Commentaries, Commentary on Judges · Chapter 1 · Verses 1-2
1 IT came to paſſe after the death of Ioſua, that the childrē of Iſrael aſked the Lord, ſayeng: Who ſhall go vp for vsus agaynſt the Chananites to fight firſt agaynſt them?
2 And the Lorde ſayd Iudah ſhal go vp, beholde I hauehave deliuered the lande into his handes.
IT ſemed good vntounto the children of Iſrael to take warre in hande, for as it is writtē in the xiii. chap. of Ioſua, they had not yet at this tyme conquered all the promiſed land, ſo that in eueryevery tribes lotte there were enemyes remayning. And when they ſawe there was no remedy but that they muſt dryue them out by force, they doubted not whether they ſhoulde make warre agaynſt them, but their doubte was whiche tribe ſhould fight before all the other.The Iſraelites aſke counſell of God. The matter ſeemed to be of ſuch great importaunce, that they aſked counſell of god, whiche was the chief gouernour of their publicque weale. Ioſua that worthy captayne was no more a liue at whoſe becke and pleaſure they hanged.The Iſraelites affaires had euill ſucceſſe whē they were done without God hys counſell. Neither yet had they forgotten howe euill ſucceſſe they had, when not long before they toke weighty affaires in hand, without aſking counſell of God. For in their ſettyng forth to battaill againſt the citie of Hai, they ſped very vnluckely in the battail, bycauſe they went to warrefare without oracle, as it is written in the vii. of Ioſua. It is alſo written in the ſame boke in the ix. chap. that the Gabaonites were receaued into league without the oracle of god, and it is alſo writtē in the boke of Numbers that the Iſraelites were ſlayne by the Amorrhites, when they fought cōtrary to gods will. This peoples iudgement therfore is worthy to be prayſed, for it is excellently well done, in moſt weighty affaires to aſke counſell of God firſt of all. And that muſt be done conueniently, and holyly, otherwiſe it profiteth not. For the Iſraelites whē they ſhould make warre agaynſt the tribe of Beniamin, although they aſked coūſell of God, yet were they twice put to flight & ſlayne, & cowardly tourned their backes to their enemies, bycauſe they behaued not them ſelues well in aſking counſell of god.Wherfore they aſked counſell of God. And it is to be beleued that the Hebrues after the death of Ioſua conſidered this with them ſelues, that their hong a great matter in thoſe firſt warres whiche ſhould be enterpriſed after the death of Ioſua bycauſe if they happened to be ouercome of thoſe nations in one battaill or two, then would thoſe nations thincke with them ſelues, that the good lucke of the Iſraelites were chaunged with the death of their captayne. By whiche opinion they would eaſely hauehave ben boldened and their affaires ſhould hauehave had better ſucceſſe dayly. But on the contrary if it happened that the Iſraelites gotte the vpper hand in the firſt battailles, they ſawe that the power and audacitie of the nations woulde eueryevery daye diminiſhe, and beyng made feable and faynter they ſhould the eaſelyer be ouercome.God was alſo aſked counſell of in the tyme of Ioſua. They did not therfore without cauſe aſke coū ſell of God in ſo great a matter: which alſo to do the cōmaundement of the law did vrge them, which is writtē in the boke of Numbers. Neither muſt it be now thought, yt they ſo required the oracle, as though they did not the ſame whē Ioſua was lyuing, for they required alſo anſwers of God verye often when he was a lyue, but after his death it is ſaid that they enquired for this thing chiefly & principally, namely which tribe ſhould go vp to battail before all ye other in al their cauſes. And thys is the ſignification of the hebrew word Lanu that is, for vsus. And this woord to go vp is mencioned, bycauſe they ſaw that they ſhould fyrſt vanquiſhe the hyly places.
