A Complete History and Mystery of the Old and New Testament, Biblical tract · Volume 2 · Commentary on the book of Judges · Chapter 2
CHAP. II.
JƲdges the ſecond Chapter, giveth an account, how the Meſſiah himſelf comes as the great Sh…phard of his Sheep, Hebr. 13.20. and as the Chief Biſhop of our Souls, 1 Pet. 2.25. to make his ſolemn Viſitation; juſt as Joſeph ſought his Brethren, and found them in Dothan, which ſignifies Defection, Gen. 37.17. So this bleſſed Joſeph or Jeſus, who is not aſhamed to call Iſrael his Brethren, Hebr. 2.11. but ſaith to them as that Joſeph did [I am Joſeph your Brother] Gen. 45.4. though Iſrael was now found of them in Dothan indeed; namely, in a State of moſt deſperate Defection from God, and under a moſt Deplorable Deſertion of God; for now God had forſaken them, and had given them up into the hands of moſt Cruel and Tyrannical Oppreſſors. Therefore is it ſaid, God ſold them into their Enemies hands, Judg. 2.14. Renouncing all his own right in them, and delivers them up, as the Seller doth the thing ſold into the Buyers hands: This Phraſe is oft uſed, Judg. 4.2.9. Pſal. 44.12, 13. Iſai. 50.1. and Judg. 3.8. Now Chriſt comes to be their Redeemer.
The Firſt Remark upon this Second Chapter is, The perſon who is the Viſiter of Iſrael in their forlorn Eſtate, and comes as an Honourable Embaſſadour from God to his People, &c. Hereof I find various Opinions. As,
Firſt, The Rabbins will have it to be Phinehas that came up from Gilgal to Bochim, ver. 1. but this is exploded as ridiculous, becauſe Phinehas had not his Habitation in Gilgal, but in Gibeath-Phinehas, the Name of a City, bearing his Name in Mount-Ephraim, given him not by Lot, but by an extraordinary Gift to the High-Prieſt, near unto Shilo, that he might be at hand to officiate as need required, Joſh. 24.33. But more Ridiculous is the
Second Opinion of ſome who ſay, this muſt be ſome Infernal Spirit, becauſe his poſture is expreſly ſaid to be [a coming up] ver. 1. whereas the Coeleſtial Angels are always ſaid to come down to Men: But 'tis ſaid here, he came up from Gilgal, not from Hell or Aſcended out of the Earth, as 1 Sam. 28.3.
The Third Opinion is better and more allowable, that this was ſome Created Angel, who took upon him Humane Shape, and thereby had motion of a Man from Gilgal to Bochim aſcribed to him.
But the Fourth Opinion is the beſt of all, that it was our Bleſſed Meſſiah, as above mentioned, who is call'd the Angel of the Covenant, Mal. 3.1. and who firſt appeared to Joſhua at Gilgal as the Captain of the Lords Host, Joſh. 5.13, 14. and whoſe preſence had protected them, and proſpered their Armys in the Conquest of Canaan, all the time that Joſhua's head Quarters were at Gilgal, and until the Tabernacle was removed to Shilo, Joſh. 18.1.
N. B. Therefore is he here ſaid to come up from Gilgal, to remind them,
Firſt, Of God's Mercies to them in their preſervation from their Enemies, and their proſperous Proceedings againſt them from Gilgal. And,
Secondly, Of their Duties to God, whereunto they had ſo ſolemnly obliged themſelves both in their Circumciſion, and in their Renewing the Covenant with God at Gilgal, yet after all theſe unexpreſſible Obligations, they had notoriouſly degenerated, and were departed from God's Law into Apoſtacy and Idolatry.
Moreover, Let it be conſidered in the next place, that he ſpeaks not here like a Created Angel, much leſs like ſome Mortal Man, in the Name of the Lord, as the Prophets uſe to do, but in the perſon of the Lord himſelf, appropriating the wonderful Works of the Lord, as done by him the preſent Speaker; namely, their Deliverance from Egypt, their Conduct through the Wilderneſs into Canaan, (who is expreſly called Chriſt, 1 Cor. 10.4.9.) and of his keeping Covenant with them, ver. 1. This could not be the Speech of a Created Angel, (for Moſes refuſed ſuch a Conduct, Exod. 32.2.3.15.) much leſs of any meer Mortal Man.
