Direful Imprecation, wiſhing ſome great Miſchief might befal him that durſt Violate it. For,
N. B. 1. It was an Oath that flowed from raſh rage, rather than from real zeal: Men muſt Swear in Judgment, Jer. 4.2. not when tranſported with Paſſion, as Iſrael was now againſt Benjamin in a grievous pang of Paſſion and Prejudice, and therefore their fiery Spirits ſtood now in more need of a Bridle, than of a Spur.
2. It was an Ʋncharitable Oath, as it was againſt the repairing of a periſhing Tribe, which the Law of Charity bound them to ſupport, and not to ſee it periſh out of the Land▪ through the want of their helping hand.
3. It appears unlawful, as it croſſed the revealed Will of God in Jacob's Prophetical Bleſſing upon this Tribe, Gen. 49.27. and that of Moſes alſo, Deut. 33.12. both which Propheſies had been ſpoiled, had this one of the Twelve Tribes been extinguiſhed, which would have been unavoidable: For thoſe Survivers muſt either have Wives given them by Iſrael, or they muſt Marry Strangers (which was expreſly contrary to God's Law, unleſs they became Proſelytes) and ſo they had polluted their Poſterity, or they muſt die Unmarried, and ſo this Tribe would have laſted no longer than while thoſe Six Hundred Men lived; and then Bleſſed Paul had never been born of the Tribe of Benjamin, who was ſo eminent a Bleſſing even to all the Churches.
4. The performance of this Unreaſonable Oath, was likewiſe Bloody and Barbarous, for by virtue of their Oath their blind Zeal tranſported them to deſtroy many Perſons in all thoſe Cities of Benjamin, who (it may well be preſumed) had no hand in that foul Fact of the Men of Gibeah: Nor did they ſpare any Women, Virgins, or little Children, who were altogether innocent of the aforeſaid Villany: Such was their outragious fury, that none of any Age or Sex eſcaped it, ſave only thoſe Six Hundred Men, that by a Special Providence of God were ſaved, but ſore againſt their Wills, for if they could have overtaken them in their Flight, even they would have periſhed alſo.
The Second Remark is, Iſrael's Weeping before the Lord in Shiloh, notwithſtanding their late (which now in their cold Blood they look'd upon as a Lamentable) Victory, ver. 2.
N.B. 'Tis ſeldom ſeen that God giveth to Men on Earth any perfect Contentment, but ſomething they muſt have to complain of, which caſts in an Unſavory Verdure to all otherſweet Morſels, as Haman (that darling of the World) in the midſt of a Confluence of ſo many created Comforts, cryeth out, [All this avails me nothing,] Eſth. 5.13. thus God deals with better Men than Haman, even the Holy Patriarchs, Hebr. 11. from ver. 9. to 13, &c. that we may not take up our reſt upon this polluted Earth, Mich. 2.10. ſo far on this ſide Heaven. N. B. There be three great Joys recorded in Scripture, as the greateſt of Worldly Joys. (1.) The Joy of Harveſt. (2.) The Joy of Marriage. And (3.) The Joy of Victory, which is the greateſt of all the three, as being of more publick Importance: But here, how is the Joy of Iſrael's Victory ſo profoundly damped with the fruits of their own rage and raſhneſs, whereof they now ſeriouſly repented, ver. 6. This was quite contrary to the promiſe [inſtead of Beauty here were Aſhes, and inſtead of the Oyl of Joy, here was Mourning; and in the room of Garments of Praiſe for ſo great a Victory, here was the Spirit of Heavineſs,] Iſa 61.3. and the matter was, that they had involved themſelves into ſuch intricate Perplexities by their Precipitancy in Swearing, and in executing too rigorouſly what they had ſworn, they know not how to extricate and wind out themſelves from them, gladly would they preſerve Benjamin from utter Extirpation, and yet not render their Conſciences guilty of the Violation of ſo Sacred an Oath. bound upon them with a Curſe: All their Out-cry was now, [What ſhall we do for Wives,] for the Remnant of Benjamin, reſerved by a good Providence in the Rock Rimmon, as a Seminary for recruiting that almoſt deſtroyed Tribe, ver-7. All this perplexity aroſe meerly from their groſs Ignorance in thoſe dark times of Apoſtacy, and their lifting up their Voices, and their Weeping and Howling ſo ſore, were only to ſtop the Clamours of a Superſtitious Conſcience: Though they repented of their Rage and Raſhneſs againſt Benjamin, yet they repented not of their Unlawful Oath, which ſerved to puſh them forward thereunto. N.B. 'Tis a Rule among the Caſuiſts, As it is a Sin to make an Ʋnlawful Oath, ſo 'tis a double ſin to keep it: A bad Oath is better broken than kept. For an Unwarrantable Oath is oft taken raſhly, but he that will keep it, doth that Adviſedly, whereby the latter ſin becomes greater than the former; and thus it was with Iſrael here, who beginning at this time to decline from the Rule of God's Word, do run from leſſer ſins into greater, and ſink deeper and deeper in the Whirl-pool of Wickedneſs.