Againſt Chanaan. This is ſomtimes a general name,What ye people of Canaā were & containeth al theſe nations, which God had decreed to deſtroy out of Paleſtine, whereby all ye lande was afterward called Channan. And ſometimes it ſignifieth particularly ſome one nation of that people. And that lay chiefly about Tyre & Sidon. Which the Euangelical hiſtory proueth when it calleth the woman a Chananite which offered her ſelf to the ſonne of God, when he was goyng to Tyre & Sidon. And of that nation peraduenture, bicauſe it was mightier than the other, were the reſt called Chananites. And I wyl not ouerſkip this by the way, that ye people which is ſingularly called Chanaan, when they wer driuen out of their coaſtes by the Iſraelites, they departed to Aphrica, where they remayned ſafe, euen to the time of Auguſtine. Auguſtine.So that ye father writeth in his booke of the expoſition whych hee begon vponupon the epiſtle to the Romaines thus: Our ruſticals beyng demaunded what they wer, they anſwered in the Affrick tong, Chananites. And theyr language is very nye to the Hebrewe tong,The Africans ar Chananites as the ſame Auguſtine writeth in hys booke of queſtions vponupon the Iudges the .16. queſtion. For by Baal in the Affrick tong they ſeme to ſay Lord, whereby by Baal Samen is vnderſtoode as thoughe they would ſay, Lord of heauen: bicauſe theſe tonges differ not much one from an other. Hierome alſo agreeth therwt,Hierome. writing vponupon Eſay the prophet, when he enterpreteth theſe woords: Behold a virgin ſhal conceaue, in the Affrick tong (ſaith he) which is ſaid to hauehave had his ofſpring of the Hebrues.Virgil. A virgin is properly called Almah. Alſo Virgil when he called Dido an Aphrician & a Sidonian & the inhabitants of Carthage Tirianes hath moſt manifeſtly confirmed that Dido & her people came of the Chananites. Wherfore it is no maruel if they almoſt kept in remembraunce the Chananiſhe tong. But theſe thinges I hauehave ſpoken by the way. But now Chanaan ſignifieth no one ſpecial nation, but is a cōmon word for al thoſe nations which the Iſraelites ſhould ouerthrow. For the tribe of Iudah which is ſaid to hauehave gone vp firſt of al to the war,For what thing the Iſraelites aſked councell of God. had in his lot the Iebuſites, & not the Chananites. Moreouer I admoniſhe the Reader yt the Hebrues aſked not counſel of God for their Captaine, neither deſired they to know what man ſhould be made chief ruler ouer the Iſraelites going to battail againſt the Chananites, but which tribe ſhould begin the battel firſt. Othoniel ye firſt Iudge ſhould be of the tribe of Iudah. But we entreate not of him now preſently.
And bycauſe it is ſaid that the children of Iſrael aſked counſell of the Lorde,Howe many waies yt elders aſked councell of God. ſome wil aſke after what ſort the Iewes accuſtomed to aſke anye thing of hym at that time. It may be anſwered, that ther wer three accuſtomed & ordinarye waies which are reherſed in the .28. chap. of the firſt booke of Samuel namely by dreames, by Vrim & Thūmim, & laſtly by prophets whē ther wer any to be had, & therfore Saul complained in ye booke, that God had anſwered hym by none of theſe waies, when he would hauehave aſked counſel of hym of the ſucceſſe of ye moſt daungerous battail. I finde alſo other waies in the ſcriptures of aſking coūſell of god, but they wer extraordinary waies. One is by reuelacion of angels, or of god him ſelf, expreſſing him ſelfe vnderunder ſome forme. An other way was, when ſom holy men by ye mouing of god did appoint to themſelues certayn tokens of thinges to come, which did ſignify before, whether they happened this waye or that, what ſhould be looked for.