And Laſtly, Let it be conſidered, that Iſrael Sacrificed at Bochim upon Apparition of this Angel unto the Lord, ver. 5. as was done by Gideon, Judg. 6.19. and by Manoah, Judg. 13.16, 17. when the Meſſiah appear'd to them; now it was not lawful to offer up any Burnt-Offering, ſave upon that one Altar in the Tabernacle, unleſs upon extraordinary occaſions (ſuch as theſe were) wherein God gave them a ſpecial Diſpenſation.
The Second Remark is, The Meſſiah's Errand to Admoniſh Iſrael, and the effect of his Admonitions upon the Minds of Iſrael.
Firſt, The Admoniſher Recognizeth to their remembrance the Miracles of Mercy God had wrought for them heretofore, ver. 1, 2. chargeth them with breaking Covenant, and therein with groſs Ingratitude, whereupon he threatens them, that he would no more drive out thoſe Curſed Nations, remaining ſtill amongſt them through their ſinful ſparing them contrary to God's Charge: Thus the Lord made their Choice to become their Judgment, ſaying, ye have ſaved thoſe that will deſtroy you, ver. 3. Then follows the gracious effect of the Meſſiah's moſt powerful Admonition: He is that Prince whom God exalteth to give Repentance unto Iſrael, Act. 5.31. as he doth here, where they manifeſt the truth of their Repentance (now given them) (1.) By Weeping, ver. 4. And (2.) By Sacrificing, ver. 5. Thus were they wrought upon by the Word preached, the Preacher whereof was the eſſential Ward, John 1.1. who ſpake unto this People as he ſpake after to the Prophet, even with a ſtrong hand, Iſa. 8.11. this was that which melted their Hearts into Tears and tenderneſs.
Firſt, They lift up their Voice and wept, ver. 4. That is, they prayed and wept; they wept and prayed, for they being now convinced of their ſins, and fearing that thoſe Threatnings of grievous Calamities from the growing power of the Canaanites would come upon them; and having a juſt apprehenſion of an Approaching Miſery, their ſenſe of Iſrael's ſin, and their fear of God's Wrath, do effectually excite them, both to confeſs their Sins, to Implore God's Mercy, and to deplore the ſad Defections that were found among them. Alas, Preachers may now weep in ſecret, becauſe ſo few of their Hearers do weep in publick: Under the Droppings of the Sanctuary many …it, that never drop a Tear for their ſins, too many are like Witches, who (ſome ſay) cannot weep; yet a little allowance muſt be lent to dry Conſtitutions: N. B. In the Beſieged City, when the Beſieging Enemy can ſtop the Wells, and ſtay the Water-courſes of it, he hath great hope ſoon to win it; ſo hath Satan the like hope to gain Remorſeleſs Souls, that are never let bloud in the Heart Vein as thoſe were at Peter's Sermon, Acts 2.37. and thoſe at Chriſts here, who had fill'd God's Bag with their Sins, and now will fill his Bottle with their Tears, Job. 14.17. and Pſal. 56.8.
Secondly, They offer'd Sacrifice unto the Lord there alſo, ver. 5. not thinking it enough to pray and weep, and to call the place where they wept, [Bochim] that is, the place of Weepers, but they Sacrifice there too for the Expiation of their Sins, whereby they teſtified that they mourn'd not deſpairingly, but ſtill had a firm Faith in Chriſt's Merits (repreſented by that Sacrifice) and that though Chriſt had told them, 'tis true, I have been with the Tribe of Judah, &c. under Caleb's Conduct, and made them Victorious, yet now even Judah did tolerate the Canaanites alſo, therefore, I will be gone, &c. this gave them good cauſe to weep, &c. but they hoped, that in his Wrath he would remember Mercy, Habb. 3.2.