The Third Remark from the Second Part is, The Remedy whereby they will redreſs their Malady: They indeed conſult with God here, what they ſhould do under all thoſe Difficulties: 'Tis not recorded here what Remedy the Lord preſcribed, at their Prayers and Tears for them, but this is declared, That they fell foul upon Jabeſh Gilead, becauſe they did not contribute their help toward the juſt puniſhment of the Sons of Belial, and therefore ſeemed to like well of their Wickedneſs, or at the leaſt, they living ſo far off beyond Jordan, deſired not to be concerned, embraced a Neutrality, that they might ſleep in a whole skin. N B. But this proved but a ſhort Sleep, for Twelve. Thouſand Soldiers were ſent to awake them with a Witneſs, or rather to caſt them into their long Sleep by the Sw…rd, and not only the Men muſt be deſtroyed, but even the Women and the Children alſo, ver. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12. Here again raſh Zeal our runs right Reaſon: Alas, what had theſe poor Sheep (the Women and Children) done, that they all muſt be ſlaughtered. Sure I am, they were not ſummon'd to that Service againſt Gibeah, nor was it ſo much as expected that they ſhould make their appearance at the Aſſembly, having no Abilities to aſſiſt in this common cauſe, yet thoſe Innocents muſt fare no better than the Offenders. Thus, Dum Vitant Stulti Vitium in contraria currunt.
N. B. Here Ʋnwiſe Iſrael, after they had committed moſt outragious Cruelty in the Heat of War againſt Benjamin (though upon great Provocation, and with as great reſiſtance, yet were now mourning for this Barbarous Butchery of the Benjamites Women and Children,) notwithſtanding all this▪ they at this time reſolve to act the ſame Inhumanity upon Jabeſh-Gilead, and that in cold Blood, without either any ſuch ſad provocation, or any ſuch reſiſtance (for here they met with none at all) yet they run again into the ſame ſin, (which God had now given them both a ſight and ſenſe of, and a deep Sorrow for) and into an exceſs of ſeverity, raging againſt Innocents that could not reſiſt, ſo ſpoiling the juſtneſs of their Cauſe, by the unjuſtneſs of their manner of managing it; and ſurely had theſe Men rightly repented of their Barbarity againſt Benjamin (as they even now pretended) the Women and Children of Jabeſh-Gilead had found more Mercy from them: Nor was their ſeverity in cutting off all the Males to be excuſed as no Act of Cruelty, ſeeing the Lord ſaith, [The Son ſhall not bear the Iniquity of the Father, &c. Ezek. 18.20. N.B. Indeed this Apology I ſind for them, that they were under a natural and neceſſary Duty of preſerving a Tribe from a total ruine, whereby their Opinions, as well as their Affections might be inclined to the moſt favourable ſenſe of qualifying this ſevere Decree, and the Execution of it.
To which I Anſwer. God never neceſſitates any Soul to ſin; neither ought the leaſt evil to be done, though the greateſt good may be procured by it, Rom. 3.8.