So Abraham hys ſeruaunt decreed with hymſelf that ſhe ſhould be his Lordes wife, which only amongeſt many maydens comming to the well, offred drinke of her owne mynde to hym and to his Camels. Ionathas alſo the ſonne of Saule had then the victory promyſed him, when the Philiſtianes ſhoulde ſay, Come vp hither to vsus, and contrarilye, if they ſhoulde byd him tary till they came downe thither. I hauehave called theſe extraordinarye wayes bycauſe they were not commonly vſed, neyther are they often red in the Scriptures. Lottes alſo are of this kinde. There is mention made of them in the fyrſt booke of Samuel, when Saule ſhould be declared King, all the tribes ſtanding there before the Lord, Beniamin was caught, which R. Selomo expounding aſcribeth the ſame place to Lottes, and ſayth that the names of eueryevery tribe were fyrſt writen in ſcrolles, and hurled into a certayne potte, out of the which they were afterwarde drawen by the hand of the Prophet. This is his iudgement. Although. R. D. Kimhi thinketh ye that iudgement was geuen by Vrim and Thumim. But howſoeuer it was it ſkilleth not much, for no man ought to doubte but that there were lots vſed at that tyme. For Salomon ſayth, that lots were caſte into a pet and gouerned by god. Yea and the promyſed lande of Chanaan was no otherwiſe deuided vntounto the people thā by lots. But by what meanes, in what places, or after what ſort they were had, it is no place here to declare. It were to long to tell what Vrim and Thumim properly were. R. D. Kimhi ſpeaketh aboundauntly of that matter in the booke, which we now hauehave in handes, when he expoundeth the hiſtory of the concubine reuenged agaynſt the Gabaonites, And I will ſet forth an other time in a more fytte place what it ſhould ſeme to be.The manner to aſke counſell of Gods hand was before the lawe geuen. Neyther dyd thys cuſtome for aſking councell of God floryſh only in the tyme of Moyſes law, but alſo in the patriarches tyme. For we learne in the booke of Geneſis that Rebecka deſyred an oracle. The heathen alſo aſked councell eyther of theyr Prophetes or els of their ſouthſayers.The heathen had their oracles and diuinations. Balak king of the Moabites called vntounto hym Balaam. They had moreouer Sibelles and Delphos, Apollo and Iupiter Amnō, and were euer to much geuen to diuinations, but ſuch as were corrupted and falſe. Only amongeſt the Hebrues wherof we are certayne the maner of oracles was pure: Bycauſe God was knowen onelyonly in Iudea, as Dauid hath ſong.
Why Ioſua deuided the lande not yet poſſeſſed.Moreouer it is demaunded why Ioſua deuided ye land to the .xii. tribes at ye cō maūdement of God whē as he had not at that time conquered ye ſame? I anſwer he dyd it that he myght leaue a teſtimoniall, howe certayne they oughte to be of thoſe things which God had promiſed them, namely that they myght be as certayne of the poſſeſſion of that lande whiche was promiſed them, as if they had it already in theyr hands. It would ſeme to hauehave bene folyſhly done, if the obtayning of that land ſhould hauehave bene hoped for eyther by chaunce, or by mannes ſtrength,Ceſar. or els by warlyke power. For the which cauſe Ceſar in his Comment. doth not vnworthily laugh & wonder at the madneſſe of the Pompeians, whiche when they had not yet fought, would yet bargayne among themſelues in their tentes concerning the diuiſion of prieſthoodes, dignities, patrimonies & Ceſars goods. But thys diſtribution of the Hebrues, which was ordayned by the commaundement of god, could not be fruſtrate. And moreouer the Iſraelites, when that partitiō was made by Ioſua, had obtained alredy many victories, & had poſſeſſion of a great deale of ye land. Beſides theſe things this ordinance was very profitable for this purpoſe, to take away frō the tribes controuerſies for ye limits of their land. Yea and thei made war in better order, after that eueryevery tribe knew who were their enemies that they ſhould fyght agaynſt. And finally when as profite and rewards for labours are ſet forth, they do not a litle ſtirre vp men, ſtoutly to venter vponupon any daunger and labour. By the ſame counſell vndoubtedly hath Chriſt our ſauiour the ſonne of god, geuen vsus alreadye eternall lyfe, although we hauehave it preſently but only begonne. For we muſt labor & wreſtle very much before we come thither, although the fight be not vncertaine to them which put their truſt in God.
There are three cauſes alledged,Why God deſtroyed not by and by all the Chananites. why God would not by and by deſtroye all the Iſraelites enemies out of the lande of Chanaan. The fyrſte is, bycauſe the Iewes at the beginning wer not ſo many in numbre, as coulde inhabite all the land, So that by that meanes if all the Chananites ſhould hauehave bene deſtroyed, moſt part of the land ſhould hauehave lyen waſte. Whereby many and ſundry wilde beaſtes (wherewith the regions in the Eaſt abound) would maruelouſlye hauehave encreaſed, deſtroyed the poſſeſſions, and brought no ſmall damage and deſtruction to the Hebrewes. This reaſon is alledged of God hym ſelfe in Exodus. An other cauſe was that the Hebrewes myght throughly learne to fyght, and to be expert in warres agaynſt their enemyes, and they coulde not doo that neyther in Egipt, nor yet in the wyldernes. The thyrd cauſe was, that they might therfore feare God more and more, for they vnderſtandyng that they obtayned victories and poſſeſſion of the lande as long as they obſerued their religion, and contrarywyſe, how they were oppreſſed with moſt greuous miſfortunes, troubles and miſeries, when they forſooke the obedience and woorſhipping of God, they myght at the leaſt by thys meanes be ſtyrred vp not to faynt from theyr fathers lawes and moſt holy ordinaunces of God. I would to God the ſame cauſes, eſpecially the two latter whych are deſcribed in the thyrde chapter of thys booke myght teache vsus, why God wyl hauehave them whych are hys to be ſubiect in thys lyfe to ſo greuous and ſo many temptacions, namely that by fyghtyng and wraſtlyng we myght be exerciſed wyth fruite and profytte, callyng vponupon God continually.