The Third Remark is. The Repetition of the Story of Joſhua's Diſmiſſion of the People from his Parliament at Shechem, &c. borrowed from Joſh. 24.28, 29. and mentioned here from ver. 6. to 11. this is done in order to a diſcovery of the Time, Cauſe, or occaſion of Iſrael's Defection from God, and God's Deſertion of them; theſe five Verſes have Joſhua's Death and the Death of thoſe Godly Elders about his Age, &c. Inſerted in them to clear the way of all the enſuing Stories. Vatablus his Note here is, that theſe things are ſpoken here by way of Recapitulation, that the Sum and Argument of this whole Book may be in this place ſet down together, and à Lapide calls it an Hyſteron-proteron, repeating what was done long ago, as if now done, that the Author might more commodiouſly paſs from Joſhua to the Original and Inſtitution of the Judges that ſucceeded Joſhua: But others are of Opinion, that theſe Verſes have a due Connexion to the words of the Angel in ver. 1.2. who told them that the Idols of the Canaanites will become your ruine, and now thoſe Verſes declare how this really came to paſs, and when, and by what means, dating it from the Death of Joſhua, &c. then they began to forſake the Lord; but above all Dr. Lightfoot's Judgment in this point ſeems to me moſt cogent, and of greateſt importance, ſaying, That all theſe things that were paſt, are mentioned here as preſent that the foundation of the future ſtory may be better laid, and that the time of the Peoples beginning to degenerate may be the more manifeſtly marked out; and hereupon after the tenth Verſe of the ſecond Chapter, he placeth all thoſe Stories which are held forth in Chapters 17, 18, 19, 20, 21. and after all theſe Chapters he begins again, at Chap. 2.11. with the Death of the firſt Judge of Iſrael; namely, Othniel. Let me have leave to tranſcribe his Reaſons for his double Aſſertion.
Firſt, That all thoſe laſt Chapters of Judges ought to be placed in the middle of the Second Chapter. And,
Secondly, That the Holy Ghoſt did not prepoſterouſly lay thoſe Stories, which came to paſs ſo ſoon, in ſo late a place of this Book of Judges.
As to the firſt of theſe, his Arguments take as followeth, (his Chronology may not be in every hand where this may come.)
Argument the Firſt, The Danites were not ſetled, when the Stories of the 17th and 18th Chapters came to paſs, and therefore this could not be long after Joſhua's Death.
Secondly, Phinehas was alive at the Battle at Gibeah, 'twixt Benjamin and the Ten Tribes, Chap. 19. and Chap. 20. ver. 28.
Thirdly, The Wickedneſs of Gibeah is reckoned for one of their firſt Villanies, Hoſ. 10.9. there they began it, as in Judg. 19. &c.
Fourthly, Deborah ſpeaks of the 40000 of Iſrael, that periſhed by Benjamin, as if neither Sw…rd nor Spear had been among them, Judg. 5.8.
Fifthly, Mahaneh Dan, or (as in our Tranſlation) the Camp of Dan, which was ſo named upon the March of the Danites, when they ſet up their Idolatry, Judg. 18.12. is mentioned in the Story of Samſon by that very Name, Mahaneh-Dan, though that Story of Samſon be ſet before the Story of the Danites, Judg. 13.25.
Sixthly, The firſt publick Idolatry that was found in Iſrael, had its firſt beginning in the Tribe of Dan (Judg. 18.30. before the Worſhiping of Baalim and Aſhtaroth in any other Tribe, Judg. 2.13. Therefore Dan is omitted among the Sealed of the Lord, Revel. 7.
Seventhly, Ehud (mentioned in Judg. 3.15.) may very well be ſuppoſed to have been one of the Left-handed Benjamites, and one of them that eſcaped at the Rock Rimmon, Judg. 20.16 47. and 21.13.
The Reaſons of his ſecond Aſſertion, why there is a tranſpoſition of thoſe Hiſtories by the Holy Ghoſt, I muſt refer to the Reader, Lightfoot's Chronicle of the Old Teſtament, pag. 93. to avoid prolixity of Quotations, &c. Nor is this the private Opinion of Dr. Lightfoot alone, and ſingular, but I find an Univerſal Concurrence of the moſt Learned and Judicious Interpreters with him, concerning this Diſlocation, &c. ſuch as Judicious Junius, Learned Lavater, Bochartus, Malvenda and many others both Foreign and Domeſtick Writers, who do not only Inſiſt upon the Reaſons aforementioned, but alſo do much amplifie upon them, all unanimouſly affirming, that theſe Stories in the five laſt Chapters of Judges, did not fall out in the order wherein they are placed, but much ſooner, even preſently after the Death of the Elders that out-lived Joſhua, Judg. 2.7. and not immediately after the Death of Samſon, as they are ſet down in this Book: Thoſe Divines afore-named, make it more apparent, by adding Amplifications to the Arguments aforementioned.
N. B. They add to the Firſt, That it is not at all probable, the Tribe of Dan, which was numerous, could want their proper Poſſeſſions for ſo long a time as 300 Years after Joſhua's Death, yet are they ſaid to ſeek an Inheritance to dwell in, &c. Judg. 18.1. this could not be after Samſon's Death.