The Fourth Remark from the Second Part is, The Application of the Remedy to redreſs their Malady, and to recruit the Remnant of Benjamin: All the Virgins they had ſaved alive at Jabeſh-Gilead, proved ſo few as Four Hundred only, this Plaiſter was not broad enough for the preſent Wound; however, it muſt be applyed and both cover and cure ſo far as it would reach; in order hereunto Embaſſadors of Peace are ſent to the poor Remainders of the Tribe of Benjamin, who had been ſhut up in the Rock Rimmon for Four Months, Judg. 20.47. where undoubtedly they were not a little hardly put to it to procure Proviſions neceſſary for their Subſiſtency: It may be, they might meet with ſome Opportunities the more, becauſe, when the heat of the Battel was over, the Iſraelites Anger began to cool, and they were not then ſo ſolicitous to purſue their Revenge any further. However at Four Months end, their fury was throughly cooled, and the abundant ſhowres of Tears they ſhed at this Solemn Aſſembly at Shilo, had perfectly quenched the Flames thereof, then went thoſe Embaſſadours of Peace, (as Joſephus calls them) and ſpake [Dibre-Shalom] Words of Peace (after all their Swords of War) to them in their Retiring Room, the fortified Rock of Rimmon: They called unto them peaceably, ver. 13. at this the Benjamites came forth, ver. 14. believing their Brethren at this time, and obeying their Amicable Overtures▪ which had they done before in that friendly Treaty, Judg. 20.12, 13. and not have ſo obſtinately tryed the matter of difference out at Arms, they had then redeemed their own preſent Miſeries, and been much happier than now they were; but bought Wit (they ſay) is beſt, if the Buyers pay not too dear for it: And ſurely thoſe Benjamites had paid a moſt dear price for theirs; ſo wiſe they are made now, as not to bid defiance to their Brethren in the fortified Rock, (as they had done in the ſtrong City Gibeah) but came calmly forth, marched with them to the Camp, where they met with all Fraternal Embracements, and herein Iſrael is to be highly commended, that they had put off their Arms and their Anger both together: Their Anger had been an Evil-Councellour to them, they could not do, but over-do, when tranſported with it▪ They had not reſerv'd this poor Remnant Wives enow, neither out of the Tribe of Benjamin's Cities, nor out of the Town of Jabeſh-Gilead. They reſerved only Four Hundred Virgins out of the latter, (having univerſally ſlain all without any reſerve in the former) yet found the Surviving Benjamites to be Six Hundred, therefore Two Hundred of them muſt be unprovided of Wives, this unhappy Diſappointment did ſorely grieve Iſrael, ver. 15, 16. becauſe their Sword of Juſtice had been no better bathed in the Oyl of Mercy, as to ſpare no more Virgins, to make up a competent Number for this reſerved Remnant. However thoſe Virgins are given as far as they would go, and then they cry, [What ſhall we do for Wives for the reſt?] ver. 17.
The Fifth Remark from the Second Part is, The Senate of Iſrael is put hard to their Politicks, how to heal this ſad Defect, and how to make the Salve broad enough for the Sore.
N.B. Joſephus tells us here, how one of the Senators ſtood up when all the other ſtuck faſt in this deep Debate, and ſaid to this purpoſe: I have heard the Opinion of ſome Elders in this Senate, who judge, this Oath we ſwore of not giving our Daughters to Benjamin, was grounded upon Wrath, and not upon Judgment, therefore might it well enough be diſpenſed with, eſpecially for the preſerving of a Tribe almoſt Extinct, which could not be contrary to the Will of God. But the other Elders Exploded this Opinion, out of an utter Abhorrency to the very mention of Perjury: Hereupon (ſaith he) I have one Trick to try, how you may keep your Oaths, and yet catch more Wives for the Two Hundred Benjamites; then he tells them at their Demand, how the Dancing Damſels at the Feaſt of Shilo, may by a Rape be caught, that the Remnant of Benjamin may be ſupplyed, his Relation here agreeth well with the Scripture of truth, as the ſame Story is recorded. Judg. 21.17, 18, 19, 20. to the end; Iſrael's great Cry was now, that the Lord had made a Breach upon the Tribes, ver. 15. Benjamin was the begetter and beginner of the ſin, God was owned here the chief Author of the puniſhment, and Iſeael were but his Executioners: Hereby Benjamin is ſhrunk up into a ſmall room, and reduced to a very narrow number, they complain, the Women were