But why God choſe the tribe of Iudah, The prayſe of the tribe of Iudah.to begynne the battayle firſt againſt the enemyes, many reaſons may be alledged. Fyrſt, that tribe was very populous, of great force, valiaunt of courage, warlyke, and verye experte therein. Whych neuertheles I ſpeake not, as thoughe the election of God were moued by theſe gyftes: yea rather in that poynt the cleane contrarye is to be affirmed, namely that thys trybe was therefore valiaunt and warlyke, bycauſe God himſelfe had deſtinied it to exerciſe thoſe offices. Neyther is it to be doubted,The election of god tarieth not for our gyftes and vertues. but that both valiauntnes and warlyke ſtrength are hys giftes. But that reaſon whych I hauehave declared is thus to be vnderſtand, that theſe excellent gyftes which wer freely geuen of God to the tribe of Iudah, made it apt to begynne the battayle fyrſt againſt the enemies. Neyther had it this kind of office cōmitted vntounto it only at this preſent, but alſo afterward when they ſhould make war againſt yt Beniamites, God being aſked counſel of, decreed that marchyng forwarde to battail ſhould be by the tribe of Iudah, to geue to it that it might be as it were a chiefe captayne to all the other Iſraelites. In the booke of Numbers for pytching the Campes, it had the chiefe place. Alſo the kinglye power was attributed vntounto it by the oracle of Iacob. And as the Hebrewes write, it was the fyrſt of al the reſt that paſſed ouer the red ſea. But for thys it is woorthy to beare awaye the garland, bycauſe of that tribe Meſſias ſhould be geuen not onelyonly to the Iewes, but alſo to al the world. Neither happened theſe priuileges and dignities to Iudah by order of birth. For it was reckoned the fourth amōg the ſonnes of Iacob. Ruben in deede was fyrſt borne, but bycauſe of his vile inceſt, wherby he abſtayned not euen from his fathers bed, he was throwne downe from hys proper dignity, and in his ſteade as concerning the kyngdome Iudah was ſubſtituted. But the dignity of birthright was geuen to Ioſeph. Wherein Iudah excelled the tribe of Ephraim.Wherefore his firſt tribe called Ephraim was not onelyonly valiant & mighty, but alſo was exalted to the kyngdom of ten trybes: which kingdome neuertheleſſe was both vnconſtant, and alſo abode not alwayes in that famyly. But the principallity of Iudah is euerlaſting, bycauſe it was not taken away from it euen to Chriſtes tyme, and he comming of that family, raygneth and ſhall raygne for euer. All whych thynges Iacob hym ſelfe confirmed wyth hys noble prophecye, wherein he fore ſayde to hys children what thynges ſhoulde happen to them in the latter tymes. Wherfore it is not to be maruelled, if his Prophecies be in ſome parte fulfilled now. For the ſpirite of god doth euer wel agree with it ſelfe, as it whiche bringeth thoſe things to paſſe, which are agreable to his prophecyes.