To the Second is added, The Story of the Levites Concubine, and the War with the Benjamites happened, while Phinehas was High prieſt, Judg. 20.28. who muſt have been about 350 Years old, if theſe things had falen out after Samſon's Death, which is more than improbable, for Phinehas was at Man's Eſtate, when he ſlew Zimri and Cozbi, Numb. 25.7, 8. which was before Iſrael entred into Can…an, and he ſucceeded in the High-Prieſts Office, after his Father Eleazar, who died about the ſame time that Ioſhua did, Joſh. 24.33. and therefore could not out-live Samſon.
To the Third is added, That the Sin of Gibeah, Hoſ. 10.9. muſt be ſoon after Joſhua's Death, and before the time of the Judges, for Jebus, or that part of Jeruſalem which belong'd to the Benjamites, was not yet taken, Judg. 19.11, 12. but was ſtill poſſeſs'd by the Jebuſites, ſo that the Sin of Gibeah that Hoſea mentions, muſt be very Ancient, &c.
To the Fourth is added. That Deborah, beſide her mentioning the 40000 of Iſrael ſlain by Benjamin, Judg. 5.8. doth in ver. 14. uſe an Apoſtrophe, turning to God in her words, [After thee, Oh Benjamin, among thy People] and admiring, that the poor Remnant of Benjamin, reſerved from that General Slaughter of them, Judg. 20. ſhould not be diſcourag'd by his paucity of number, but became moſt forward in her Expedition, and encourag'd Ephraim (a Numerous Tribe] thereunto; the whole Tribe of Benjamin, though now but ſmall, came forth to this War of Deborah's, when the Numerous Tribe of Ephraim ſent forth but an handful to it, and did but follow after Benjamin, ſhe admires God in this double precedency.
To the Fifth is added, That the place where Samſon's Parents dwelt, and where their Son Samſon put forth the firſt Specimen of his Miraculous Proweſs, &c. was call'd Mahaneh-Dan in the Hebrew, Judg. 13.25. which had that Name given to it, when the Danites went in their Expedition to ſurprize Laiſh, Judg. 18.11, 12. which Expedition (ſaith Bochartus) was long before Samſon's time; and this likewiſe is a manifeſt proof, that thoſe Stories related in the five laſt Chapters of Judges, were before Samſon, tho' related after him.
To the Sixth is added, 'Tis the Unanimous Opinion of Divines, that Dan was cut out of the Roll of God's Sealed Tribes, Revel. 7. from ver. 5. to 9. becauſe he was the firſt in that ſhameful Recidivation and Revolt from the true Religion, before Idolatry lodg'd in any other Tribe: Dying Jacob foreſaw this, and bewail'd it in that Holy Rapture and Ejaculation upon his Death-Bed, Gen. 49.18. nor is there any Account given, or any reckoning made of this Tribe, as there is of the reſt, 1 Chron. 7.
To the Seventh is added an Eighth Argument, (the Seventh being only but a probability, and having no intimation in Scripture for it,) namely, That Jonathan the Levite, ſpoken of Judges 17.7. and became the Prieſt of the Idolatrous Danites, Judges 18.30. was the Son of Gerſhom, the Son of Moſes, Exod. 2.22. who was born to him before he went out of Midian into Egypt, which was Three Hundred and Eighty Years before Samſon Dyed; therefore 'tis more than Improbable, that this Jonathan ſhould be alive after Samſon's Death, ſeeing he is call'd but a Young Man, Judg. 17.7. we cannot ſuppoſe him to be then Two Hundred and Fifty Years Old.
To this Eighth may be added the Ninth Argument from Sir Walter Rawleigh before mentioned, that the War between Benjamin and the reſt of Iſrael did probably fall out in that Interval betwixt Joſhua and Othniel; for 'tis ſaid expreſly three times over, [There was no King in Iſrael in thoſe Days.] Judges 17.6. and 18.1. and 21.25. That is, no Judge, or Supream Magiſtrate to reſtrain them from Wickedneſs, but under an Anarchy, ſo to do what they liſted, without Controul. Beſides, As the Tribe of Judah led the People againſt the Canaanites, Judges 1.3. And ſo they did againſt the Benjamites, and both by God's Direction, Judges 20.18.