deſtroy'd out of Benjamin, ver. 16. So the Two Hundred could not hope to have Wives out of their own Tribes. They further urge, [One Tribe must not be loſt out of the Twelve,] ver. 17. becauſe both Jacob and Moſes promiſed an Inheritance to Benjamin, and Joſhua performed their Promiſe to him, their Land cannot be alienated from them, nor can it be poſſeſs'd by any other Tribe: Their State muſt not be diſmembred, there muſt be Twelve whole Tribes to ſerve God inſtantly Day and Night, as was ſaid by a Benjamite afterward, Acts 26.7 whence thoſe Wives could come to recruit the Tribe in the Overplus number of Benjamites, unprovided, they knew not that they muſt have none of our Daughters given them by us, becauſe we have ſworn to the contrary, ver. 18. and ſeconded our Oath with a Curſe upon him that durſt break it: Then comes in Joſephus's great Projector with his Grand Salvo at the Feaſt of Shilo, &c. ver. 19.20, 21, 22, 23. This Oath, though Unlawful as above, muſt by no means (forſooth) be broken, yet a Violent Rape is deviſed to elude the Oath, which was far worſe, for hereby they added to their Perjury (for it was the Common-Council's Decree that gave thoſe Dancing Damſels to the Benjamites,) the ſin of Rape, Fraud, and deceitful Dealing: The Benjamites have now got a Decree in Council of the Elders, to lie lurking in the Vineyards, and theſe Damſels that came by them to their Dances, they were authorized to take them by force, as their Wives, without either Conſent of Parents or Parties, and undoubtedly to the great Grief of both, and when any of their Relations came to complain, (as they had juſt cauſe to do againſt theſe Plagiaries or Kid-nappers.) it was ordered to anſwer them, [Be favourable to them, &c.] that is, we have wronged them in not reſerving Wives ſufficient for them, either out of their own Tribe, or out of Jabeſh-Gilead. N, B. Whoſe Widows (their Husbands being ſlain) might have ſerved them Wives, when the number of Virgins was not found ſufficient, &c. And they are told alſo, [Ye are not guilty of the Oath, becauſe ye did not give them, but they werr taken againſt your Wills, &c.] And ſo indeed they were Innocent, but ſo were not they that uſed this Plea, ſeeing they had contrived this Rape; but this they conceal, leaſt it ſhould make them odious to the Complainers, and ſo harder to pacifie.
Inferences from this Hiſtory are theſe.
Firſt, That Iſrael's Anarchy begat a General Ataxy. They having no King, or Judge to Govern them, from thence came all thoſe Diſorders aforementioned: Their Apoſtacy from God was Curſed with Manifold Confuſions, Civil-Wars, &c.
Secondly, In thoſe dark Times they ſtill held that great Truth, that Parents have the power of Giving their Children in Marriage: This was the Grand Ground of their Oath, and of their Scruples concerning it. So much Light yet remained among them, that it was Unlawful for Children to Marry without the Conſent of their Parents.
Thirdly, A Violent Rape of Daughters, without Parents Conſent, was even in this Degenerate Day lookt upon as Unlawful, and therefore did they uſe thoſe Wiles to appeaſe thoſe Parents whoſe Daughters were taken from them againſt their Wills, not being altogether ignorant of the Law againſt Man-ſtealing, Deut. 24.7. nor how heavily Jacob took it to be Robb'd of his Daughter Dinah, Gen. 34. Children are a chief part of their Parents Goods. therefore the Civil Law puniſhes Rapes with Death. Much miſchief hath followed Rapes, and many Bloudy Wars, the Rape of Helena out of Greece, by Paris (King Priamus's Son) did coſt the Deſtruction of Troy: And later, What a Woful War broke out between the Emperour Maximilian, and Charles the Eigth, King of France, who violently took away Anne the only Daughter of the Duke of Britanny, which had been Eſpouſed to the Emperour, &c.
N. B. How theſe Couples could fadge, is hard to tell. An After-Conſent might ſalve all, which only made Jacob's Marriage with Leah to be Lawful, &c.
Fourthly, Their Superſtition brought upon them this great Folly, to hinder their Daughters from great preferment, for here they had a fair opportunity of making their Daughters Miſtreſſes of very large Inheritances, ſeeing the copious Inheritance of the whole Tribe of Benjamin was to be divided among Six Hundred Men (none of the other Tribes muſt have any ſhare in it,) therefore the ſhare of many Thouſands did fall to thoſe few Hundreds, yet ſo Superſtitiouſly ſcrupulous were they to diſown it, &c.