How farre the oracle geuē to the Iſraelites pertaineth vntounto vsus.And that which is ſayd here to be anſwered to the Iſraelites let vsus thinke alſo to be anſwered vntounto vsus, that if we will be ſure to obtayne the victory agaynſt the enemyes of mans ſaluatiō, we muſt hauehave him to be the captaine of our battayle, which by the holy Prophecye of Iacob is called ye Lyon of ye tribe of Iudah. If by hys conductyng and name we wil fyght agaynſte the deuil, the fleſhe, the world, death and hell, our victorye ſhall not then in any poynte be doubtfull but moſt certayne. And yet would I not hauehave the reader to thinke, bycauſe I hauehave put thys allegorye in, yt therfore I will vſe many allegoryes in thys hiſtorye, for I will vſe them rarely and very ſeldome,Allegoryes are not alwaies to he diſcōmēded not yt I would hauehave theyr pleaſantnes and elegancye be vtterly diſpiſed. (The old fathers certaynly delited very much in them, I will not ſay to much. Yea and we fynde them ſometymes applyed in the holy Scriptures. For Chriſt in the goſpell compared hymſelfe allegorically both to Salomon and to Ionas, and alſo to the ſerpent which Moyſes at the commaundemente of God hong vp in the wilderneſſe. I will not ſpeake of Paule who writing to the Galathians,, made Iſaac and Iſmaell the ſonnes of Abraham two peoples, and pronounced Sara and Agar to be two Teſtamentes, applying the Hebrewes to the Mounte Sina and the Chriſtian Church to the Citye of Ieruſalem) but euen as Allegoryes are not vtterly to be diſpiſed,Allegories muſt not be raſhly vſed. ſo are they not to much raſhly to be vſed. For although it be free for eueryevery man in thys kynde of interpretation, to deuiſe what things he lyſte, ſo yt he ſtraye not from the rules of fayth and holy Scriptures, yet hauehave we not therby any ſtrong or certaine argumentes for the confyrmation of the doctrine of fayth. Therefore there is ſmal profyte by the labour taken in them. Neuertheleſſe I except thoſe which are put in the holy Scriptures,Whither firme argumēts may be brought frō Allegories. for they are to be counted the wordes of the holy ghoſt. Wherfore theyr authoritye is great both in prouing & alledging of teſtimonyes. But the other, wherin the wits of men hauehave dalied, although with Godlynes, and in a ryght vnderſtanding, bicauſe they are the inuentions of men, theyr cō cluſions and argumentes are very weake. For men being the authors of them myght both be deceaued, and alſo deceaue. But thys Allegorye by me broughte forth, namely that the aunſwere of God for the appoynting of the tribe of Iudah to be captaine of the warres doth no leſſe belong to vsus than to the Hebrues, hath no ſmall certaynty and ſcarcely pertayneth to allegoryes. For whatſoeuer they were that defended the people of God in the olde time, Chriſt was theyr hed and captayne. Wherfore whatſoeuer they dyd in defendyng of hys members, they did it as his miniſters and vicars. Wherby he which religiouſly reuolueth their actes in his minde, and then putting them aſyde, doth behold the hed and chiefe captayne,Howe thoſe thinges agree with Chriſt which ſeme to be ſpoken of Dauid & Salomon. by whoſe conducting they obtayned the victoryes. He I ſaye doth not ſtraye from the marke, which the holy ghoſt had in the holy bookes. After thys maner thoſe thyngs which are red in the holy Scriptures, both of Salomon and alſo of Dauid and ſeme to be ſpoken of them in reſpecte of the hiſtorye, are not allegorically applyed by the Apoſtles in the new Teſtamente to Chriſt ſeing yt the holy ghoſt ſpake them purpoſedly of hym. Wherefore I hauehave not abſurdely ſayde, that the oracle geuen to the Iſraelites ſhoulde be thoughte to bee ſpoken vntounto vsus.
Behold I hauehave geuen the land into his hands. God ſheweth forth in this place his liberal & boūtefull goodnes. He doth not only geue anſwer to yt which he was demaūded, but alſo addeth therunto a moſt notable promiſe. He firſt appointeth the tribe by name, which he wyll hauehave to make warre firſt before the other tribes againſt the Chananites. Then he promiſed to geue them the land of the Chananites whych he dyd to their great commoditye, for he made the Iewes more cherefull to fight, in that he ſayde that he woulde helpe them. Moreouer, he wold not hauehave the poſſeſſion of thoſe regions aſcribed vntounto their own ſtrength or power, but vntounto him ſelfe. Ye ſhall not take it (ſaith he) but I hauehave deliuered the land into their handes. And he vſeth a verbe of the preterperfect tenſe, wherby the certainty of hys ſayinges ſhoulde be expreſſed.
Of this place we may iuſtlye gather,We muſt aſke counſel of God when wee take any thinges or affaires in hād. that in buſines which we take in hande what ſo euer they be, God muſt alwaies be aſked counſel of. And thys maye be proued not onelyonly by this example, but alſo by infinite other whych the treaſures of the holye ſcriptures miniſter vntounto vsus, to which cōmeth a moſt ſtrong reaſon. What ſo euer is not of faith (ſayth Paul) is ſynne, wherby it followeth, that no man ſhould attempt any thing without fayth. And that is no fayth whych leaneth not to the woorde of God. For as the ſame Apoſtle hath taught,From whence the woord of God is to bee ſought. faith commeth of hearing, and hearing commeth by the woord of God, which woord we cannot hauehave by any other accuſtomed rule and ordinary way, than out of Gods oracles which hauehave bene ſet foorth vntounto vsus in the holy ſcriptures.
And it wer good to marke the difference which is found betwene the aſking counſel of God in the old time and ours at this preſent.Howe wee and the elders do diuerſly aſke coū ſel of God. They were very much carefull for the ſucceſſe of thinges, and they almoſt deſyred alwayes to knowe when they tooke warres in hand, or attempted anye other thyng, whether they ſhould ſpeede wel or il in them. And that was not hard for them to do, for they had an oracle prepared of God for them for that purpoſe. And God had promyſed that he would anſwer them out of the mercy ſeate, what ſoeuer they ſhould demaunde or aſke of him. But we, if we ſhould aſke counſel of the holye ſcriptures for the ſucceſſe and end of our enterpriſes and purpoſes, cōcerning earthly infelicities and miſfortunes, we ſhould ſeeme, and that not vnwoorthily, to play the fooles. For there is no place there at all, which anſwereth anye thyng for our ſingular and priuate thinges. But that onelye remayneth for vsus to enquire for, whether that which we begyn or go about, be allowed to be iuſt, holy, and acceptable to God by the teſtimonies of the holy ſcriptures.
But why the Iewes had proper and certayne oracles geuen them for theyr matters, and we hauehave nothing anſwered vsus particularly.Why we hauehave not oracles as the Iewes had I thynke there be no other cauſe, but bycauſe vntounto that people a certain aſſured publique wealth was due by the immutable coūſel of God, which ſhould endure to the time of Chriſt, and therefore there were prepared for it certaine extraordinarye aydes aboue the power of nature, whereby it ſhould be kept and defended by God. But vntounto vsus there is no ſuch promiſe made of any certain ſeate or publique wealth, ſeing that our church is diſperſed throughout the whole world, whereunto is no certaine ſeate or place promiſed, and therefore it needed not, that concernyng humaine thinges our publique wealthes ſhould be particularly gouerned by certaine oracles & anſwers for temporal thinges. Beſides this, the volumes of the holy ſcriptures are more aboundaunt in our tyme, than they were at that time with the Hebrewes when theſe thinges were done whych we nowe expounde. They had but the law onelye, we hauehave receaued nowe the bookes of the Prophetes and of wyſe men, vntounto which are added alſo al the writinges of the new Teſtament. And ſeing that thoſe writinges are ſo manye & ſo excellent, it is no maruayle if we are not eueryevery day enſtructed of god by new oracles & anſwers. Neyther ought we to thinke bicauſe of that, that God ſetteth leſſe by vsus than he dyd by the Hebrewes. I wyl not ſpeake howe hys ſpirite is geuen to vsus thorow Chriſt more aboundantly and more openly, than it was in the olde tyme to the Iewes. Finally, our publique weales, dominions and kingdomes at endewed with many more artes which ſerue for peace and warre, than the people of the Hebrewes were.How we ought to behaue our ſelues in aſking counſel of God. Wherefore it is no maruel if we being heaped vp with ſo many other gyftes, be deſtitute of ſingular oracles. It ſhal be our part therefore aboue al thinges, when we hauehave any affaires to take in hand, diligently to conſider the woord of God, wherein is opened vntounto vsus hys commaundement or wyl, & afterward to embrace the ſame with a firme and ſtedfaſt fayth, wherby we maye bee vehementlye kyndled to cal vponupon our heauenlye father, by the which we may be able to fulfyl that which he hath commaunded, and to obtayn that which he hath promyſed.