Fifthly, Notwithſtanding the darkneſs of thoſe Times, yet was there ſo much light as to look upon Polygamy Unlawful and Impracticable: Fot the Decree ran thus, [Catch ye every Man his Wife, &c.] ver. 21. no more but one Wife for a Man is mentioned; which ſhews, though Polygamy was practiſed by ſome, yet was it not approved even in thoſe Times, yea, and in this caſe never more needful cauſe was found for the allowance of it, becauſe the Benjamites were now reduced to a very ſmall number, yet had very great and extraordinary Work that lay before them, namely, the Rebuilding of their Ruined Cities, the Re-peopling of them when Rebuilt, and the Repleniſhing of that Wide Inheritance, which now did almoſt lie wholly waſte; therefore, if ever, it was now neceſſary for one Man to have many Wives, for a Greater Increaſe.
Sixthly and Laſtly, Nor were thoſe Times ſo bad, as to allow of mixed Dancings, like the Dancings of our Days between Men and Women, which in all Ages of the Church, hath been condemned as Wanton and Laſcivious; but the Dancings of thoſe Damſels was Sober, Modeſt, and Acted only by themſelves (whereby indeed they were the more expoſed to this Rape) we oft read of Virgins Dancing by themſelves, Exod. 15.20. Judg. 11.34. 1 Sam. 18, 26. and 2 Sam. 6.20, 22. but not any where of any mixed Dances, as is the corrupt Cuſtom of our Times, &c.
Judges CHAP. II. Verſe 11.
NOW return we to the Hiſtory Recorded from Judg. 2.11. unto Judg. 3.11. under the Government of Othniel, whom God made their Firſt Judge after Joſhua. Famous Sir Walter Rawleigh ſaith here, 'Tis not improbable that the War betwixt Benjamin, and the other Tribes of Iſrael, brake forth between the Times of Joſhua and Othniel, for then there was no King in Iſrael; and the Tribe of Judah, which led the People againſt the Canaanites, (as it is ſuppoſed, under the Conduct of Caleb their General) Judg. 1, 2. did likewiſe lead up the People in the War againſt Benjamin, Judg. 20.18. but Dr. Lightfoot ſteps farther, beyond Sir Walter Rawleigh's Probability, and fixeth thoſe Stories in this place, as moſt proper, which he proveth by many Arguments aforementioned, Judg. 2. from ver. 11. to the end, together with the Seven firſt Verſes of Judg. 3. give us a General Account of the Hiſtory of the Judges, whom the Lord raiſed up ſucceſſively after this time, when God had been ſo highly provoked by his Covenanted People, in their Manifold Apoſtacies and Idolatries) as to ſell them ſeveral times into Oppreſſours Hands; for Judg. 2.16. is an Epitome of the whole History of the Judges, ſaying, [Nevertheleſs the Lord raiſed up Judges, who delivered them, &c.] which containeth the Stories of all the Judges, from Joſhua to Samſon from hence to the end of the Sixteenth Chapter, clearly demonſtrating that marvelous Circle which God went in with his People. When they ſinned, they were caſt down into the hands of Tyrants, when they Repented God raiſed them up by ſundry Judges out of the Tyrant's Hands; as there is a Viciſſitude of Nights and Days, ſo there was of Iſraels Miſeries and Mercies: God checkered his Providences toward them ſometime with Black and ſometimes with White, and Checker'd-Work is beautiful Work, when Miſeries and Mercies are after a comely Manner interwoven, and God's People have their Interchanges of Joys and Sorrows, while they are below, Pſal. 55.19. Men fear God by having changes with David, not otherwiſe, &c. Thus it was with Iſrael in Canaan, that Land of Hills and Vales, of Ʋp's and Down's, Deut. 11.11. Sometimes they were up on Hills of Proſperity, and at other times they were down in the Valleys of Adverſity, God goes in a Circle with them, and when they were brought to the loweſt Ebb, He that was ſeen in the Mount with Iſaac, Gen. 22.14. was ſeen in the Valley with Iſrael to mount them up again. God by every Judge (he raiſed up for them in their low Eſtate) turned Iſrael's Sighing into Singing, their Muſing into Muſick, their Tears into Triumph, and their wringing of Hands for Grief, into clapping of Hands for Joy, &c.